Why Former US Presidents Aren't Allowed to Drive
When Tim Walz isn't working, he enjoys driving his 1979 International Harvester Scout, an old American SUV.
Walz is Kamala Harris' running mate for the US election this year. Like most politicians, he has to make a lot of sacrifices. But if Harris wins in November, there is one sacrifice that may be more difficult for him than others.
If Walz becomes vice president, he will not be able to drive his Scout around the streets of Minnesota.
That's because anyone who is, or has been, president or vice president of the United States is not allowed to drive on the country's roads.
So if they win, Walz will be able to work on his Scout, but he won't be able to take it out on normal roads again.
This isn't a law. But it's a rule followed by the agents who protect the president and vice president — even after their time in the White House ends. It was made not long after President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in 1963.
Kennedy wasn't driving a car when he was shot — he was a passenger. But according to government expert William S. Bike, the rule was created after this moment.
The last US president to drive himself on the road was Lyndon B. Johnson, who became president right after Kennedy died.
Now, presidents and vice presidents can only travel in cars driven by security agents who are trained to drive so they can protect their passengers.
Some presidents, like Ronald Reagan, have enjoyed driving on their own land, but that's as far as they can go.
Driving isn't the only thing that former presidents can't do. They can't own a normal smartphone either — also for security reasons.
The current model of the United States presidential state car.
