Why former US presidents aren't allowed to drive
- US Presidents aren’t allowed to drive on public roads
- This is due to a little-known federal law to keep them safe
- There’s one aspect of the law that’s a bit strange
Published on May 21, 2025 at 6:56 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on May 21, 2025 at 9:23 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
It’s a little-known fact that US presidents can’t drive on public roads due to a US federal law that’s been in place for 60+ years.
The law applies to every president, current or former.
The reason might be logical.
But there’s one aspect of this law that’s still a little strange.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
As it turns out, becoming US president isn’t a great career choice if you’re really into cars.
They might have a lot of power, but as it turns out, US presidents can’t drive their car.
This is because there’s a specific US federal law that prohibits presidents, current and former, from driving on public roads ever again.
It applies to all US presidents, whether they have been in office eight years or eight days.
This is due to Secret Service protocols that are part of a law known as the Former Presidents Act, which took effect in 1958.
This means the last US president legally allowed to drive themselves on public roads was Lyndon B. Johnson.
The most peculiar aspect of the law is that it applies to vice presidents as well.
This is perhaps changing now, but, historically, vice presidents haven’t exactly been in the spotlight.
Everyone remembers presidents, but we can’t always say the same about vice presidents.
Still, even the most inconsequential vice president you can think of will have to be chauffeured everywhere and will never be able to drive on public roads again.
It may sound like nannying, but it’s part of strict protocols put in place to protect high-profile politicians.
That protection is partly why the US President is always followed by a motorcade comprising over 50 vehicles, including at least two identical bulletproof Cadillacs known as The Beast.
It’s also the reason said Cadillac is destroyed, again for security reasons, when the Secret Service replaces it every eight years.
Then, of course, there’s Air Force One, which is basically a flying fortress.
So that’s today’s moral of the story: if you like driving cars, don’t become president of the US.
