Relocating to a new city can be intimidating for a number of reasons. You will have to get used to a new set of cultural norms, social and moral codes, and legal intricacies. Maneuvering the complex labyrinth of legal nitty-gritties can be a daunting task, especially since it is not always possible to do a detailed and thorough background check of the laws and regulations that apply to a new place. However, most people cannot simply avoid commuting.
Remember, traffic laws vary from place to place with surprising contrast, so it will always be handy to have functional knowledge of the traffic laws in place when you move to a new location.
If you are new to Illinois, watch out for these common traffic law mistakes that newcomers tend to make and land into serious accidents. Additionally, make sure your car is also covered in this state for any damage to your vehicle. Keeping such options handy might help you avoid unnecessary expenses.
Driving without valid documents
While you are out driving on the roads of Illinois, there are documents that you must compulsorily carry with you at all times. It is mandatory to have your driving license and auto insurance on your person when you drive your car in Illinois. It is not uncommon to simply forget to carry the required documents with you.
Plus, it is quite possible that one might be driving a vehicle that has not been insured. While they sound like simple mistakes, you will actually be violating law if you fail to have your driver’s license. This goes against 6-101 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. Also, driving without auto insurance violates 3-707(c-1). Thus, be it a Ford F-150, Honda Civic, or any other car, carrying the car purchase and other crucial documents is imperative.
Reading stop signs incorrectly
Not stopping at a stop sign obviously means that you have failed to take traffic safety into consideration and charged past a clearly visible stop sign, presumably to beat the traffic. But it will also be counted as an offence if you try to pass off a rolling stop—which means slowing your car down without fully stopping—as adequate action upon noticing a stop sign.
Also, if you fail to check for a clear path ahead of the stop sign before proceeding, that is technically a violation of the law too.
According to the Illinois Vehicle Code 11-903, one can get 20 points on their license for failing to stop or giving right-of-way to pedestrians at stop signs. Not following the law at stop signs affects pedestrians and motorists negatively too, so it is imperative that you follow the law adequately.
Driving unmindfully
The Illinois Vehicle Code 6-527 (a) punishes distracted driving, like using a mobile cellular device while at the wheel, with 20 points on the driver’s license. In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, the mobile device has become an irreplaceable part of communication and information reception, which might mean that drivers have to utilize GPS to figure out travel routes.
However, this does not allow for distracted driving, especially when it comes to heavy-weight vehicles because they can cause serious accidents in case of even a slight misstep.
Signaling incorrectly
When you are driving on the road, you are essentially coordinating with all the other commuters, drivers, pedestrians, and bikers who you share the road with. In such a scenario, signaling correctly makes all the difference because otherwise you might be instrumental in serious miscommunication and accidents on the road.
For this, you not only have to be well aware of the prevalent road signals, you also have to promptly apply them to the appropriate contexts and ensure that other people on the road have enough time to pick up on them and act accordingly. In case you exhibit poor knowledge of road signaling or an inability to signal for stopping or turning adequately, Illinois Code 11-804 states that 15 points could be added to your driver’s license.
Failure to abide by speed limits
Finally, the most common traffic law violation is perhaps speeding. If you are trying to beat the traffic, or have simply been unmindful of the speed limits imposed in an area, you may be putting yourself as well as others in danger.
Speeding vehicles might lose control and cause serious casualties. Exceeding the speed limit in different speed ranges can result in different degrees of point addition to your driver’s license in Illinois.
Conclusion
If you have recently moved to Illinois, knowing the traffic rules is imperative. Hence, it would be best to travel using public transport and understand the basic traffic laws before owning a car. Such a decision can help you avoid paying unnecessary fines for traffic violations.
Hence, get your hands at the wheel only after you are confident!
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