North Carolina is a wonderful state to visit. It has a rich history, beautiful mountains and beaches, and more.
But there is one thing to beware of as you travel in North Carolina. As it turns out, the state has some of the nation’s harshest driving laws.
If you’re visiting NC or recently moved, you may not know much about this state’s road laws. This may cause you to make mistakes that cost you severely.
Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate North Carolina driving alone. We’ll provide you with five North Carolina driving tips in the guide below.
- Watch Your Speed
Speeding is an offense anywhere in the US. But, not all states monitor it as harshly as NC driving laws.
For example, driving 15 mph over the speed limit in an area under 55 mph qualifies as reckless driving. Reckless driving is a misdemeanor offense that could result in points on your license and rising insurance prices. It can also result in a temporary suspension of your license.
So, watch your NC driving speed. The last thing you want is a criminal record over a driving offense.
- You’re Automatically at Fault When You Rear-End a Driver
Here’s a tip on how to drive in NC; don’t get too close to another vehicle’s bumper. Under North Carolina law, drivers who rear-end cars in front of them are immediately at-fault.
The rationale behind this law is that attentive drivers notice changes in vehicles in front of them. However, sometimes you can find a car accident lawyer to argue your case.
- DUI Limits Lower for Repeat Offenses
Most drivers know that the legal limit for a driver’s blood-alcohol level is .08%. If the police pull over a driver and his blood-alcohol level is beyond this limit, they can arrest him.
However, North Carolina law takes this a step further. According to its procedures, a repeat offender’s legal limit is .04%. If the driver is beyond this limit, the police can arrest him again.
- Monitor School-Zone Times
The worst place to get caught speeding is in a school zone. The last thing anybody wants to see is for a child to become injured by reckless driving. So, people tend to slow down when they enter a school zone.
But, pay attention to the signs that signal a school zone. In many cases, they may say that this speed limit is only in place during school pick-up and drop-off hours. You can go the standard speed limit when driving outside of these hours.
- Watch Out for Animals at Night
This last tip has less to do with law and more with geography. North Carolina still has a thriving wildlife population, including a surplus of deer. These animals often love to pop onto roads at night.
So, keep your eyes open for any signs of movement in your periphery. You may notice a deer before it runs into the road.
Practice Safe North Carolina Driving
Following these tips can help you avoid North Carolina driving problems. Your chances of getting pulled over or injured become significantly reduced.
So, keep these tips in mind whenever you drive in this state. We hope you enjoy your time in NC!
We hope this article was helpful. If so, check out our other driving content today! We have several other tips to help you drive safely and legally.
Hemant Kumar is a project manager at Tridindia with more than nine years of commendable experience in writing about LMS, translation, and IT. His unmatched talent and passion for digital marketing gave him the opportunity to work as a multi-tasking project manager at TridIndia’s sister company, Link Building Corp. Today, he contributes to the world by imparting knowledge on SEO, link building and internet marketing etc., that helps business owners grow their online business.
