# Change a driving law! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 20, 2022, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942 "2022-09-20T22:56:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/61 "2022-09-21T14:50:25Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > But how about intermittent wiper settings? Pennsylvania’s law is deliberately vague as to that situation also. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/62 "2022-09-21T14:51:39Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > But if someone smashes your window, will the car alarm do you any good? Yeah, probably not. I’m not a fan of car alarms, I’m just pointing out that some are apparently a lot more sensitive than others. I wouldn’t have ordered one, but they come standard on many models these days. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/63 "2022-09-21T14:57:58Z")
I’ve never had a car with an alarm. It’s also been awhile since I’ve locked a car. I’ve had Jeep Wranglers, soft-tops, for decades. I’d rather have someone open the door and take something versus using a box cutter to slice my top and gain access. ETA: (knock wood) I’ve never had a theft from a vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/64 "2022-09-21T15:08:15Z")
> [@tofor](#): > > But first, all the speed limits other than strictly residential streets would be raised by at least 10-25 MPH. For speeds, I would say: Let Democracy Rule! There is no set limit for any road at any particular time. What there is, is a rule that anyone going significantly faster (or slower) than the average speed of the current traffic gets a ticket. Maybe have max limits for residential and school zones, but not major highways and the like. We all know maximum speeds are set artificially low for good driving conditions (mid-day, sunny out, dry pavement), which is why everyone speeds. But we also know that high speeds are a bad idea in bad weather and the like. So, leverage the collective knowledge of the drivers on the road. If most of the drivers are okay doing 150 km/hr, that’s probably okay. If we’ve all slowed down to 40 km/hr, there’s probably a good reason for that. People who are too far out in the tails of the bell curve are the real problem. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/65 "2022-09-21T15:22:37Z")
Jaywalking is no longer a thing. Also not really a traffic law per-se but I’d also introduce a [Right To Roam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_roam). My personal bug bear is how inaccessible the countryside is in the US. This may of course conflict with the predilection of the US property owners to own guns and take offense to people walking on their land. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/66 "2022-09-21T15:24:52Z")
I’d sign on for both of those. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/67 "2022-09-21T16:00:41Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > My personal bug bear is how inaccessible the countryside is in the US. A friend of mine came by every few weeks during the pandemic to hike in our woods (solo). I gave him some crude maps and he really enjoyed himself. Total strangers walking around our property? I’m not really cool with that. The reason we own (and pay taxes on) acreage is so that we don’t have to interact with random strangers. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/68 "2022-09-21T16:09:33Z")
1. No municipality shall derive more than x% of its budget through traffic and/or parking citations (I don’t know what a reasonable number for x is, I’d have to leave it to smarter people than I to come up with one). 1a) No municipality shall set a speed limit on state highways lower than 35 miles per hour unless the municipality can demonstrate a genuine safety reason for the low speed limit.\* \*A Tale of Two (Missouri) Cities: St. James has a speed limit of 20 on the entirety of the state route that runs through town. There is absolutely no reason for this except revenue generation – there is no pedestrian traffic and there are no visibility issues. By comparison, Steelville does indeed have a high degree of pedestrian traffic, especially during tourist season, and has a (IMHO justifiable) speed limit of 25. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/69 "2022-09-21T16:10:26Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Total strangers walking around our property? I’m not really cool with that. The reason we own (and pay taxes on) acreage is so that we don’t have to interact with random strangers. Yeah I’m not holding my breath for Right to Roam to happen in the US outside of hypothetical “what if” postulations. It would basically require a fundamental change in US culture. I’d settle for a decent set of footpaths. Its completely crazy to me that I where I live right now (well inside the built up DC metropolitan area) has a better network of trails than where my in-laws live out in the Maryland countryside, where is there is amazing scenery and huge swathes of beautiful countryside that you can only see as you drive past on a multi-lane highway. In fact a good start would would be a right to roam on the public land, that is owned by the public with the express purpose to allow public recreation, but the public is banned from. That is the most frustrating aspect of this to me. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/70 "2022-09-21T16:14:34Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > No municipality shall derive more than x% of its budget through traffic and/or parking citations (I don’t know what a reasonable number for x is, I’d have to leave it to smarter people than I to come up with one). Oh I would make it simpler. Revenue from all fines (and all government seisure of property that is not explicitly for the purpose of getting back unpaid taxes) cannot go to the organization that levied them. This is basically corruption IMO (I mean if a cop takes your money and pockets it that is an obvious crime, if he takes it and gives it to the guy who pays his wages, is that so much better?) The all that levied money should go into a central fund to pay off the state debt (or whatever doesn’t matter as long as its not going back to the city, police dept, etc. that levied it). ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/71 "2022-09-21T16:17:07Z")
A good idea in theory, in practice the police unions would fight it all the way to the SCOTUS (and with this court, they’d win). ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/72 "2022-09-21T16:29:41Z")
That’s why putting in a fund to pay of state debt is a good idea. I mean I thought you right wing thin-blue-line types hated government debt and profligate big government spending, why are you opposing paying it off ? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/73 "2022-09-21T16:39:21Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Turns are prohibited if the pedestrian crossing light for the area through which turning vehicles would pass is green or flashing. I’ve lost track of how many times some impatient driver has almost plowed into me turning left while I’m trying to cross from the bus stop across the street from my work. I mean, isn’t that already illegal? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/74 "2022-09-21T16:50:45Z")
Texting while driving is a Death Penalty offense. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/75 "2022-09-21T16:58:35Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > If you wait more than 10 seconds to go forward when the light turns green, you get a bumper sticker that says, Doofus on board. 10 seconds?! I say 5. Especially at a left-turn arrow light! ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/76 "2022-09-21T16:59:38Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Also not really a traffic law per-se but I’d also introduce a [Right To Roam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_roam). My personal bug bear is how inaccessible the countryside is in the US. This may of course conflict with the predilection of the US property owners to own guns and take offense to people walking on their land. You may be surprised that this is already the law here in “Live Free or Die” New Hampshire. > Common law in New Hampshire gives the public the right of access to land that’s not posted. You won’t find that in state law books, because it is common law, going back to the philosophy of New England’s early colonists and supported over the centuries by case law. [https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/landshare/faqs.html#:~:text=Common%20law%20in%20New%20Hampshire,the%20centuries%20by%20case%20law](https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/landshare/faqs.html#:~:text=Common%20law%20in%20New%20Hampshire,the%20centuries%20by%20case%20law). This is limited by the right of the landowner to post No Tresspassing signs, but the default is that passing through is permitted. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/77 "2022-09-21T17:06:15Z")
Huh, I wonder if that’s why there is so much good hiking in NH. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/78 "2022-09-21T17:08:20Z")
> [@tofor](#): > > You may be surprised that this is already the law here in “Live Free or Die” New Hampshire. I did not know that. Though the “no trespassing sign” get out clause is a bummer. Has it lead to a better network of footpaths compared to other states? ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/79 "2022-09-21T17:13:24Z")
Get one of those hitch mounted gear boxes, problem solved! ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942/80 "2022-09-21T17:14:06Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Yes, it doesn’t make much sense to me to _require_ those driving in the left lane to exceed the speed limit - sort of means that’s not the speed limit anymore. I might have missed it, but has anyone suggested “graduated lanes” in terms of speed limit? Right lane 55mph, middle lanes 65mph, left lane 75. Lanes would also have strictly-enforced minimum speeds. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-a-driving-law/971942.md?page=5)