Believe it or not, there are numerous traffic laws they don’t teach you in driver’s ed. Don’t let your lack of knowledge cost you precious dollars in ticket fees!
1. You are supposed to park in the direction traffic is flowing
If you are parallel parking on the side of a street, you have to park in the direction of traffic. It makes sense if you think about it: it’s way more of a hassle to go all the way across the entire roadway to get out of your parellel parking spot. Unfortunately, I learned this law the hard way — and it’s a ticketable offense! While the ticket may only be $10 in the city of Athens, it could be more expensive elsewhere. Avoid spending your hard earned money on paying all those parking tickets. Be sure to park in the correct direction!
2. It is illegal to drive with headphones in both ears
Having a headphone in one ear is perfectly legal, but having them in both ears can prevent you from hearing important things such as emergency sirens, which can lead you to violating Georgia’s move over law. Even if you are not listening to music and talking on the phone, make sure that you keep one ear free to be aware of your surroundings. Don’t worry, you can still jam out over your car stereo!
3. It’s illegal to text even when the car is stopped
According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, using a digital device increases your risk of a car crash by 3 times. Texting is a distraction that can affect you even when the car is stopped. You should be looking at the roads and your surroundings at all times, juuuuust in case a light changes or someone decides to drive unpredictably and put everyone in danger. The last thing you want to do is hold up traffic! Nothing is important enough to cost you your life. It can wait!
Drive safely, everyone!