Weird laws from around the world
Although most driving laws are designed with your safety in mind, some are just downright baffling, especially overseas. Driving on the opposite side of the road has nothing on these quirky regulations! But who knows, maybe you can appreciate a few of these and wish they were implemented here in the UK. From coast to coast and around the globe, these are some of the weirdest driving laws in the world.
Feeling too lazy to wash your car? Washing your car in the street can attract a fine in France and Switzerland, while a dirty car can warrant a fine up to 2,000 roubles in Russia!
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been unfairly cut off or nearly side-swiped by the vehicle next to you. You’d better keep your temper cool and your harsh words to yourself in Rockville, Maryland, USA, because publicly cursing is illegal there. If you’re caught yelling choice words out your window, you could be fined up to $100.
Forget going through the drive-through lane and munching on some fries on your way home from work in Cyprus, as there it’s illegal to eat or drink anything while driving. Sneaking a snack could cost you a hefty fine, and that even includes sipping water!
In the USA hunters often hide in the brush and behind barriers to scout out their prey, but they can’t fire a shot from their vehicles in California and Tennessee. In both states it’s a crime to shoot an animal from your car, although for some odd reason, whales are a notable exception to the rule, though that probably won’t be too much of a concern in the landlocked state of Tennessee.
Drunk driving is illegal in many places around the world, and for good reason, as mentioned earlier. However, in Japan, it is also illegal to be a passenger in a car when the driver is drunk. Even if you are 100 per cent sober, you could get into legal trouble for riding along with a drunk driver.
Why anyone would tie a dog to the roof of a car is a mystery in itself, but in Alaska, it’s also illegal. However, the back of a pickup truck is still considered to be just fine for pooch transport, which one would have thought would potentially be more dangerous than being inside a vehicle!
Before you even drive and attack the highways with all of these possible misdemeanours, if you are still looking to pass your driving test in the easiest possible way, you’d best head over to Mexico. Getting behind the wheel over there is incredibly easy for a number of reasons. Firstly, in a large portion of the country, you do not legally have to take a practical test to get a license, just a theory test. Moreover, prior to 2018 there was no test at all. Another reason is that you can legally drive at 15 in Mexico which is younger than the majority of countries (who will not let you drive before 18).