“Common Road Laws”
There are many laws around the operation of a motor vehicle. Some of them are complicated and some of them are simple. In this week's blog, we will cover some of the simple road laws that people might forget or overlook.
The speed limit is a law that is often broken every day by all motorists. At times it may feel like if everybody is doing why don’t I, but it is the law to follow all posted speed limits. In some areas, it may not be posted, but the general in urban areas it is 25/30 miles per hour and in rural settings 55 mph.
An operator of a motor vehicle should have a driver's license. This may seem obvious, but it happens often. People forget to renew or believe they do not need one. Drivers should also have their license on them in the vehicle while operating the vehicle on the roads.
Stop lights have been engineered to be simple and clear, but it is good to get a refresher every now and then. The red light (often the top light) indicates a driver should stop before the intersection generally indicated by a solid white line and wait. A green light (often the bottom light) indicates that a driver may proceed through the intersection with caution. A yellow light (often the middle light) indicates that the light is about to change from green to red. At stop lights, it is often permitted to turn right on red unless indicated by signage. This can occur once a full stop has been made and the roadway is clear. Flashing yellow or green lights may be used to indicate caution for motorists making left turns. Intersections should be safe if all motorists observe and follow the light indicators.
It is the law to fully stop and come to rest at stop signs. One must stop the vehicle before the intersection or painted white line and then proceed when it is your turn. If visibility is obstructed, one must come to a complete stop behind the line, proceed slightly forward to a visible position, and then proceed after inspection.
Seat belts must be worn by all occupants in the vehicle in Illinois at all times the vehicle is in motion. The common slogan by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is “Click it or Ticket”. It is also important for kids and adults to be using the proper seatbelts and in the proper location in the car.
When a driver sees red and blue flashing lights found on emergency vehicles only, they should pull over to the right of the roadway to allow the vehicle to pass them or stay behind them and conduct a traffic stop for an infraction. It is also the law to move over to the left or away from stopped police or emergency vehicles.
In construction zones, the road laws may change. So it is important to look for signage to indicate speed limits and flow of traffic. The changes are designed to alert drivers and keep workers safe. Drivers should proceed through construction zones with extreme caution. The monetary consequences are often greater in construction zones, but the consequence of one's life is even greater.
Road laws are broken every day and often times it is not caught. Road laws have been designed to keep motorists and pedestrians safe as they travel from Sea to Shining Sea. It is important to know and follow road laws to keep you, your passengers, and other individuals safe.
Commenter of the Month
Comment down below any road laws that confuse you for a later installment of this blog “Complicated Road Laws”.