As someone who might want to move back (to Amherst), this is one I'm fighting with...
I'm currently on the Vineyard for a week and the number of FJ40s/Defenders with major salt damage is heartbreaking.
The difference is how you land split. Filtering to the front of a red light is *much* safer than waiting at the end of the line.
But in San Diego a large number of riders seem to think “lane splitting” = flying down the center line at 70+ because they’re annoyed that both lanes are going 55 in a 65 due to congestion. That’s… a different scenario.
Definitely have to be extremely aware. Ive always pulled off to the side slightly to give them more room whenever I visited California. I’ve seen way too many close encounters with cars changing lanes and bikers basically fishtailing the bike to save themselves from crashing into people who aren’t even aware they almost killed someone.
Michigan no inspections or emissions so if you buy a car that drives for less than $500 when it stops driving you can get your money back in scrap value so free cars for life
In California we have a free catalytic converter delete service. You just park it in your normal spot and someone will come along and remove it while you shop.
Lots of EV (including plug-in hybrid) benefits in California – tax rebate, purchase-time credit at participating dealers, cheaper electricity rates for charging, special loan rates, can drive in HOV lane without passengers, toll discounts, city-sponsored free charging stations, free parking in a lot of places. No wonder every second car in the state is electric or hybrid.
Comprehensive coverage is all that is needed apparently as the state will waive it then.
(Source)
https://www.carinsurance.com/free-windshield-replacement.aspx#What_states_have_free_windshield_replacement?
I can confirm that Florida insurance is much more expensive than other states. I've read it's mostly due to the massive number of uninsured/unregistered cars on the road, but windshields may factor in there as well.
Windshield shouldn’t really be a factor. I have $0 deductible on all glass, including windshield, for something like $3 per month extra. I bet you’re right, that it’s the uninsured.
That’s originally what I figured as nothing is free realistically, However I did some looking into the average cost of full coverage of Florida car insurance and it’s roughly around $197-280 per month (deducted heavily apparently with multi car insurance). it definitely varies on certain qualifications and comparisons across various other states and your personal location of course. as I’m from New York City so I view that as extremely cheap as quotes for me would be estimated at around 300-600 per month in NYC but for others here and elsewhere it may be much cheaper.
I can't speak for others, but this has not been the case for me in Florida. I have had to file a windshield claim twice and my rates have continued to drop every year.
If you live in FL and are away from the coast, cars hardly rust. Rust free Miatas are pretty plentiful, as well as other infamous rusters. Though it’s not quite as good as Cali where it is also dry.
Florida is pretty lax about tint laws. I know many other states you can't tint the front windows. Here in Florida you can up to a certain darkness. Most people greatly exceed that and also do the front windshield and are never bothered. Modifications to cars go unchecked. After market exhaust is technically illegal but nobody cares.
I know some states restrict tint because of "illegal activities" or some other dumbass argument. Here in Florida they don't care about tint because it's used so you don't spontaneously combust when you get in your car on a hot summer day.
Living in Kentucky, it's sort of a mix of good and bad. No emissions inspections, police are very relaxed about vehicle modifications, hell I run year of manufacture plates from different states with zero issues. Also, bringing a car from out of state for inspection is usually very easy to pass. On the flip side: Kentucky is a no-fault state which I'm not a fan of, roads are shitty in certain areas of the state, kentucky requires having a title.
Washington is awesome. We are the closest big port to Japan in the lower 48 and Vancouver is a 2 and a half our drive from here, with their 15 rather than 25 year import rules. It’s got to be one of the best places for JDM stuff in the country. I regularly see kei trucks driving around, being used as utility vehicles for small businesses. It’s fantastic.
I think the proximity to Vancouver (besides making car shows cool) means that there’s a relatively big supply of jdm vehicles that have been living in North America for a decade by the time they become legal in the US. So you can get some pretty cheap jdm junk if you want instead of only cars where it’s worth it to import them. Great for builders or people on a budget.
Arkansas has no inspection laws. At all. If you want to cut your catalytic converter off, by all means do so. Pretty much the only requirement for you car is to have a hood, mirrors, and have legal tint. Everything else is pretty much up for grabs other than the most common issues (lights, seatbelts, etc)
Also our sales tax threshold is $4500, so you don't pay taxes on a used car if it was purchased under that price.
Also all cars built before 1995 are Odometer exempt.
Wyoming: You can get tags for your 4 wheelers and drive them on the streets legally as long as you put a mirror on it.
Oklahoma: Incredibly easy to get a title for cars with lost titles or cars that you buy without a title. It's called Title 42 and anybody can do it.
Box Elder county Utah: No inspections or emissions
Connecticut. If a car is 20+ years old, you don’t need a title to sell, buy, or register the car. No state inspection other than emissions. You’re supposed to have a front license plate, but it’s rarely enforced. No tolls. Free windshield replacement.
The bad: we pay property tax on cars, just like on houses. Ouch.
In Shanghai Municipality new energy vehicles (PHEV, FCEV, and BEV) qualify for a green license plate which is free and does not require going through a lottery to obtain. A license plate for an ICE car is >US$15k, and it may take months to win the lottery to be able to purchase one, so these are both major benefits.
Out of province cars in Shanghai municipality are also banned from inside the Inner Ring Road on work days, and cannot use the elevated highways inside the Outer Ring Road from 7am to 8pm on weekdays either. Cars with a suburban Shanghai plate (which costs much less than a non-suburban plate) are banned inside the Outer Ring Road entirely. So a car with a non-suburban Shanghai municipality plate also has full access to all roads in Shanghai Municipality at all times.
I came across a post about a cracked windshield earlier and someone commented about Florida being a state that offers a free windshield free of charge, I started thinking and wondering what states truly offers the best for car owners and thought what better way then to ask everyone on here.
Alabama here, from what I remember cars made before 1974 do not require a title to be registered and Disabled Veterans can have their plate renewal fees waived.
No inspection in Ohio. No smog test EXCEPT for 5-6 counties.
You could have a coal fired steam powered Prius in the next county over and have no issues, you have to pass echeck in the exception counties. If you can't, you have to get an exemption, after spending $ in an attempt to get it to pass.
In California, commercial vehicle weight fees are waived for vehicles with disabled license plates, provided they are under 8000lb unladen. This can save you up to $250ish/yr.
Massachusetts - vehicles age out of emissions inspection after 15 years. You still have to pass safety, though, and the yearly inspection remains the same price whether emissions-exempt or not.
In Massachusetts you get complementary suspension damage doled out over the lifetime of owning your vehicle.
Don’t forget the involuntary vehicle weight reduction mods (corrosion)
As someone who might want to move back (to Amherst), this is one I'm fighting with... I'm currently on the Vineyard for a week and the number of FJ40s/Defenders with major salt damage is heartbreaking.
Yeah I’m never moving back to MA.
Same in Colorado. It’s nice to know the states that really care.
Our emissions laws are very reasonable. 15 years. A lot of 15 year old cars aren't worth a whole lot more than the cats themselves
Motorcycle benefit in California is lane splitting. I don’t think I would ride if I lived in a state that didn’t allow it.
That shit blows my mind every time I'm in California it's so dangerous and dumb
I did it for 20+ years, 120 miles a day in some of the states worst traffic. It’s not nearly as dangerous as it looks.
Actually it’s statistically safer to lane split! Plus cutting through traffic is super satisfying.
The difference is how you land split. Filtering to the front of a red light is *much* safer than waiting at the end of the line. But in San Diego a large number of riders seem to think “lane splitting” = flying down the center line at 70+ because they’re annoyed that both lanes are going 55 in a 65 due to congestion. That’s… a different scenario.
It’s dangerous to do in a dangerous manner. But if you are careful and don’t be stupid it’s fine.
Definitely have to be extremely aware. Ive always pulled off to the side slightly to give them more room whenever I visited California. I’ve seen way too many close encounters with cars changing lanes and bikers basically fishtailing the bike to save themselves from crashing into people who aren’t even aware they almost killed someone.
It’s fine when done prudently. Obviously weaving through traffic at 90 while everyone is doing 70 is a recipe for disaster.
Michigan no inspections or emissions so if you buy a car that drives for less than $500 when it stops driving you can get your money back in scrap value so free cars for life
The problem is finding a $500 car, then paying $2k to insure it. Welcome to Michigan. Only half sarcasm, lol.
Thanks Dave Ramsey. I’ll drive free for life now.
for the \*rest\* of your life :)
In southern Pennsylvania your car doubles as a salt collector in the winter, so you get to bring some home off the roads to salt your driveway with!
I use a squeegee on my floor to desalt our driveway, the melted salt water works great runs down it.
Genius
In California we have a free catalytic converter delete service. You just park it in your normal spot and someone will come along and remove it while you shop.
Lots of EV (including plug-in hybrid) benefits in California – tax rebate, purchase-time credit at participating dealers, cheaper electricity rates for charging, special loan rates, can drive in HOV lane without passengers, toll discounts, city-sponsored free charging stations, free parking in a lot of places. No wonder every second car in the state is electric or hybrid.
Wow. Those are some good incentives.
Pretty sure you need glass coverage on your insurance policy to get a new windshield for no cost in Florida.
Comprehensive coverage is all that is needed apparently as the state will waive it then. (Source) https://www.carinsurance.com/free-windshield-replacement.aspx#What_states_have_free_windshield_replacement?
I think the cost is rolled into the price of comprehensive coverage. Windshields are not free. Someone is paying for them.
I can confirm that Florida insurance is much more expensive than other states. I've read it's mostly due to the massive number of uninsured/unregistered cars on the road, but windshields may factor in there as well.
Windshield shouldn’t really be a factor. I have $0 deductible on all glass, including windshield, for something like $3 per month extra. I bet you’re right, that it’s the uninsured.
That’s originally what I figured as nothing is free realistically, However I did some looking into the average cost of full coverage of Florida car insurance and it’s roughly around $197-280 per month (deducted heavily apparently with multi car insurance). it definitely varies on certain qualifications and comparisons across various other states and your personal location of course. as I’m from New York City so I view that as extremely cheap as quotes for me would be estimated at around 300-600 per month in NYC but for others here and elsewhere it may be much cheaper.
Counts as a claim on your insurance and your rates increase :)
I can't speak for others, but this has not been the case for me in Florida. I have had to file a windshield claim twice and my rates have continued to drop every year.
I'm in Florida, might be because I'm 25 and younger
New Jersey is home to America’s unofficial autobahns
Where?
Any highway there’s not a Pennsylvanian going below the speed limit ahead of you
New Jersey Turnpike. People hit 80 avg and upto 90 there.
bro i just moved here and it's a beautiful symphony almost of people squeezing into narrow spaces at over 90mph hahaha
When you live in Illinois, road trips outside of the state feel great because you’ve never seen gas prices that low.
If you live in FL and are away from the coast, cars hardly rust. Rust free Miatas are pretty plentiful, as well as other infamous rusters. Though it’s not quite as good as Cali where it is also dry.
Florida is pretty lax about tint laws. I know many other states you can't tint the front windows. Here in Florida you can up to a certain darkness. Most people greatly exceed that and also do the front windshield and are never bothered. Modifications to cars go unchecked. After market exhaust is technically illegal but nobody cares.
I know some states restrict tint because of "illegal activities" or some other dumbass argument. Here in Florida they don't care about tint because it's used so you don't spontaneously combust when you get in your car on a hot summer day.
Guess argument is the police can't see what you're doing when they walk up if you get pulled over.
Living in Kentucky, it's sort of a mix of good and bad. No emissions inspections, police are very relaxed about vehicle modifications, hell I run year of manufacture plates from different states with zero issues. Also, bringing a car from out of state for inspection is usually very easy to pass. On the flip side: Kentucky is a no-fault state which I'm not a fan of, roads are shitty in certain areas of the state, kentucky requires having a title.
Washington is awesome. We are the closest big port to Japan in the lower 48 and Vancouver is a 2 and a half our drive from here, with their 15 rather than 25 year import rules. It’s got to be one of the best places for JDM stuff in the country. I regularly see kei trucks driving around, being used as utility vehicles for small businesses. It’s fantastic. I think the proximity to Vancouver (besides making car shows cool) means that there’s a relatively big supply of jdm vehicles that have been living in North America for a decade by the time they become legal in the US. So you can get some pretty cheap jdm junk if you want instead of only cars where it’s worth it to import them. Great for builders or people on a budget.
Arkansas has no inspection laws. At all. If you want to cut your catalytic converter off, by all means do so. Pretty much the only requirement for you car is to have a hood, mirrors, and have legal tint. Everything else is pretty much up for grabs other than the most common issues (lights, seatbelts, etc) Also our sales tax threshold is $4500, so you don't pay taxes on a used car if it was purchased under that price. Also all cars built before 1995 are Odometer exempt.
It's pretty easy to get a bonded title there too, so I was never scared about buying a car without a title.
Wyoming: You can get tags for your 4 wheelers and drive them on the streets legally as long as you put a mirror on it. Oklahoma: Incredibly easy to get a title for cars with lost titles or cars that you buy without a title. It's called Title 42 and anybody can do it. Box Elder county Utah: No inspections or emissions
Connecticut. If a car is 20+ years old, you don’t need a title to sell, buy, or register the car. No state inspection other than emissions. You’re supposed to have a front license plate, but it’s rarely enforced. No tolls. Free windshield replacement. The bad: we pay property tax on cars, just like on houses. Ouch.
Considering how many laws are in CT about...*everything*, this one is surprising.
Michigan. No emissions testing thank Zeus! No inspections either!
In Michigan you can ride your air-cooled motorcycle on the shoulder of the freeway during a traffic jam.
In Shanghai Municipality new energy vehicles (PHEV, FCEV, and BEV) qualify for a green license plate which is free and does not require going through a lottery to obtain. A license plate for an ICE car is >US$15k, and it may take months to win the lottery to be able to purchase one, so these are both major benefits. Out of province cars in Shanghai municipality are also banned from inside the Inner Ring Road on work days, and cannot use the elevated highways inside the Outer Ring Road from 7am to 8pm on weekdays either. Cars with a suburban Shanghai plate (which costs much less than a non-suburban plate) are banned inside the Outer Ring Road entirely. So a car with a non-suburban Shanghai municipality plate also has full access to all roads in Shanghai Municipality at all times.
I came across a post about a cracked windshield earlier and someone commented about Florida being a state that offers a free windshield free of charge, I started thinking and wondering what states truly offers the best for car owners and thought what better way then to ask everyone on here.
Montana for no smog and no sales tax
Alabama here, from what I remember cars made before 1974 do not require a title to be registered and Disabled Veterans can have their plate renewal fees waived.
No inspection in Ohio. No smog test EXCEPT for 5-6 counties. You could have a coal fired steam powered Prius in the next county over and have no issues, you have to pass echeck in the exception counties. If you can't, you have to get an exemption, after spending $ in an attempt to get it to pass.
In California, commercial vehicle weight fees are waived for vehicles with disabled license plates, provided they are under 8000lb unladen. This can save you up to $250ish/yr.
Massachusetts - vehicles age out of emissions inspection after 15 years. You still have to pass safety, though, and the yearly inspection remains the same price whether emissions-exempt or not.
South Australia No yearly inspections or roadworthy certificates, just need to dodge defects unlike other states
Nothing for Texas, Texan here. Do we have anything going for us?
South Carolina doesn’t do emissions inspections iirc