So i got a ticket for running a red light
#31
07-20-2009, 01:03 PM
If you were in MN, that ticket would be TOTAL BS!
I run red lights all the time! Because I can, and it's LEGAL! (even right in front of cops)
MINNESOTA RED LIGHT LAW
Sec. 42. Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.06, is amended by adding a subdivision to read: Subd. 9. [AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE RELATING TO UNCHANGING TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL.]
(a) A person operating a motorcycle who violates subdivision 4 by entering or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic-control signal against a red light has an affirmative defense to that charge if the person establishes all of the following conditions:
(1) the motorcycle has been brought to a complete stop;
(2) the traffic-control signal continues to show a red light for an unreasonable time;
(3) the traffic-control signal is apparently malfunctioning or, if programmed or engineered to change to a green light only after detecting the approach of a motor vehicle, the signal has apparently failed to detect the arrival of the motorcycle; and
(4) no motor vehicle or person is approaching on the street or highway to be crossed or entered or is so far away from the intersection that it does not constitute an immediate hazard.
(b) The affirmative defense in this subdivision applies only to a violation for entering or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic-control signal against a red light and does not provide a defense to any other civil or criminal action.
I run red lights all the time! Because I can, and it's LEGAL! (even right in front of cops)
MINNESOTA RED LIGHT LAW
Sec. 42. Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.06, is amended by adding a subdivision to read: Subd. 9. [AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE RELATING TO UNCHANGING TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL.]
(a) A person operating a motorcycle who violates subdivision 4 by entering or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic-control signal against a red light has an affirmative defense to that charge if the person establishes all of the following conditions:
(1) the motorcycle has been brought to a complete stop;
(2) the traffic-control signal continues to show a red light for an unreasonable time;
(3) the traffic-control signal is apparently malfunctioning or, if programmed or engineered to change to a green light only after detecting the approach of a motor vehicle, the signal has apparently failed to detect the arrival of the motorcycle; and
(4) no motor vehicle or person is approaching on the street or highway to be crossed or entered or is so far away from the intersection that it does not constitute an immediate hazard.
(b) The affirmative defense in this subdivision applies only to a violation for entering or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic-control signal against a red light and does not provide a defense to any other civil or criminal action.
#32
07-20-2009, 01:14 PM
HONESTLY THIS IS THE MOST BS TICKET IN THE WORLD!!
i dont know if this goes for every city/town/where ever you live but in my area, there are weight sensors in the road that detect that there is a car there and it plans out the most efficient traffic patterns. There is a cop sitting in the parking lot right by the sigh (out of the roadway of course) Its like 1:30am and my area has a bunch of old people so its a ghost town after 10pm
The light is red for a good 20 mins. The cross traffic light goes red for a minute, and then goes green again and im sittin here like wtf, i look over at the cops and they are laughin and i say wtf, so i look both ways, nothing is coming for miles so i go. Me on the bike is so light that it doesnt even set off the weight sensor
they turn on their lights and come behind me. I am pleading with them, its dam near 2am, i am tryin to get home from work, and im sitting at the light for 20mins and they saw the cross light go green-red-green. They tell me there is nothing wrong with the light as me and the 2 officers look back and see the light green as there is a car going through it so now im stuck with this ticket...
/rant
how do other cyclist deal with situations like this?
i dont know if this goes for every city/town/where ever you live but in my area, there are weight sensors in the road that detect that there is a car there and it plans out the most efficient traffic patterns. There is a cop sitting in the parking lot right by the sigh (out of the roadway of course) Its like 1:30am and my area has a bunch of old people so its a ghost town after 10pm
The light is red for a good 20 mins. The cross traffic light goes red for a minute, and then goes green again and im sittin here like wtf, i look over at the cops and they are laughin and i say wtf, so i look both ways, nothing is coming for miles so i go. Me on the bike is so light that it doesnt even set off the weight sensor
they turn on their lights and come behind me. I am pleading with them, its dam near 2am, i am tryin to get home from work, and im sitting at the light for 20mins and they saw the cross light go green-red-green. They tell me there is nothing wrong with the light as me and the 2 officers look back and see the light green as there is a car going through it so now im stuck with this ticket...
/rant
how do other cyclist deal with situations like this?
#33
07-20-2009, 02:37 PM
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Fight, if the cops don't show, move for dismissal, if they do show put them on hter stand to testify of what they saw. Also get their cars dvd put into evidence.
If it went as you claimed you should have no problem.
I was cited for speeding in a construction zone in june. 84 in a 60. I went to court to fight. (the construction zone was not proper, signage and barriers were not at the spot of the speeding and the signage distance was too far apart according to the code.)
It was a $732 ticket. I went to the kangaroo court and the cops were there cutting deals so it would never go before the judge. I showed the cops how they were wrong, and after a ride in the cops car through the zone I got my ticket dropped to 74 in a 60 and no points. $732 to $239.
Remember, they have to prove you broke the law. If they submit their tape as proof, it will show you obeyed the law and then proceeded with caution.
I personally do the u-turn alot, but even that can get you a ticket.
If it went as you claimed you should have no problem.
I was cited for speeding in a construction zone in june. 84 in a 60. I went to court to fight. (the construction zone was not proper, signage and barriers were not at the spot of the speeding and the signage distance was too far apart according to the code.)
It was a $732 ticket. I went to the kangaroo court and the cops were there cutting deals so it would never go before the judge. I showed the cops how they were wrong, and after a ride in the cops car through the zone I got my ticket dropped to 74 in a 60 and no points. $732 to $239.
Remember, they have to prove you broke the law. If they submit their tape as proof, it will show you obeyed the law and then proceeded with caution.
I personally do the u-turn alot, but even that can get you a ticket.
#34
07-20-2009, 03:34 PM
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#35
07-20-2009, 06:20 PM
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Yup, mn sucks for motorcyclists due to the short and screwy seasons, but we do get a few bennies out of living here, very few.
I have to agree with chuckbear though. You sat there, saw the cop, saw that the cop was watching you, then decided to run a red light right in front of him. Ballsy call, but not too bright. Not when you had other options such as take a right then uturn or get off and hit the pedestrian button, both of which I've been known to do myself on occasion so I don't have to wait a "reasonable" amount of time. I'm not arguing that the law that let them ticket you is right, but breaking it in front of the fuzz pretty much means you deserved to get ticketed. An no, the judge won't care, unless the cops don't show, or you plea bargain it down your pretty much stuck with it regardless of how lame the law. Sorry man.
As to that traffic light changer thing, if it was just a magnet you'd think that the permanent magnets in our stators would trigger it. I prolly wouldn't waste my money on it unless I saw an actual real life demonstration of it working.
I have to agree with chuckbear though. You sat there, saw the cop, saw that the cop was watching you, then decided to run a red light right in front of him. Ballsy call, but not too bright. Not when you had other options such as take a right then uturn or get off and hit the pedestrian button, both of which I've been known to do myself on occasion so I don't have to wait a "reasonable" amount of time. I'm not arguing that the law that let them ticket you is right, but breaking it in front of the fuzz pretty much means you deserved to get ticketed. An no, the judge won't care, unless the cops don't show, or you plea bargain it down your pretty much stuck with it regardless of how lame the law. Sorry man.
As to that traffic light changer thing, if it was just a magnet you'd think that the permanent magnets in our stators would trigger it. I prolly wouldn't waste my money on it unless I saw an actual real life demonstration of it working.
#36
07-21-2009, 07:51 AM
That is a BS ticket.
Luckily I live in NC where's it's legal to turn on red if you're on a motorcycle (subject to certain terms of course).
I came into the same problem just the other day where the turn light didn't recognise me.
Unfortunatly I was in an area where there was no pedestrian light, and I was in a left turn only lane that was pulled away from the rest of the traffic lanes a little. So if I pulled forward to "make a u-turn" I could have been pulled over for illegal lane change.
My advice is to fight the ticket. In my experience the traffic court judges rarely turn down an unreasonable request and since the light didn't recognise you and would never change I don't know what they expect you to do about it.
Luckily I live in NC where's it's legal to turn on red if you're on a motorcycle (subject to certain terms of course).
I came into the same problem just the other day where the turn light didn't recognise me.
Unfortunatly I was in an area where there was no pedestrian light, and I was in a left turn only lane that was pulled away from the rest of the traffic lanes a little. So if I pulled forward to "make a u-turn" I could have been pulled over for illegal lane change.
My advice is to fight the ticket. In my experience the traffic court judges rarely turn down an unreasonable request and since the light didn't recognise you and would never change I don't know what they expect you to do about it.
#37
08-04-2009, 08:24 PM
#38
08-04-2009, 11:34 PM
Um... Kinda off to the side a bit but: How well do we do against red light cameras?
There are 2 I run into constantly. Only got a ticket once in my work van which I won since the camera clearly showed me across the intersection while the light was still yellow.
But the question is: are we ghosts to those too?
There are 2 I run into constantly. Only got a ticket once in my work van which I won since the camera clearly showed me across the intersection while the light was still yellow.
But the question is: are we ghosts to those too?
#39
08-05-2009, 02:32 AM
Admin Emeritus & MVN
There's one on my way home that I routinely run. I'll wait an extra minute to see if someone pulls up next to me (triggers the light) but otherwise you could be stuck there for an hour or more watching the lights cycle over and over but no green for the bike.
Pulling a U-ey is feasible but a pain in the butt ... and if a cop sees you go right on red (which is o.k.) and then pull a u-turn to go back through the green he's gonna write you up for illegal avoiding of a traffic device. Better to just wait for two cycles of the light and just run it.
Pulling a U-ey is feasible but a pain in the butt ... and if a cop sees you go right on red (which is o.k.) and then pull a u-turn to go back through the green he's gonna write you up for illegal avoiding of a traffic device. Better to just wait for two cycles of the light and just run it.
#40
08-05-2009, 09:53 AM
Pulling a U-ey is feasible but a pain in the butt ... and if a cop sees you go right on red (which is o.k.) and then pull a u-turn to go back through the green he's gonna write you up for illegal avoiding of a traffic device. Better to just wait for two cycles of the light and just run it.