HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — While most everyone knows the major rules of the road, there are several niche traffic laws in North Carolina you may not be aware of.
1.) Cell phone use of any kind is prohibited for drivers under the age of 18
Drivers under the age of 18 are not allowed to use a mobile phone or any similar technology while driving unless it’s an emergency or if they are talking to a parent or spouse, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Yes, that’s right, the exception applies to both parents and spouses for teen drivers.
Minors ages 16 and 17 in North Carolina can get married if they file with the Register of Deeds a document showing written consent to the marriage signed by a parent with sole or joint legal custody or by a person, agency, or institution that has legal custody of the minor or is serving as the minor’s legal guardian, according to the North Carolina Judicial Branch.
The penalty for violating this traffic law is a $25 fine.
Texting and driving is illegal under all circumstances for all ages.
2.) It is illegal for minors to operate an ATV without adult supervision
It is illegal for parents to allow a child under the age of 16 to operate an ATV, or all-terrain vehicle, without constant adult supervision, according to the North Carolina General Statutes.
Also, it is illegal for a child under the age of 8 to operate an ATV under any circumstances.
3.) It is illegal to carry a passenger on an ATV
It is also illegal to carry a passenger on an ATV, according to the NC General Statutes.
Only vehicles specifically designed by the manufacturer to carry a passenger are allowed to do so.
4.) It is illegal to use a white cane in public if you are not visually impaired
The use of a white cane in public by a person who is not visually impaired is illegal, according to the NC General Statutes.
The law applies to both plain white canes and white canes tipped with red.
5.) North Carolina State Highway Patrol is forbidden from using quotas
Have you ever noticed more state troopers and traffic stops on the road and said to yourself, “They must have a quota to fill”?
Well, that is not the case.
It is illegal for the Secretary of Public Safety to make any order or rule that creates a quota that must be fulfilled by state troopers, according to the General Statutes.
State troopers may only be promoted based on their overall job performance and not any quantitative basis such as the volume of tickets or citations.
6.) Speed limit for nonprofit activity buses
This oddly specific law states in the General Statutes that it is illegal to drive an activity bus that is owned by a nonprofit organization that is being used for nonprofit activities any faster than 55 mph.
This law applies to all highways even if the posted speed limit is greater than 55 mph.
The punishment for violating the law is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
7.) Safety glass is illegal to use on your vehicle
It is illegal to operate a vehicle registered in the state of North Carolina that is equipped with safety glass, according to the General Statutes.
Safety glass, in this context, refers to glass that has been treated with other materials to reduce the likelihood of injury when the glass is cracked or broken.
8.) No children under 16 are allowed to ride in the bed of a vehicle
Transporting any child under the age of 16 in the open or open cargo area of a vehicle is illegal, according to the General Statutes.
Exceptions include an adult being present in the bed of the vehicle, emergency situations and parades.
The penalty is a $25 fine.
9.) Bicycle races are illegal on highways
If you and your childhood friends lived along a rural highway and used to race your bikes; you may have been breaking the law, according to the General Statutes.
Bike racing on highways in North Carolina is illegal except when a racing event has been approved by the state.
10.) Smoke screens are a felony
Leave those James Bond fantasies in your head because using a smoke screen on your vehicle is a felony, according to the General Statutes.
Using any kind of smoke or gas device that is not necessary for the vehicle to operate is illegal.
Brayden Stamps
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