It's Illegal To Cool Your Car Off in Texas

It's summertime in Texas, and in most locations the sun is shining and the heat is bearing down.

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It's only a matter of time before those triple digits start creeping in and turning humans into sweat bags. When it's 100 degrees outside, it's at least 43 degrees hotter inside your car. It gets so hot in Texas that you can actually bake cookies inside your vehicle.

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As the temperatures rise and your car turns into an oven, keep in mind that you cannot legally cool your car off in Texas, unless you are in it.

It is illegal to cool your car off in Texas!

That's right, just like it is illegal to warm up your car in the winter, you cannot cool your car off in the Summer.

According to the Texas Transportation Code, you cannot leave a vehicle unattended while it is running.

a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), an operator may not leave a vehicle unattended without

(1) stopping the engine;

(2) locking the ignition;

(3) removing the key from the ignition;

(4) setting the parking brake effectively; and

(5) if standing on a grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway.

(b) The requirements of Subsections (a)(1), (2), and (3) do not apply to an operator who starts the engine of a vehicle by using a remote starter or other similar device that:

(1) remotely starts the vehicle's engine without placing the key in the ignition; and

(2) requires the key to be placed in the ignition or physically present in the vehicle before the vehicle can be operated.

Tex. Transp. Code § 545.404

Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1066 (H.B. 2194), Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2015

Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Tex. Transp. Code § 545.404

Although there are exceptions like remote starters.

Just don't do it. You could find yourself with a hefty fine, or a missing car. Good luck getting your insurance company to pay for your stolen vehicle.

You're better off just rolling down the windows for a bit and letting that heat escape.

Here are some tips on cooling your car off without breaking the law.

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Source: Don’t Think About Cooling off Your Car this Summer in Texas, It’s Illegal

Filed Under: texas, illegal

Categories: Wichita Falls News