Explore the beauty of Wyoming safely by getting to know the rules of the road before you drive there. Wyoming is the least populated state in the United States, giving its vast plains and towering mountain ranges a truly Wild West feel. With a car rental in Wyoming, you can easily reach some of the country’s most outstanding areas of natural beauty including Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Teton National Park. This article gives you an overview of the differences between Wyoming’s traffic laws and the rest of the United States, as well as some tips for sightseeing with your SIXT car rental.
General Rules and Regulations
- All drivers and passengers must wear seatbelts. The driver is responsible for ensuring everyone buckles up.
- Always yield to emergency vehicles.
- Children under 9 must be seated in an appropriately sized child seat or booster seat.
- Drivers should yield to all emergency vehicles, and not enter an intersection if one is approaching.
- When you see a bus with flashing red lights you must slow to a stop as they are usually loading or unloading passengers. If you are on the other side of a divided highway you do not need to stop but be aware of pedestrians.
- Yield to the right at intersections and come to a full stop before proceeding.
- Malfunctioning traffic signals should be treated in the same way as a four-way stop.
- You can turn right on red at a traffic signal unless otherwise signposted. Just make sure you come to a full stop before you proceed with your turn.
- If you see a sign for an HOV lane, this indicates that the lane is only for high occupancy vehicles and you must have 2 or more people in your vehicle to drive in it.
Speed Limits in Wyoming
Drivers in Wyoming should take note of road and weather conditions and adjust their speed accordingly while staying above the minimum speed limit. Here are the general speed limits across the state.
| School zones | 20 mph |
| Within city limits | 30 mph |
| Unpaved roads | 55 mph |
| Urban freeways | 65 mph |
| 4-lane divided highways | 70 mph |
| Interstate highways | 80 mph |
Turning and Parking
- Unless it is signposted otherwise, you can make a U-turn at an intersection in Wyoming. Generally, you must have 500 feet of visibility in either direction to make a U-turn, being aware of curves and gradients in the road.
- As in many states in the U.S parking on intersections, sidewalks, driveways and on crosswalks is illegal, as is double parking. Also, be sure to give yourself 15 feet of distance between your vehicle and fire hydrants and wherever you park be sure to check the signs to make sure it is allowed. Different localities will often have different laws about parking; in general, these will be signposted.
Car Rental with SIXT in Wyoming
Wyoming offers extraordinary road trip possibilities and the state has over 20 different scenic routes. If you want to go alpine, try the Beartooth Scenic Byway that takes you on a 1-hour ride through mountain meadows, rugged landscapes and three national forests culminating with your arrival at the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park. We also recommend the Centennial Scenic Byway from Pinedale to Dubois and Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway that takes you into the Big Horn Mountains.
There is a variety of natural landmarks to explore across the state. Old Faithful is a reliable favorite. The huge geyser has erupted every 44 to 125 minutes for the last 20 years. We also highly recommend the serene Yellowstone Lake, Jackson Hole and Grand Teton both in Grand Teton National Park, and the unique Devils Tower National Monument.
