Avoiding A Traffic Light Is Illegal In These US States

Everyone’s been there, running late behind the wheel and hoping that one stubborn traffic light on your commute will cooperate. But as you approach, predicably, the steady green immediately turns red, with a line of impatient motorists ahead of you. Now suppose, there is a parking lot or side street off to your right, which would allow you to bypass the intersection and possibly make up some time. Say you decide to go for it, navigating through and re-entering the road beyond the congestion. Congratulations, you’ve just committed something called “rat running,” which can be considered illegal in some areas of the country.

It’s not clear exactly who originally coined the term “rat running,” but it’s also been used in the UK and Australia. Presumably and unflatteringly equating the maneuver to rodents navigating a maze. A few states have specific laws against the practice, such as 545.423 of the Texas Transportation Code, which doesn’t permit a driver at an intersection to utilize a public parking lot or private property to leave one road and get on another. Similarly, Florida has a statute 316.074, which specifically calls out motorists avoiding traffic control devices. Other states, including Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Virginia also have laws against it. 

Rather than more legislation, perhaps the answer is this simple road design fix, which could reduce the number of traffic lights and lower commute times. Nevertheless, rat running rules get a bit murky in states like Kansas and Missouri, where law enforcement could still get you on another infraction based on officer discretion. For instance, in Missouri, there isn’t an official ban on avoiding an intersection, but if your corner-cutting appears erratic or unsafe, you could be cited not for rat running, but for careless driving.

While it seems harmless, and you may exercise caution while circumventing a red light, the maneuver unfortunately puts pedestrians and cyclists at greater risk. According to a CDC data study on pedestrian and overall road traffic crash deaths in the U.S. and other high-income countries, pedestrian fatalities rose to over 7,500 in 2022 — the highest in over four decades. Of course, these tragic statistics aren’t solely the fault of rat running, but increasing the number of vehicles through areas with high foot traffic does introduce more opportunity for accidents – and no, defensive walking isn’t the solution for road deaths, but is instead ignoring the larger issue of selective driver attention.

The other issue is the disruption and congestion caused on side streets by drivers attempting to avoid intersections. If you’ve got a secret short cut through a quiet neighborhood, it won’t likely stay a secret for long. Other eager motorists will follow your lead. Then, what was once a calm street, suddenly transforms with increased traffic and noise. Not only does this bother residents along that road, but it could also negatively affect the value of homes. Imagine you’re going to see a home for sale that bills itself as being located on a quiet street, only to arrive and see scores of cars streaming through as part of an obvious short cut around a red light. That’s not a place you’ll be comfortable letting the kids play or ride their bikes.