It’s an act that isn’t uncommon. You’re running late and keep hitting red light after red light. You can either wait your turn or you cut through a nearby parking lot to avoid traffic.
While “rat running,” as some people call it, is a common practice, is it legal?
Many states have laws forbidding the act, including Florida, Texas, Illinois and New York, according to online legal encyclopedia NOLO. In Florida, drivers could get a $60 fine for avoiding traffic signals. In Illinois, the fine could reach $1,000. New York drivers could face 15 days in jail.
Unlike those states, Kansas does not have a law prohibiting rat running. But while statewide laws may not address the topic, the city of Wichita does have an ordinance.
“No person shall utilize the entrance or driveway of any private property within one hundred fifty feet of any street intersection for the purpose of avoiding or circumventing a traffic-control device,” Wichita’s city ordinance reads .
The penalty for rat running is a fine of $101.50, Wichita Police Department’s senior information officer Andrew Ford told the Eagle in an email.