A friend just got a ticket ($45) for having an air freshner hanging from her rear view mirror in MD. She was told that anything hanging from there is considered a distraction. Seems this little publicized law is in effect and she was told by the troopers that is to be spread by word of mouth according to our state troopers. I find this hard to believe and think it's illegal not to give us notice. I will do further research on my own. In the meantime, folks driving through MD to FC 04, please remove anything hanging from your rear view mirror just to be on the safe side in this state. How's that for revenue enhancement? Have any other Marylanders heard of this one?

 

Not sure if it's still on our law books, but in Massachusetts we had a similar thing. Lots of folks used to hang the tassel from their graduation cap, fuzzy dice, or whatever, and supposedly, that was not allowed. Nor were large decals on the rear window.

Wish we were heading to fall colors. Would be nice to meet you folks. Maybe next year it will be closer to New England!

 

[QUOTE=Lainey8484,Oct 19 2004, 12:52 PM] Not sure if it's still on our law books, but in Massachusetts we had a similar thing.

 

That has been on the books in CA forever. Like the "no front-plate" violations, people don't always obey them and they're surprised when they get a ticket for it.

 

This sounds like one of those interesting laws. NJ has a law that says you can not put anything on the inside of the windshield (or front windows) making window tinting or anything like it illegal, but where do they tell you to put your EZ pass....ON the windshield...In fact if you do not attach to the winshield they are liable to write you a ticket for that. (holding it in your hand as you are passing though the toll booth)
So which is illegal?

 

In Indiana it's illegal to hang a person from your rearview mirror.

 

I think its been on the books here in Virginia since I was in my teens, however, evidently it is not stringently enforced since I often see people driving around with things (tassles, air fresheners, etc.) hanging from the mirror.

 

I personally agree that stuff (fuzzy dice especially because of their size) should not be allowed to hang from any object that obscures a drivers vision. I guess that I am especially sensitive to this as a former motorcyclist where we get tired of hearing "I did not see you" as the most common reason for cars pulling out in front of motorcycles or making turns in front of them. A Motorcycle Safety Foundation study found that 74% of motorcycle accidents are caused by cars turning into the path of a motorcycle. Having an object that obscures one's vision just adds to this problem.

With that stated: Virginia enacted a law that went into effect on 1 July 04 stating that all private trailers must have at least 100 square inches of reflective material out lining the shape of the trailer on the back. I did not hear anything in the media regarding this new law. If it was not for the fact that my Father-in-law sent a clipping from his local paper I would not have known about it.

That is wrong. The media should annouce laws like this. But it is an excellent "revenue enhancement tool" for the states when it is not reported and is on the books.

 

The law is the same here in NY, though not strictly enforced, except, it seems, by the new rookie police. A trooper friend of mine told me that even those oil change "reminders" that many service stations put on the windshields can catch you a ticket.