In the 1920s, America was just learning how to drive — literally. The automobile was exploding in popularity, but standardized traffic laws? Not so much.
Before speed limits were consistent, before lane markers were a thing, and long before GPS was around to save us, driving was part adventure, part chaos. If you ever hopped into a 1920s car and tried to drive by today’s standards, you’d be in for a confusing (and probably illegal) ride.
Let’s take a look back at some of the weird, forgotten rules of the road from the roaring twenties — and what they say about how far we’ve come.
1. No Lane Lines, No Problem?
In most towns, lane markings didn’t exist — and when they did, they weren’t standardized. Two-way streets often had no clear indication of direction. Drivers had to rely on "unspoken courtesy" or, more often, who had the louder horn.
Today:
Painted lanes are federally regulated. Even the width and color are standardized. Back then, it was drive wherever it felt safe.
2. Turn Signals? Try Hand Gestures.
Forget blinking lights — most 1920s cars had no turn signals at all. Drivers had to stick their arms out the window to indicate turns:
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Left arm straight out = Left turn
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Left arm bent up = Right turn
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Left arm bent down = Stop
On rainy days? You guessed it — hope they guessed correctly.
3. No copyright (In Some States)
Shockingly, you didn’t even need a license to drive in many places. Some states only required you to register the vehicle. Others had basic driving tests with no road component.
In fact, South Dakota didn’t require a license until 1959.
4. Speed Limits Were… Optional?
Urban areas typically had a speed limit of around 12–20 mph, but enforcement was spotty. In rural areas, drivers often just went as fast as their vehicle could manage — or as fast as they dared.
Some cities had bizarre rules like:
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"Do not honk near horses"
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"No cars allowed to go faster than a trolley"
5. Women Drivers Were Heavily Criticized
Although women embraced driving for its independence, society wasn’t always kind. Newspaper cartoons mocked "lady drivers" and some car companies even advertised “easy to crank” engines so women could use them "without harming themselves."
Driving was still considered a man’s domain — though women were quickly changing that.
6. No Standardized Road Signs
The first stop sign wasn’t invented until 1915, and by the early '20s, signs still varied by region.
Some were:
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Hand-painted wood
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Hung on telephone poles
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Written in local dialects or slang (seriously!)
It wasn’t until the late 1920s that sign colors and shapes began to be standardized by the American Association of State Highway Officials.
7. Roads Were... Creative
There were very few paved roads outside cities. Dirt, gravel, cobblestone — even sand in coastal towns — was standard.
A long-distance drive often required toolkits, spare parts, and sometimes maps with no street names.
Bonus: If You Owned a Car, You Had to Move It Yourself
In the 1920s, if you bought a car from another city or state, you had to travel to go get it. Car shipping didn’t exist — and even if it did, the idea of trusting someone else to drive your car was unheard of.
Today? Thankfully, services like AmeriFreight let you ship even rare vintage cars with enclosed carriers, backed by insurance. You can even get instant, accurate car shipping quotes with zero commitment — so you can move history without the headache.
Final Thoughts
Driving in the 1920s was more of a social experiment than a science. But out of the chaos came the structured systems we rely on today — complete with licenses, traffic lights, and hopefully fewer hand gestures.
And while the rules have changed, the cars from that era are still rolling — cared for by collectors, enthusiasts, and car lovers who understand that history should be moved with care.