Every state, so far as I'm aware, acknowledges that you have a right to transport a gun in your vehicle. They might not like it, but they realize they can't actually stop you from doing it, nor would any attempt to do so survive a legal challenge, so they don't have much choice, but they do, in fact, acknowledge it.
However, many states restrict where you can carry it, particularly if you lack a concealed carry permit. And really, they need to change that.
A vehicle is your property, for one thing, even in the eyes of the law. Police can't search it without a warrant or your permission, for example. The gun is my property, too. As such, I should be able to have my property in my property as I see fit.
Moreover, though, a lot of stuff happens when you're driving. Carjacking is still a thing, after all, and it's far from the only problem. Some people get scary road rage:
Police said the truck driver started to "brake check" the car and was being "extremely reckless." The 20-year-old driver exited the freeway at McCarty Street to try to get away from the truck, but the truck driver followed him.
At a red light on McCarty Street, the truck driver pulled up next to the car and started yelling at the 20-year-old man and his girlfriend, indicating that he wanted to hurt them, according to HPD.
Police said the 20-year-old driver again tried to get away from the aggressive driver, but the truck drove into the oncoming traffic lanes to swerve in front of him and block them. That's when HPD said the truck driver got out and ran toward the car with his hands near his pocket. Police said the 20-year-old driver feared for his life and opened fire through the front windshield and through the side of the car, hitting the aggressive driver in the torso, arm and leg.
...
"He's our victim, but again, more of a suspect, really," said Lt. R. Willkens with HPD. "Kind of a self-defense thing."
Now, no charges have been filed against the shooter, and there shouldn't be. This was an aggressive driver who clearly intended some kind of harm to the other driver.
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In this case, the other driver was able to open fire. He didn't kill him but had handcuffs and was able to restrain him until police got there, but what if there'd been no gun in easy reach? The truth is that if someone is that belligerent and hyperaggressive, you can't exactly count on restraint, which is pretty much what many states would have you do.
If you don't have a permit in those states, the gun often has to be stored out of reach, which means you may not be able to access it when you need it.
It's really time for states to repeal all such laws and recognize that the right to keep and bear arms includes the word "bear arms," which means carrying them. That means you should be able to have a gun in your car however you see fit without the government getting any say in the matter.
