Picture your next barbecue – it’s a big one. You realize that the smoker needs to be warmed up way beforehand — and people will be hungry.
You know what you’re gonna have to do: tow that lit sucker on the open road.
But is it legal?
Lawyer David Gonzalez offers us some advice. He says it depends on whether the barbecue pit is in the back of the truck, or is being towed on a separate platform.
“It’s it in the back of the truck, is the barbecue pit part of the vehicle?” he says. “The transportation code under Section 574.605 talks a lot about emissions systems requirements. And when they use the word ‘smoke,’ it is a violation for that vehicle to emit any visible smoke for 10 seconds or longer, or visible smoke that remains suspended in the air for 10 seconds or longer before dissipating.”
If one is hauling a barbecue pit, a red warning device is required to make other drivers aware of the heavy cargo. Oh, and those burning embers pose another issue.
So what’s Gonzalez’s final answer?
“While there is no specific prohibition under the Texas Transportation Code, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Gonzalez says.
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