# Driving in the US: The Rules European Visitors Most Often Get Wrong at the Wheel

> Right turn on red, four-way stops, school buses, HOV lanes, phone and alcohol laws: the rules that differ from Europe, and where states diverge.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/magazine/us-driving-rules-visitors/

*By CampingSpirit Editors, 2026-07-02*

Driving in the United States is not difficult for a visitor from Europe: traffic keeps to the right, the interstate network is wide and well signed, and a rental camper handles much as it does at home. What trips visitors up are rules that differ in detail. Many are set by the individual state, so what is allowed in Arizona may not be in California.

The points below are the ones consistent enough across the country to rely on, with a note where the states diverge. Before a long trip, the motor vehicle department or highway patrol website of each state on the route is the authority, and a local sign always takes precedence over a general rule.

## Turning right on red

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have allowed a right turn on a red light since 1980, unless a sign prohibits it or the turn has its own signal. The turn is legal only after a complete stop, and the driver must yield to pedestrians and cross traffic. Several states, among them California, Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, New York and Virginia, do not allow it while a red arrow is shown. New York City bans it unless a sign says otherwise, and some other cities, such as Seattle and Washington, DC, are restricting it. In most places a left turn on red is also allowed from a one-way street into another one-way street, which surprises many Europeans.

## Four-way stops and right of way

At an intersection where every approach has a stop sign, usually with a plate reading ALL WAY or 4-WAY, the right-of-way rule comes from state and local law, not from the federal sign manual. In general the vehicle that stopped first goes first; if two arrive together, the one on the right goes first, and a vehicle turning left yields to oncoming traffic going straight. A brief wave settles most hesitation. A flashing red light is treated like a stop sign, a flashing yellow light as a warning. A long motorhome needs a wide margin at the corner, so stop well back from the line.

## School buses and emergency vehicles

In every state it is illegal to pass a school bus while its red lights are flashing and its stop arm is extended; flashing yellow lights mean the bus is about to stop. Traffic must remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing, the arm is withdrawn and the bus moves again. Rules for oncoming traffic on multi-lane or divided roads vary by state, so the safe habit is to stop whenever a bus nearby is loading or unloading children.

Move over laws exist in all 50 states. On approaching a stopped vehicle with flashing lights, drivers must move into a lane that is not next to it or, if that is unsafe, slow to a reasonable speed. In 19 states and Washington, DC, the rule extends to any vehicle showing flashing or hazard lights, such as tow trucks and utility vehicles. When an ambulance, fire engine or police car approaches with siren and lights, the general rule is to pull to the right edge of the road and stop until it has passed, and not to stop inside an intersection.

## Speed limits, lanes and HOV

Limits are posted in miles per hour and set by each state, so they can change at a state line. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, rural interstates range from 60 mph (97 km/h) in Hawaii to 80 mph (129 km/h) in Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming on selected sections, and some stretches in Texas are posted at 85 mph (137 km/h); urban interstates run from 55 to 80 mph. The numbers on signs are maximums for cars. Lower limits can apply to heavy vehicles or to vehicles towing a trailer, so a large motorhome should read the signs for a separate figure.

High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, usually marked with a diamond, are reserved for vehicles with two or more occupants, or in some places three or more, and the requirement and hours are posted; some lanes operate all day, others only at rush hour. Violations are enforced by police or by cameras, with the ticket mailed to the registered owner, which for a rental means the rental company, which will pass it on with fees. Lanes labeled express or toll may need a transponder. When in doubt on an urban interstate, stay in the general lanes.

## Belts, phones and alcohol

All states except New Hampshire require adults in the front seat to wear a seat belt, and 35 states and DC let police stop a driver for that alone; adult rear-seat passengers are covered in 34 states and DC. Children are subject to separate restraint rules that vary by jurisdiction. Handheld phone use is banned for all drivers in 33 states and DC, and text messaging in 49 states. The practical rule is to treat both as banned everywhere and to use a hands-free mount. In a motorhome, rules for passengers in the living area are not uniform, so the safe approach is for everyone to sit belted while the vehicle is moving.

The blood alcohol limit is 0.08 percent in every state except Utah, where it is 0.05. Federal law pushes states to prohibit open alcohol containers and drinking in the passenger area of a vehicle on public roads. How this applies to the living area of a motorhome differs, so the cautious practice is to keep opened bottles in a closed cabinet at the back, never in the cab, and to drink only once parked for the night.

## If you are pulled over

Traffic stops follow a routine that stays calm when both sides know it. Activate the turn signal and pull to the right as soon as it is safe, switch off the engine and audio, and stay in the vehicle unless told otherwise. At night, turn on the interior light. Keep both hands on the steering wheel or in plain view, lower the window, and wait for the officer to ask for documents before reaching for them; if they are in a bag or the glove compartment, say where first. Follow instructions, ask politely if something is unclear, and do not argue; any dispute belongs to the court or traffic office afterward. Keep the driver’s license, rental agreement and insurance papers together within reach of the driver’s seat. Whether a foreign license also needs an international driving permit depends on the state, so check that before pickup.

## Sources

- [Distracted Driving Laws (Governors Highway Safety Association)](https://www.ghsa.org/state-laws/issues/distracted-driving)
- [Seat Belts (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)](https://www.iihs.org/topics/seat-belts)
- [Maximum Posted Speed Limits (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)](https://www.iihs.org/topics/speed/speed-limit-laws)
- [School Bus Safety (NHTSA)](https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/school-bus-safety)
- [Move Over. It’s the Law. (NHTSA)](https://www.nhtsa.gov/move-over-its-law)
- [What to Do and Expect When Pulled Over by Law Enforcement (AAMVA)](https://www.aamva.org/getmedia/bf4327ea-e1a0-41a0-aab8-f91f2c5c3a57/What-to-Do-and-Expect-When-Pulled-Over-by-LE_January-2023_FINAL.pdf)