4 Texas Traffic Laws You Might Not Know About

Get our free mobile app

Anytime someone in Texas sits down behind the steering wheel, starts a car, presses the brake pedal, and puts it into drive, they are accepting a lot of responsibility not only for themselves but the passengers riding along with them. Drivers in Tyler, Longview, Gilmer, Texas, and elsewhere are supposed to know the rules of the road. But there are so many rules of the road to know about and then some that a lot of us have never heard of.

Most drivers in Texas know that you're breaking the law when you speed, text and drive (although many do it all the time), not wearing your seatbelt or obeying traffic control devices. Then there are those laws that are on the books that some Texans aren't familiar with, for instance, passengers are not permitted to occupy a trailer while in motion for example.

There's a good chance that everyone has unintentionally broken one of these laws at a time or two. As long as these strange laws remain on the books, you can technically still be cited for breaking the law, but there's a good chance the officer involved will only give you a warning unless it warrants a citation.

Let's take a look at four of these laws that could still get you a citation in Texas:

• Vehicles in Texas must have windshield wipers
  A motor vehicle shall be equipped with a device that is operated or controlled by the operator of the vehicle and that cleans moisture from the windshield. The device shall be maintained in good working condition.
• Transfer the title immediately when you sell or you could still receive traffic citations after the sale
  Vehicles are required to be titled in the buyer's name within 30 days from the date of sale. Failing to properly transfer a vehicle into the buyer's name could result in the seller being held responsible for tickets, toll violations, or even crimes committed with the vehicle.
• You cannot open the car door while operating the vehicle
  You could receive a fine of $150, if, for any reason you open your car door while the engine is running, even while at a complete stop.
• Passengers may not ride in a trailer while in motion
  It's just common sense really. There's no safety restraint system on a trailer. So while your trailer is loaded with all your belongings while moving, just strap them down and don't have your buddy holding on to the refrigerator! I'm pretty sure it's not an exception, but it is often overlooked - participants riding on trailers/floats during special occasions and holiday parades downtown.

Knowing these four things could save you from having to pay a fine for not knowing the law in Texas.