I'm guilty of breaking the law, and you probably are too.

I ran across a story about it actually being illegal to leave your car running unattended in South Carolina and my first thought was: "That's crazy."

My second thought was: "Wait a minute—is it illegal in Louisiana, too?"

As it would turn out, it actually is illegal in Louisiana to "warm up" your vehicle or leave it running unattended according to the letter of the law.

§145. Unattended motor vehicles

No person driving or in charge of any motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended without first stopping the motor, locking the ignition, removing the key, and effectively setting the brake thereon, and, when standing upon any grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway.

It's a very interesting law, especially with the number of vehicles that come equipped with remote start, but most of the vehicles that use the feature to "warm up" (or in Louisiana's case "cool down") don't actually utilize the engine.

In the coming months, many of us will go outside to start our cars in an effort to "defrost" our windshields or "warm up" our vehicles before hitting the road for work or school—but now that we know this is actually illegal, will we take the risk?

(Spoiler Alert: I totally will)

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In an interesting twist of irony, I also found out that it's illegal to leave snow or ice on your car or you could get ticketed for distracted driving. So, for those keeping score at home, you must defrost your car by sitting in it until all the ice is gone to stay within the confines of the law.

Speaking with a few officers that will remain anonymous, the chances of you actually getting ticketed for this ranges from highly unlikely to never—but if you're the type to leave the car running while your music blasts, you may still get a ticket for the music.

Did you know this was a law on the books? Do you leave your car running unattended often? Sound off in the comments and be sure to share this with all your (fellow criminal) friends.

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