Road accidents are unpredictable, but can sometimes happen due to your ignorance and carelessness. Whenever someone gets hit by an accident on a road, it’s either due to someone else’s mistake or yours. But what if you were driving slowly? What if you were not drunk out of your senses? What if you were wearing a helmet while riding a motorbike? Such unpredictable accidents would have caused less damage to you and your loved ones.
Some people understand the importance of life, while some think they are immortal. For these supposedly immortal people, rules and laws are made. This way, due to fear of fines and imprisonment, they can get under control, and such accidents can be reduced.
In the US, the road accident rates have increased in numbers in recent days. To control this, several changes in the traffic laws have been made and will be implemented from 1 July 2025.
Changes in the driving laws in the US
From the beginning of the year, many states have changed their driving laws to control the increase in roadside accidents. These rules and laws include every small default, such as using a mobile during driving, to breaking the speed limit. The main reason for introducing these changes is to solve the frequent accident issues, reduce environmental degradation, and modernize road laws according to present requirements.
Now, these updates in the road regulations are imposed locally as well as on a wide scale in the country. Knowing these will help you save a hefty amount, as the rules and regulations are updated.
Use of Mobile and Dashboard
Many cities like California, New York, and Texas have made their laws strict regarding the use of mobile phones or dashboards while driving. In any condition, the driver must not be holding and using his/her phone while driving, otherwise he/she has to face the consequences. The second rule states that the driver must not have constant interaction with the dashboard while driving. The interactions should be limited to a swipe or touch at a time, or might be oral to ensure their safety. Another alternative is that the driver sets his music and maps before he starts driving to avoid any inconvenience. Moreover, if the driver fails to meet these rules, a $250 fine can be charged for first-time offenders. For repeaters, their license points can be affected, or they might have to pay higher insurance premiums as a consequence.
Emissions and Vehicle Inspection
Vehicles release a lot of gases due to the burning of fuel in the engine, which negatively affects the environment. So, several measures and rules have been updated in many states to reduce the harmful emissions in nature. The first measure includes a tighter emission threshold for vehicles running on diesel and gas, as it reduces the risk of a leak of any harmful gas into the air. For all the vehicles that are older than five years, annual emission testing is compulsory to avoid any inconvenience. Several zones in the countries are declared zero-emission zones, where you can not drive vehicles that release emissions into the atmosphere.
You can use electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles to reduce emissions in the atmosphere. However, if you own a vehicle older than five years, you are supposed to abide by the rules. In case of failing to meet them, the driver can be charged a fine from $200 to $1,000 based on the seriousness of the violation.
Teen Driving and Permit
Teenagers are always in a hurry to learn to drive and ride, as it looks cool to know. Moreover, many times they ran into accidents or were caught driving without a permissible license. To control this situation, laws are updated for teen driving and other permissible activities related to it. For teens, an extended learning license period ranges from 6 months to 12 months, during which they shall learn to drive. Before they go for a full issuance for license, they must make sure that they should complete a driving course. Other than that, the teens must know that driving at night, especially between 11 pm and 5 am, can get them in trouble.
Speed Limit and Automated Enforcement
Many states have taken strict actions to reduce the number of accidents by revising the speed limit on highways and in urban areas. The updated speed limit in urban areas of Illinois is 25 mph, after which you can face severe consequences. The rural highways of Nevada are slow in traffic, and thus they have an updated speed limit of 75 mph. In the residential areas of Massachusetts, due to high traffic, the speed limit has been reduced to 30 mph.
Other than this, automated speed cameras are installed in more cities and in greater numbers. This technology will feed your number plate and speed into its system if you violate the speed limit. So, you have to abide by the speed limit because you will no longer be stopped by a police officer.
EV lane regulations
As Electric Vehicles (EVs) are growing in technology and adaptation, they have taken over the fuel-based vehicles. As their use has increased, many states have introduced only EV lanes to divide the rush during peak traffic hours. Other than that, if any non-EV car is seen parked in a lot of charging station, it would be charged a fine up to $500.
Dos to avoid penalties from new driving laws
To avoid being charged such hefty fines and reach your home in proper condition, drivers must follow the below-mentioned rules-
- Check your state’s traffic control website to stay updated on the latest traffic rules and information.
- Update your emissions and vehicle inspection certificates before the due date to avoid any inconvenience later.
- Avoid using mobile phones while driving, even at a red light.
- Keep your insurance reports updated and carry a valid license to avoid getting caught.
Also read: Russia Launches Largest Airstrike on Ukraine in 2025: 100+ Missiles
Conclusion
Your safety is always a top priority for the state, and thus, an update was required to ensure road safety. The pubic is expected to follow the rules with sincerity, if they do not want to put pressure on their pockets by fines.
