Is It Illegal to Get Out of Your Car at a Red Light in Texas?

(KNUE-FM) Back during my school days, I remember driving around with some friends when we noticed a group of guys we knew from school doing the thing where they would reach a stoplight, run around the vehicle, and then get back in before the light changed colors back to green.

“Back in My Day…”: Red Light Shenanigans We All Remember

I'll never forget the wild chuckling that ensued.

I'm not sure why we all thought it was hilarious, but it was.

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Another time, I saw someone get out of their car at a stoplight to confront a driver behind them. That was a less jubilant experience. However, no fights broke out, so I was thankful for that.

I didn't see any law enforcement at either of those stoplight shenanigans.

READ MORE: 7 Bizarre Texas Driving Laws You Won’t Believe Are Real

But I did wonder: Is it illegal to get out of your car at a stoplight?

I couldn't conclude whether getting out of your car at a stoplight is illegal. It's probably best that none of us leave our vehicles at red lights in Texas.

Door Ajar? You Might Already Be Breaking the Law

Texas law does say, however, that it is illegal to open your door while you're behind the wheel of a vehicle. Since that's the case, we can assume that getting out of the car would not be welcomed.

So yeah, even opening the door at a stoplight would breach Texas law.

Emergencies May Be an Exception—But Just Being Silly? Not So Much

Obviously, we'd be compelled to get out of our cars in an emergency, and law enforcement would likely be understanding in those situations.

But in situations where a bunch of kids are running around the vehicles just to be ridiculous, that probably isn't a good idea. (Sadly, that's why some feel compelled to do it.)