7 Massachusetts Traffic Laws You May Not Know About

Though not every driver follows the rules, everyone knows you’re meant to stop at a red light, signal before changing lanes and observe the speed limit. But Massachusetts–like most states–has some traffic laws you may not be aware of. Some are obscure, some outdated, and some just straight up weird. But, they’re on the books and can be enforced. 

Even if you just finished studying for your driver’s test, we’re betting there’s at least one law here you don’t know about. 

1. School Bus Regulations. You probably know that you can’t pass a school bus that is stopped to let children get on or off the bus. That applies to traffic traveling in both directions (despite the bus only having a stop sign on one side) unless you’re traveling in the opposite direction on a divided highway. But you may not know that the “KEEP BACK 100 FEET” warning on the back of school buses is advising you of a legal requirement. Mass. Gen. Laws Chapter 90, Section 14 prohibits following a school bus at a distance of less than 100 feet. 
2. Televisions in Vehicles. Many newer vehicles, particularly vans and SUVs, are equipped with screens for watching television. It’s fine to use those built-in screens, or mobile ones, to keep kids in the back seat occupied. But, there are some restrictions. The screen can’t be any further forward in the vehicle than the back of the driver’s seat, and can’t be visible to the driver. That means you could be violating Mass. Gen. Laws Chapter 90, Section 13 if your front seat passenger is catching up on their latest binge series while you’re driving.
3. Amphibious Sight Seeing Vehicles: If you happen to be driving a duck boat or other vehicle that operates on both land and water on a public road in Massachusetts, you’re not allowed to act as a tour guide or point out landmarks or offer information. In other words, if you’re driving a sight-seeing vehicle, you can’t participate in the sight-seeing portion of the program–you’ll need a recording or a third party to do the talking.
4. Sharing the Road with Cows and Horses. If you encounter someone riding, leading, driving a cow or horse on the road and the animal seems frightened, you must both stop your vehicle and cut your engine if the person controlling the animal signals you to do so. 
5. Riding in the Back of a Pick-Up Truck or Similar Vehicle: While some states have entirely outlawed passengers in the back of a pick-up truck, Massachusetts has not. However, children under the age of 12 aren’t allowed to ride in the back. And, a separate provision prohibits transporting an animal in the back unless the animal is secured by high side rails, cross-tethering, in a secured cage, or otherwise protected from falling, jumping or being thrown from the vehicle. 
6. Horse-Drawn Sleighs are Prohibited (Usually): In Massachusetts, you’re generally not allowed to drive a horse-drawn sled or sleigh on public roads. That’s probably not a surprise. What is more surprising is that you can generally get around this law simply by affixing at least three bells to the horse’s harness. 
7. Parking in the Wrong Direction. You’ve probably seen vehicles on the street that are parked facing the opposite way from the rest of the line of parked cars, and from the traffic in the adjacent lane. You may have even parked against the flow of traffic yourself. But, 700 CMR 5.502 (11) prohibits backward parking, and you could face a $100 fine. 

Depending on where in Massachusetts you live and drive, you may be subject to even more little-known regulations. That’s because many municipalities have their own ordinances that create additional restrictions. 

Don’t believe everything you read on the internet, though. As far as we can find, there is no Massachusetts law prohibiting having a gorilla ride in your back seat.

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