Top reasons a driver can be pulled over in Louisiana:
– Speeding:
(all speed limits are standard unless posted as otherwise)
Interstate Speed Limit — 70 mph
Highway Speed Limit — 55 mph
– Not wearing a seatbelt:
State law requires all front-seat occupants wear seat belts.
– Improper lane usage:
This includes driving on the shoulder to avoid a vehicle stopped in the lane waiting to make a left-hand turn.
– Failure to use a turn signal (even in a turning lane).
– Headlights:
Drivers must turn on their headlights whenever the windshield wipers are activated (i.e., when it’s raining) and after dusk.
– Expired or missing inspection stickers.
Some other things considered violations:
“Mud riding” is a popular sport in the South. But many students fail to realize how much can be tacked onto a ticket if they are pulled over after a mud-riding adventure.
– Obscured license plate
If the license plate is caked with mud, officers cannot see the numbers.
– Obscured windows, windshield, mirrors
This one is a given because drivers cannot drive properly if their vehicle looks like a moving wad of earth.
– Littering
Believe it or not, tracking mud onto the roadway is considered littering.
– After-market alterations
The popular new way to get in trouble with the law.
– Window tint
Tinted windows may be cool to some. They also keeps the interior cool during the summer. But there are some specific restrictions, depending on the percentage of light and safety concerns. Consult the Louisiana State Police Web site at www.lsp.org for more information.
– Tires exceeding the body of the car
State law says tires cannot be wider than the body of the car by one inch or more. Tires exceeding the body have a greater risk of throwing rocks or other things at nearby vehicles.
– After-market lighting
Blue-colored headlights and underbody neons are not considered illegal. Instead, they are considered “questionable.” Officers take into consideration the type of lighting used, where the lighting is located on the vehicle and if the lighting causes a problem for other motorists. Keep in mind any ticket handed out is done so at the discretion of the police officer.
– Speakers
Loud music is considered disturbing the peace in many parishes. That extra bass may result in a ticket as well as aggravated citizens.
A dumb law that’s probably not in effect anymore:
In New Orleans it is illegal for a woman to drive a car unless her husband waves a flag in front of it, according to www.dumblaws.com. But what happens if the woman driving the car is single?
Information provided by Lt. William Davis of the State Police Department’s Office of Public Affairs, except for the dumb law.