Ok to drive a convertible from Chicago to Delavan (WI)?
 

Is it safe to drive a convertible in the Wisconsin non-freeway area? Will I have any problems with highway patrol? I'll drive past lake Geneva to Delavan

Please explain this question.

Totally safe and no, this is not CHP land.

I'm not sure I understand your questions. Of what relevance is the convertible as opposed to another type of car? I suppose there's the danger of being rained on.

As long as you obey the speed limits and other rules of the road, and your convertible is not stolen, there's no reason for you to have an encounter with the police in either State.

However, if you have IL plates on your car, and do happen to get pulled over in WI, being polite will go a long way. Having grown up in WI, I can tell you there's an unfair stereotype of IL tourists being rude, even to police officers.

I've lived in Chicago for three decades and drove a convertible for about 15 years, including many trips to Wisconsin. What kind of problem do you anticipate?

Thanks everyone! My rental car indeed has IL plates!

I'm really confused by the question. You can drive from state to state in any kind of car you like, convertible or hardtop.

No issues if you follow the law in WI. They do not target visitors unlike some cities in So Cal.

The one thing I would add is to watch speed limits carefully. I've noticed that some county roads that would generally be 55mph in neighboring states (I grew up in MN and live in IL) are 45mph at least some places in WI. Going to Delavan via Lake Geneva I'm presuming you'll be on I-94 and WI-50, so you shouldn't have have that problem. IIRC, 50 is generally 55mph outside of towns.

Not necessarily true, at least not legally. If I drive with mud on my tires in Wisconsin I may be fine but if I come into parts of Minnesota with tons of mud on my tires, it may have resulted in a violation of law.

Some jurisdictions may have had restrictions on open top/windows down on cars going on some roads and/or above some speeds. I have seen convertibles driven with the top down in Wisconsin, but you don't want it down when a sudden thunderstorm hits.

Given how many deer hits I have seen in these states, I wouldn't drive with the top down on a convertible on a highway in WI. I've seen more than one hit deer on a highway end up landing right where I'd want a hard roof.

gaobest, the only caveat is that if you drive in Wisconsin with the convertible top down, each person is required by law to wear one of these safety helmets.

http://www.sportzlystore.com/wp-cont...Gear-Hat-0.jpg

wow are you serious about the deer?!?! Wow. I'll definitely be driving along lake Geneva to Delavan!

The first thing that comes to mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-p40OGBw5g#t=0m50s

Yes, I have seen deer kills by cars in front of me where the deer went flying over the hood and onto or over cars while spraying down/releasing who knows what onto the car.

If someone hasn't seen deer kills on these roads in WI, they clearly haven't done a lot of driving on these roads. I'm just glad the locals seem to know that if you hit a deer, slamming the breaks on as hard as possible after the hit isn't all that great an idea.

OK - of all the things to worry about while on a road trip, this has to be one of the lowest on the list.

Yes, there are deer in Wisconsin. It's not common to see them on the roads, and extremely rare to see them on a busy highway. You're most likely to see deer during late November, when hunters are driving them through the woods, which sometimes require them to cross roads.

It's very rare to hit a deer during the day. It usually happens at night when you can't see them near the road. And more likely to happen on heavily wooded roads where they bound out of the woods to cross the street. And again, they're typically only running during hunting season.

If you were driving down a dark country road at night in November, being vigilant for deer crossing the road is good advice. Otherwise, the odds of you even seeing a deer on your route are miniscule.