Don’t Warm up Your Car in Your Own Driveway! It’s Illegal in Michigan!

Get ready for a wacky story that's absolutely true. It's Illegal to warm up your own car, in your own driver way, in Michigan! Say what? TRUE!

John Robinson, of one of our sister stations, WFMK, in Lansing, found this obscure law on the books here in Michigan that you can be cited and get a ticket if you're caught warming up your car, leaving it unattended, even if it's in your own driveway.

Here is the statute:

According to the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code (R28-1458 & 257.676), you are in violation by “leaving a vehicle unattended on any street or any other place without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition and removing the ignition key.”

Is that wacky, or what? Now, I get it if it's in a public place. Of course you don't want to "just get a couple of things" at a store and leave your car running. But, your at home, and your car is in your own driveway. Really?

Now, there is an out here. If you have a remote-start on your car, you are NOT in violation. Your car is probably still locked when you start it, so that's fine, but, leave the keys in it while running.....ticket city, if caught.

By the way, Michigan isn't the only state with this type of law, so watch out where ever you are if you're trying to warm up your car before driving.

What do you think? Get the law off the books? Revise it to fit the situation? Silly? Let me know.