First traffic violation in 10 years.

I got my first traffic violation ticket in 10 years of totally-clean motorcycle riding. Sigh!

The ticket is for "failure to obey traffic control device". In a certain strict sense I suppose I deserve the ticket. I was at a 4-way intersection. At the intersection I had a red light. My intention was to turn right. I got to the stop line, didn't quite stop but I did slow down to a crawl and hesitate until traffic was clear. When it was clear to go, I went. This was maybe a total 4-second near-stop hesitation, covering maybe 4 feet in those four seconds.

What do you guys do in such situations? I could have dabbed my foot down to make it more clear how "stopped" I was. To go any slower I wouldn't have been able to maintain my balance -- today was a gusty day and the HP2 is a tall bike. I was a little annoyed I got this ticket when only a minute earlier, someone rolled right through a stop sign, causing me to do an emergency brake (I had the right of way). So it kind of annoys me that I get this ticket when I see worse behaviour going unpunished pretty much everyday. But I also would like it if such penalties were given out evenhandedly!

Does anyone have experience with contesting a ticket under such circumstances? I could imagine a judge being pissed off that I'd contest under such circumstances, but I could also imagine random sympathy and perhaps the fine being dropped for stupid technical reasons.

Always fight, they will reduce it.

Not sure about the foot down thing but trials riders could sit all day stopped without putting a foot down. Car drivers do not have to put a foot down so try that angle . But fight none the less always fight. If it was reduced to a lower fine at the roadside then it will be a tough fight. they will put an R on it to show it has been reduced. If you got full bore then fight.

As I found out the other day you fight every ticket you get. Even the small ones can add up and cost you in insurance. I got a ticket driving my moms car because she asked me to so it would not sit so long. Well her plates were expired by 7 days and $115 no points. Went to renew my insurance and it went up because of that, bastards.
Fight it fight it fight it even if you have to pay someone like points it is worth it.

i'ld say trikes and spyders drivers dont have to either.

I guess I dont really understand what you did.....did you slowly creep ou to a red light without putting a foot down until it turned green, then go???.

I very rarely put a foot down at stop signs and creep to lights to avoid it as well, I know one of these days I,ll likely get popped for the stop sign bit.

You are a motorcyclist on the left coast. As a result, you will garner more attention than the cell phone using, makeup installing car operator. It's a piss-off I know, but you're probably screwed.

Steve

I had a cop tell me that here in Missouri it is state law that you have to put a foot down or it is not a legal stop even if you actually stop like I did. He said that normally he would have sited me but since I actually did stop he would let me off with a warning. I think he was using this as an excuse to stop me and check my license, registration and proof of insurance.

I never knew whether the foot-down thing was required for a lawful stop. I guess it is at least in some states. I usually put one down anyway.
I would love to see a lot fewer traffic cops harassing the citizens trying to go about their lives. I am seeing more and more traffic stops in my area... getting the revenue where they can.

Cash cow cha ching for the gov't. Sorry to hear you got nabbed.

I saw a cop roll (faster than it sounds like you were going) a red light turning right onto a busy street. I pulled up beside him at the next red light. He was texting on his BB.

I'm sure if I was in front of him, and did the same, I would have been in the same situation you are now.

Fight it....good luck (maybe get the demerits off??)

I go passed two cops almost every day on my way to work just sitting there waiting for someone to slip-up. My commute is through some very well-to-do communities so I guess they have nothing better to do. While their just sitting there, I mean working their a$$ off, someone down in the city is being raped, robbed or murdered. In my neighborhood there is a well known drug house that the cops don’t even bother to drive by and check to see who is coming and going. I guess harassing drug dealers is not in their job description, but the citizen trying to get to work is easier prey.

It is a better bang for the buck . If they arrested some drug dealer they would have to process him detain him feed house them, then place him in front of a judge have a court appointed lawyer for them and the list goes on.. and for what they do not make a dime out of it. But nail some poor sap on his way to work doing 15km over and $120 and only have to hand out a piece of paper. Most likely they will pay it and be done with it.
Cash it king

I think that in S.D. it is required that you put both feet down at a stop sign

I turned right on a red. That's legal here. Technically, the law says you're supposed to come to a complete stop and then only if it's safe can you turn right on red. I came to a very slow crawl where I was almost "trackstanding" the bike. But I did not put my feet down. I asked the officer if that's what he wanted to see but all he said in response is "I want to see you come to a complete stop!" He was a bit agitated. The police officer probably should have given me a ticket for ignoring a red light, as I did not come to a complete stop. I got the reduced ticket "failure to obey traffic control device" which has less demerits against your license, and a smaller fine. So the police officer was trying to be nice in a way.

Strangely, I think the only reason why the police officer managed to catch up with me is that when I heard his siren I had no idea what direction it was coming from. The sound was reflecting off the houses in front of me. So when I got to the next intersection I slowed-down to a crawl, hesitating to only go through once I knew where the siren was coming from. If I had noticed the siren was from behind earlier, I probably would have assumed it couldn't have been for me, kept on going and he would have lost me! Ah well.

Except he would have had your plate number and you'd have got a much bigger fine for evading
Seems pretty simple - they're not going to consider that you've come to a full stop unless you put a foot down. You're supposed to stop, look left, look right, look left, then go. Non-riding police aren't going to think you can do that unless your foot is down and I'm willing to bet most the riding ones can't do that either (even on Victorys ).

It's hard to stop for someone if they don't even let you know they want you to stop! As far as I can tell, he took his time getting his car started because I seemed to be at 350-400m away from him when he started his siren. There were maybe 10-12 cars between us at that point, so I couldn't see him let alone know he wanted to stop me.

I think its as simple as this. You didnt stop, your guilty. No matter how slow ya go, ya didnt stop. Were you in the wrong? Yes you were. Did you earn the ticket? Yes, you did.


That being said, fight it. There is a damn good chance you can BS your way through it a little and get off of the ticket, or have it possibly reduced (although it sounds like it was reduced all ready)


Everyone breaks a traffic law from time to time, and it sounds like what you did, while technically and legally was breaking a law, was so damn minor that its not even funny. I would definately go fight it, just on the basis of how silly and minor the violation actually is!

OK so he was 300m behind you so how could he tell that you did not come to a complete stop?
Still fight it but beware that he did lower the ticket and thus if you do fight it and lose they can charge you for the failing to come to a complete stop at a red light while turning right. Got nailed for that when I was 19, so many years ago and the cop was an ass also. He didn't even know what the charge was so i had to follow him back to the station so he could look it up lol.

+1
I was going to say something like that, but you said it better!

Why would he stop you and then decide to be nice and give you less of a ticket?

Perhaps he thinks you didn't stop, but was not 100% sure. He offers you less of a ticket so you think hes being a nice guy and dont bother taking it to court.

I'm sure some police officer will read this and jump all over me. But i just have a suspicious nature i guess,

Fight it.