What Is 'Rat-Running' In Traffic And Is It Legal? The Answer Is Complicated

If you've ever bypassed a red light by cutting through a neighborhood, parking lot, or corner gas station, you've used a driving tactic referred to as "rat-running." Essentially, this is a technique employed by those running late or too impatient to wait for the traffic signal to change. It's not hard to understand the impulse, especially when approaching a line of cars backed up at an intersection, with a wide-open shortcut available around the congestion. It seems innocent enough on the surface.

However, depending on where you live, the authorities might see it otherwise. Washington state, for example, doesn't have a law against it, but there are cities that ban rat-running. Law enforcement officer John Dattilo, a Washington State Trooper, explained to the News Tribune, "If the manner in which one is entering, driving through, or exiting the parking lot could be seen as dangerous, negligent or reckless, then we could probably stop and issue citations." 

In the state of Georgia, there isn't a state-level law against rat-running either, but some of its towns and counties do have regulations on the books against it. Such as one municipal code in Macon-Bibb County, which specifically addresses the unlawful behavior of a driver operating a motorized vehicle avoiding an intersection. Although, this is hardly the only example of bizarre driving laws you've probably never heard of. Meanwhile, places like Virginia, New York, Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, and Texas do consider rat-running illegal everywhere within their state borders.

While apps like Waze and Google Maps help you avoid traffic, it's important to avoid instances that they might have you engage in rat-running. In terms of penalties, it depends on where you deliberately avoid a red light, with some states levying fines, while others can take more serious actions. For example, in Illinois, where rat running is illegal, a state trooper can issue you a ticket for $164. In Florida, rat-running falls under statute 316.074, which can carry a civil penalty of $166. In New Jersey, this driving tactic will not only cost you between $50 and $100 in fines, but it also results in losing two points off your license.

In Washington, depending on the circumstances of your "shortcut" around the traffic light, authorities could potentially cite you for reckless driving. Reckless driving is described by the Washington State Legislature as a driver of a vehicle deliberately disregarding the safety of people or property, which can carry a hefty $1,000 fine. Basically, it's not worth the few extra moments you may gain by circumnavigating a red light or congested intersection. And it certainly won't save any time if law enforcement pulls you over and issues you a costly ticket.