10 Most Unusual Driving Laws in the World

One of the main reasons laws are created is for the safety and protection of the people. However, for something as serious as the law, you might not expect that its regulations are littered with bizarre and headache-inducing rules, especially ones pertaining to the road.

In fact, the number coding scheme hailing from our own land is considered strange from the perspective of other countries. On the other hand, there are driving laws existing outside the country which are actually much stranger than ours. Here are some of the unusual driving laws around the world that we will either approve of or completely dumbfound us.

Leave the splashing for beach parties in Japan.

The combined frequency of floods and the commonness of driving jerks in the country makes for a high chance of pedestrians getting soaked by flood water during rainy days. Just imagine how many children and adults have gone to their respective schools and offices with sopping, muddy clothes. However, it may not be a problem in Japan because splashing a pedestrian with mud or water is a violation of the law. Good for them!

Keep it clean in Russia.

Sometimes we have those days where we just don’t have the motivation to do anything. From simply reaching for the remote to washing a car, a human’s laziness can strike at any time. For those who always forget or are probably too lazy to wash their cars, you should pray you don’t settle in Russia. Angloinfo says that in Russia, it’s against the law to drive a dirty car, especially if the license plates are obscured with mud. Driving with a dirty car is punishable by a fine of about R. 2,000.

Another pair of eyes can make all the difference in Spain.

Generally, having “another pair of eyes” can give you a lot of advantages such as having a fresh perspective on things. However, in Spain, another pair of eyes can indeed make all the difference – by not getting you in trouble with the law, that is! Expatica states that if you need glasses to properly see or drive, then you must always have a spare pair of glasses or contact lenses while driving as it is a legal requirement there.

They say that women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia.

It is widespread knowledge that it is illegal for women to drive cars in Saudi Arabia. In fact, a Saudi prince recently expressed his views that “it’s time for women to drive.” However, banning women to drive because it is against the law is not technically true. According to Saudi Arabia’s top cleric Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin-Abdullah in the Daily Mail’s article, women driving is “banned in practice because women are not able to obtain driving licenses.” The religious leader’s other reasons were also reported by the Daily Mail.

Don’t raise your hand from the steering wheel in Cyprus.

It would seem that Cyprus cares about safe driving so much that they have made this unusual driving law. According to CyprusDriving, a driver “who is in an irregular position inside the vehicle or raises his hand from the steering wheel unnecessarily” will receive a fine of €25. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, indeed!

There is a light that never goes out in Sweden.

Our cars’ headlights can provide us with several benefits, such as keeping us safe from accidents by providing proper visibility at certain times and in different weather conditions. That is why in some places, there are different laws pertaining to headlight usage at certain periods of time. However, did you know that there is a place where a car’s headlights are necessary to keep on at all times? According to Just Landed, driving with your headlights on 24 hours a day is a must in Sweden.

A roof of a car is not a place for dogs in Alaska.

In Alaska, you will find yourself on the wrong side of the law if you tie your dog to the roof of your car. “The full text of the law specifically states that along with not being able to secure your dog to the bed of your pickup truck, you're also prohibited from attaching them to the top of your car,” Drivetribe.com said. We can’t help but wonder what kind of heartless jerks would even do such a thing to a man’s best friend.

How about new undies in California?

It doesn’t hurt to be environmentally friendly, however, car washers in San Francisco, California might find themselves breaking a regulation by working with used underwear for washing cars. Lawyers.com has stated that this doesn’t apply to private vehicles and their owners.

Parking your animal? Then you should pay the fare in Florida.

Parking meters are for vehicles as docks are for boats. However, the parking meter isn’t only limited to cars in Florida. The law states that you must pay the fare if you tie an alligator, goat, or elephant to a parking meter. Well, we think saying “Wait, let me just park my alligator,” is a cool thing to say.

Keep your blindfolds at home in Alabama.

One of the common lines that people say when bragging is “I can do it blindfolded!” We doubt anyone with a sense of self-preservation would do it, but just to be sure, here’s a fair warning for those who might have wanted to prove themselves capable of driving blindfolded. According to Fox News, it is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle in Alabama. We can only wonder how many have done this for this law to be passed.

Know some more? We’d like to hear more about them!