• Washington, D.C., has a few special driving laws.Capitol Building image by dwight9592 from Fotolia.com
  
  The 18th-century city planners of Washington, D.C., constructed roads and placed government buildings in such a way as to protect against invaders. The streets are complicated enough to make it nearly impossible for the capital to be taken over and for invaders to get back out of the city. Unfortunately, in modern times, this can complicate driving in the city. On top of that, Washington, D.C., has several special driving laws with which visitors and residents should be familiar.
  
  

Hands-Free Calling

• Drivers in Washington, D.C., may dial a phone number manually but must use a hands-free device to talk. They also are not allowed to text message while driving or perform any other activity that requires typing on their phones. This includes surfing the Internet on smart phones. Drivers are allowed to talk on their cell phones while driving if they are making emergency calls.
  
  

Yellow Light Stops

• When approaching yellow lights above intersections in Washington, D.C., drivers must stop before entering the crosswalk. This law was put into place to protect the large number of pedestrians in the city.
  
  

Traffic Circles

• Washington, D.C., has many traffic circles, also known as roundabouts or traffic rotaries. Drivers entering a traffic circle must yield to the traffic that is already in the circle.
  
  

Road Closures

• Due to the large amount of pedestrian and road traffic in the city and protests and demonstrations near the Capitol Building, roads are often closed throughout Washington, D.C. Drivers should consult live traffic reports on the city's website and local news stations before heading out across town.
  
  

Teen Driving

• Like many other major cities in the United States, young people between the ages of 16 and 21 have certain restrictions when driving in Washington, D.C. A 16-year-old can get a learner's permit but must be accompanied by a fully licensed driver over the age of 21. Those with learner's permits can drive only during certain hours of the day. While in the learner's permit phase, the driver must accumulate 40 hours of practice. When she has passed a skills test she will be given a provisional license that allows her to drive alone, with immediate family or with one fully licensed adult. The driver can receive a full license at the age of 17 if he has had a provisional license for six months without violations. If the driver is under the age of 18, she receives a full license with conditions that she may drive alone or with no more than two passengers under the age of 21 who are not immediate family members.