What Traffic Laws Do You Most Frequently, Uh, Bend?

Don’t @ me Libertarians, but I’m generally a big fan of laws. Yes, yes, there are plenty of dumb ones on the books, but the good laws are pretty great. I think it’s super that breaking into my house and taking all my stuff is 100% illegal, despite the best efforts of the powerful Break Into Houses And Take People’s Stuff lobby. Laws that prevent corporations from lying to us and/or harming consumers with lax safety are all examples of top-notch legislation for me, even if they don’t always work.

I also feel our traffic laws are downright reasonable, even if I do break my fair share of them on the regular. Speed limits come to mind first and foremost, and I’m sure none of us would say we scrupulously obey the speed limit everywhere and at all times. Technically – and I’m not saying you should make this argument to a police officer – breaking the speed limit is a binary thing. You are either going the speed limit (or below) and abiding the law, or you’re exceeding it and have broken it. But it’s definitely not a binary thing. True, whether you’re cruising a 75 mph highway at 80 mph or 180 mph, you have broken the law. But at 180 mph, you’ve broken it a lot more. That 75 mph speed may not keep everyone at 75, but it should hold most people to around 85. We’re just bending the law here.

What laws are you bending? I hold few sacred myself. I’m never down for anything unsafe, of course, and I’ve never done anything illegal solely to express contempt for the tyranny of lines painted on roads, or the authority of traffic cones, those smug orange pricks. And you should absolutely NOT take any of what follows as encouragement to do the same, or an endorsement that doing so is OK. However …

“No Right On Red”? Yeah, that’s “look carefully before you go right on red” to me. Related: if I’m the only car on the road and I’m inexplicably sitting at a red light for way too long, I’m just gonna go. Same goes for those highway turnarounds that are for Law Enforcement Only. It’s two in the morning, I’m lost AF, the next exit is in infinity miles, and I’m low on gas, so yeah, I’m turning around.

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I will say though, I’m a real stickler for keeping my vehicle safe for highway travel. Outside mirrors, full set of functioning gauges, all that. It’s important.

Your turn: Second To The Speed Limit, What Traffic Laws Do You Most Frequently, Uh, Bend?

Topshot: Trains, Planes, And Automobiles/Paramount Pictures