BACKSEAT DRIVERS (ILLINOIS LAW)
BACKSEAT DRIVER — You’d better watch it when you merge onto the interstate, you’re gonna hit someone one of these days.
DRIVER — Quit kiddin’, they have to get out of MY way, I’m merging and I can’t see them behind me. The law says they have to move over!
THE LAW – The driver’s wrong again. When you merge onto an interstate highway, the traffic on the highway has the right of way. The merging traffic has to yield to the traffic already on the interstate.
BACKSEAT DRIVER – Jack, don’t you see those “slow, construction area” signs? You’ve got to slow down.
DRIVER – No I don’t, there’s no construction going on anywhere around, they’ve shut down for the day.
THE LAW – You are subject to construction area speed signs even if there are no workers present. The speed limit is not only to protect the workers, but you too. There can be unexpected hazards in the area, and you can never be sure there are no workers.
BACKSEAT DRIVER – What do you think you’re doing, you can’t pass on the right, when stopped in traffic.
DRIVER – I’m not waiting any longer, there’s plenty of room, I’m gonna pull up there so I don’t have to wait for all this traffic to make my right turn.
THE LAW – Once in a while he’s right. You CAN move out of your lane to make a right hand turn at an intersection, if you do so safely, do not leave the pavement, and if there’s 8 feet in width of unobstructed pavement. (So obviously, motorcycles can’t make such maneuvers, if there’s not enough room for a car to do so.)
BACKSEAT DRIVER – Now what do you think you’re doing? You can’t just pull that old truck to the mechanic using a chain, that’s dangerous.
DRIVER – Don’t worry, Junior will be in the old truck, he can hit the brakes if we get too close, and we’re only going a few miles anyway.
THE LAW – I’m sure you guessed this one already. You can’t have a person in a towed vehicle except in emergencies, when towing less than 15 miles per hour, or in a parade, or for farming-related activities, and the rider is over 18 years of age.