It's illegal to cut across lot to avoid light

Do folks really have no clue about this? I'm pretty sure it is taught in driver ed.
From today's Portsmouth Herald:

Traffic tip of the week
By Karen Dandurant
October 01, 2007 6:00 AM
PORTSMOUTH — Did you know driving through a gas station to avoid a red light is illegal in New Hampshire?
State police say enough people do not know about that or other small and sometimes obscure laws, so they've decided to issue periodic traffic-safety reminders.
The idea came from Lt. John G. LeLacheur of Troop B. He brought it to his superiors and will lead the charge to educate the public.
One of this week's law tips is the above. It is illegal for any driver to cut across public or private property to avoid a traffic control signal or sign.
"This one happens mostly in congested areas," LeLacheur said. "People come up to an intersection and are third or fourth in line. Instead of waiting, they cut through a parking lot. This puts a lot of congestion in the lots and the owners do not like it."
There are many such laws on the books that people might not be aware of.
"If we can start to do quick reminders on a daily or weekly basis on the things people should be doing, it can help," LeLacheur said. "Some of the reminders might be obvious and some might be more obscure."
LeLacheur said police came up with the idea during traffic-enforcement details.
"We'd been running some details, and people were stopped for violations," he said. "I personally found that people I was stopping had no idea that what they were doing was wrong. Some are violations with set fines, others are up to the discretion of a judge. Knowing it's wrong is key, and we feel it's our responsibility to send out updates."
State police plan to send out updates when laws change, too.
"There were a couple of big ones a few years back — the road clearance law and the move over law," he said.
The road clearance law involves minor accidents. LeLacheur said if drivers can safely clear the lane of travel involved, they are required to do so.
"They can pull into a parking lot or a break down lane," he said. "Many people still have the impression they should stay put. We can still investigate if they have moved by looking at the road and talking to drivers and with witnesses."
Not moving can needlessly tie up traffic, he said.
Cell phones are legal to use while driving in New Hampshire, but LeLacheur said there is a law that says if driving and the use of the cell phone is interfering with operation of a motor vehicle, police can stop the car and issue a summons to the driver.

Fortune: A good memory is one trained to forget the trivial.