The world around us is constantly changing. One day there’s a pandemic and everything shuts down. Three months later everything is opening back up and people are traveling. Then there is a surge in cases and major health risks if you are traveling to certain states.
That doesn’t even take into account the variances in the laws that already exist regarding other matters in other states. For example, if you are driving from one state to another (instead of flying) then you should know how their road laws operate. Some states have “no fault” laws that say that car accidents involving two or more vehicles place no blame on any one driver even if one driver was clearly at fault. These types of laws are a headache for any car accident lawyer to sort out in the event that you happen to get into an accident in such a state with such laws.
That said, you should research laws of the city you intend to visit before you go there. Here are some more reasons why, in case you need encouragement.
Some Cities Have Very Weird Laws Indeed
There are “dry towns” all over in Southwestern states. That means you can’t have or consume alcohol, nor can you have it in your vehicle. You could be ticketed and fined even if the alcohol is sitting unopened in your backseat.
There are other cities where gambling is illegal because the gambling is left to Native American casinos and reservations. Even playing a slot machine in a bar in the middle of nowhere could get you in trouble. It’s not a chance you should take when you don’t live in that city/state and do not know any lawyers living there.
Then there are the cities that have some really old and really weird laws on the books. A police officer can pull you over for breaking these laws. It helps to know what they are because you cannot claim ignorance no matter what state you are driving through.
Big Cities Have Even More Laws
The bigger the city, the longer the list of laws and greater the potential for violating them. While most of these laws are in line with things you know (e.g., stopping at a red light, not parking near a fire hydrant) there may be a few you don’t (e.g., using the platform of a fire escape to camp out at night, panhandling inside a restaurant). Check and read through these laws before you leave home.
