The United States is a vast country. It is three thousand miles across and approximately 1,600 miles between the borders of Canada and Mexico. And within all that are millions of miles of roads.
About 4.1 million, according to the Federal Highway Administration. This encompasses the entire national highway system, its arteries, state and county roads, and those in your neighborhood. They crisscross across multiple states and enter different countries. Or, they may be a few hundred feet and stop in a cul-de-sac.
Different roads equal different rules
Though they may cross through different areas, the driving rules may not be the same. Take as an example, US 20. The longest non-interstate highway in America at 3,365 miles, it stretches from the Pacific Northwest to New England. Along the way it crosses 12 states.
In Idaho, the speed limit on US 20 can be between 70 and 80 miles per hour (mph) in rural areas and 65 mph in urban locations. However, once you reach the halfway point of Illinois, speeds can go down to 70 and 60 miles respectively. And this gets lower when the road enters housing developments.
Thus, if you’re cruising a slightly over 80 mph in Iowa or Illinois because that was the speed limit in Montana and Nebraska, then you’re going to probably get a ticket. When the officer asks why you were speeding, an answer of, “Because that was the speed limit in Wyoming,” isn’t going to cut it. Most likely, the officer is going to respond, “Well, you should’ve learned our rules.”
You need to know the driving rules
In the end, that’s the number one question you should ask yourself: “Why didn’t I learn the rules before I left?” You would do that if you were driving in another country outside of North America. In fact, you would probably brush up on your knowledge as the plane was landing.
But why the assumption while traveling to another location in America? For some it may be a comfort of their existing environment. While they can turn right on red in their city another municipality may prevent it to minimize potential accidents or congestion. Or, while you’re permitted to pass someone across a double yellow line on your local county road, you can’t do it somewhere else.
And then there’s a space issue. If you live on the East Coast, speed limits are going to be lower due to the amount of congestion. Even on a multi-lane highway like Interstate 95.
However, you’ll notice much higher speed limits on interstates and highways in the West. This is due to fewer cars and more space. For instance, the average driving speed on I-70 in Utah is 80 mph. It’s slightly higher along a 90-mile stretch where there are no services.
What about driving in our neighbor to the north? In Canada, speeds are translated into kilometers. If you don’t have a speedometer that provides mile to km conversions, you may think the 80 on the speed limit sign is in mph. So, you’ll get stopped and ticketed since, in reality, it is approximately 50 mph.
Accident prevention
Another important reason to understand the driving rules of other locations is to avoid getting into an accident while there. Let’s say your destination is Houston, Texas — the fifth largest metropolitan area in the U.S. According to statistics at https://www.terrybryant.com/houston-car-accident-lawyer/, there were 713 traffic fatalities and 3,321 serious injuries in Houston and the surrounding Harris County due to crashes.
Whether or not some of these were due to visitors is unknown. Nevertheless, learning the rules and being diligent can save your car and your life. However, if you’re in an accident, then hiring a lawyer may help resolve issues that occur while you travel. More on that later.
You want to seem like a resident
Education on your destination’s driving rules is also important in order to, for lack of a better term, impress someone. Particularly if you are there for business. Actually, driving education is part of the sale or interview process.
For instance, you don’t want to be late to an appointment because you are pulled over by the local authorities. Nor d1o you want to get into an accident or receive a citation when the business person is in the car with you.
And, you certainly don’t want to argue semantics with the potential boss or client when it comes to driving in their area. If they tell you to pass on a certain road or slow down on another, scoffing and telling them they’re wrong will end the relationship right there.
This isn’t only in the U.S. It’s also for areas across the globe. By learning the local traffic rules, you can make two things happen. First, you gain a clear understanding of how everything works according to regulations. Second, if a business person or a friend tells you to do one thing, you can politely tell them the rules say differently. Even if you get stopped, you’ll have a sense of peace because you know you were in the right.
Start the learning process
If you are planning to travel to another destination, no matter if it’s the next state or across the ocean, you want to get familiar with their driving rules. At this point, you’re not sure where to turn to understand everything, let alone read it in the proper language.
Like many other tasks these days, the first place you want to look is the internet. Let’s return to Houston as an example. If you enter “Houston, Texas driving rules” in the search bar the first result might be a PDF version of the Texas Driver Handbook from the Department of Public Safety. You may also see references to unofficial driving rules around the city.
Read the Texas-approved rules first. They’re going to be the best resource to understand the intricacies of statewide rules. From there, search for the unofficial rules of a Houston. These are one that may not be on the books but are regularly followed.
Save this information somewhere. Be it on your computer, smart device, or note cards. This helps to pull them up quickly when needed. You don’t want to go back and search when you’re on the road. This is particularly the case when you are in a foreign country and unsure of what to do.
What to do when you get pulled over?
Unfortunately, though you know your destination’s rules backwards and forwards, you might still get pulled over. For example, with a feeling you’re running late, you drive 10 miles over the speed limit through a school zone. You may not think it means anything, but the police officer does. And, in the end, they will probably be right about what happened.
Should you get pulled over, follow standard procedures. Provide your insurance and driver’s license information as well as a registration. If a rental car, the registration may be in the glove compartment or part of the rental agreement. If you don’t know where this is, let the officer know in the clearest way possible.
Though you may think you’re in the right, do not argue with the officer. If they see you don’t live in the area, then they could simply give you a warning and send you on your way. However, if you keep saying you’re right and they’re wrong, then you’re bound to get a ticket and possibly some time down at the police station.
This is another reason why you must learn a destination’s driving rules. You’ll know the process to appeal the citation. Further, you can see if this has to be done in person or via mail. Overall, you don’t want to miss a physical court date and lose a potentially winning case.
Remember, you’re a guest in their town or city. So, be respectful of traffic guidelines, those who enforce them, and the people who determine who is in the right.
What do you do in an accident?
Even though you can recite a destination’s driving rules from memory, you can still end up having an accident. It can be due to weather or road conditions. It might happen if you fall asleep while driving. Or, it can occur if another person causes it — be it a local or another visitor.
Should you get into an accident, you want to follow all the rules, particularly if you’re injured. If you or your vehicle are not in danger, then don’t move. Wait until the first responders arrive to provide assistance.
While they are addressing your injuries, make certain they are also recording all the necessary driver information — name, address, contact numbers, insurance data. If you can, provide as much detail on how the accident happened. Though they may be able to determine who is at fault, giving your own account helps.
If they say you should go to the hospital to treat your injuries, then go to the hospital. Don’t wait until you return home. You may feel fine at first, but a latent problem can kick in and result in serious problems. Local medical specialists can help detect these issues to minimize them. Or at least let you know what you need to do when you get back home.
Make sure your insurance company knows about the accident as soon as possible. Same thing with the rental agency if it involves one of their vehicles. Comprehensive insurance policies should have riders that cover damage to rental cars. If you don’t have one, the at-fault driver may have it in their policy.
And that brings up another subject: what do you do if the other party isn’t willing to pay? Perhaps they didn’t have comprehensive insurance or no insurance at all. Maybe their insurance company feels you’re at fault. Or, either party wants to sue you for damage and injuries.
First thing to do is go back into the destination’s driving rules to see what they say about litigation related to accidents. If the other driver was also from out of town, then the insurance companies may need to go toe-to-toe to work out a settlement. Hence, you won’t have to go to court unless absolutely necessary. And, if you do, there may be an opportunity for you to record your affidavit.
On the other hand, if the driver lives in the area where you had the accident, then you want to seek out legal counsel in that region. And if the event caused serious damage to you or your vehicle, then you want to look for one who specializes in accidents. This is for two reasons.
One, they are going to know the local laws better than you did when you visited. Two, they’re going to know the local roads and, possibly, the party that caused the accident. Perhaps the area where the event took place is known to have a number of blind spots that have resulted in other incidents. Here, the accident attorney can go to the city or county for a settlement.
Or, the lawyer may know the other party has been in previous accidents and tried to sue the other driver, even though they were at fault. In this situation, there’s proven evidence that can help the court rule in your favor and, potentially, take the at-fault individual off the road for good.
In the end, learning the driving rules of your destination is not simply to understand how many car lengths you need to be from a stopped vehicle. That’s just the inner circle of an environment that reaches toward citations, accidents, and legal matters. The more you understand, the better off you’ll while there or on the way. Even if you’ll only be driving on the roads for a few hours.
No matter how crazy the other drivers seem to be, you know you’ll be safe learning and following the rules. Others may beep at you for going the speed limit or waiting the proper number of seconds at a STOP sign. Inside, you know you’re doing the right thing for all the drivers around your vehicle.