Is it legal to drive with both feet in California? Can you ride a horse drunk? CHP answers
Along with traffic alerts, news releases and other informational posts, the California Highway Patrol’s Stockton area office uses its Facebook page for a game it calls “Weird Wednesday.”
For this game, the department posts a question submitted via the comment section of the Facebook page or by message each Wednesday morning. The department reveals the answer at 4 p.m. that day.
Here are six recent Weird Wednesday questions related to driving laws posted on the agency’s Facebook page and what the answers are:
1. Driving with both feet in California
Is it illegal to drive with both feet?
It is “totally legal” to drive with both feet — one on the gas and one on the brake, according to the CHP.
“In fact, it is legal in all 50 states,” the agency wrote on Facebook.
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2. California HOV lane laws
Can an 18-wheeler or commercial vehicle with two or more people drive in the HOV lane?
It is illegal for a three-axle vehicle to be in the left lane or lanes, according to the CHP. There are lane restrictions for certain classifications of commercial vehicles.
California Vehicle Code 22348 says that if a lane has not been specifically designated for vehicles that aren’t allowed to drive more than 55 mph on a highway, those vehicles must drive in the right-hand lane for traffic or as close as practicable to the right-hand edge or curb.
On a highway with four or more traffic lanes in one direction, these vehicles can also be driven in the lane to the immediate left of the right-hand lane, according to the code.
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3. Riding a horse under the influence in California
Would you get a DUI on a horse if you were flopped over the horse side-saddle, since you’re not powering it?
It is illegal to consume alcohol and then? ride on a horse, according to the CHP.
“If you consume alcohol and ride a horse, you can get a DUI,” the agency wrote. “If you give the horse alcohol you can be charged with animal cruelty.”
Every person “riding or driving” an animal on a highway is subject to the same laws as motorists, according to California Vehicle Code 21050.
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4. California vehicle light laws
Is the rear window middle light required if both rear side lights work?
California Vehicle Code 24252 requires motorists maintain all lighting in working order.
“If one light is out, you could be subject to a citation from officers,” the CHP wrote on Facebook.
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5. School zone speed limit laws in California
The speed limit in school zones is 25 mph when “children are present,” according to road signs. What does that mean?
These signs indicate the speed limit in school zones during the school day, according to the CHP.
“When children are present” also means in the evening or on a weekend during an event.
School zone signs can be placed up to 500 feet from school grounds, according to California Vehicle Code 22352.
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6. Driving without a hood in California
Is it legal to drive a car without a hood?
It is “completely legal” to drive your vehicle with no hood, according to the CHP.
“California has many laws specific to the equipment on a motor vehicle,” the agency wrote on Facebook. “However, having a hood is not one.”
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