Advocacy & Safety - Traffic Violation on a bike?

just wondering if anyone has gotten ticketed for failing to stop at a stop sign.
i have a court date next week because i am fighting it.
of course i came to a rolling stop at a stop sign, and didn't fully stop - but i dont think $110 fine is appropriate.

any suggestions on how to talk to the judge to get out of paying it? what should i say?

Me and my bud got ticketed for running a stop light. It was butt-crack 'o dawn one Sunday morning. We stopped at the light and of course, there was not a soul around, so we went through. Did not see the cop at the gas station across the street until he turned on his lights. He stopped us and gave us tickets.

We both went to court. The judge was dumbfounded. She was not even sure we could be issued a moving violation, since we did not need a license to operate the vehicle. So, she let us both off with probation before verdict and we each paid $5 court costs...

thanks. thats a funny story.
anyone from toronto on the board care to comment? i know laws regarding vehicles vary tremendously from place to place...

Sort of off-topic but related to two threads going right now,
I hope they start featuring some high speed bicycle chases
on COPS to break up the usual drunks fighting and druggies
throwing stuff out of car windows monotony.

In California bicyclists are subject to the same laws as motor vehicles. I got pulled over once for going through a red light (after stopping in early morning). Pulled over by a bike cop, no less. Thankfully no ticket, but I knew darn well he could have given me one. Face it. You broke the law and were caught.

Ive been ticketed for blowing thru a stop light, also been arrested for DUI while on bike, both times bike was impounded.You are subject to all the laws of motor vehicles with some modifications that pertain to bikes.

In toronto, well in Ontario, bikes are part of the motor vehicle act. Therefore if your on a bike, your just like any other vehicle on the road and must follow all the rules of the rules of the road. This means that not only are you completely and totally responsible for paying the 110 you'll can also receive points on your driver's license and insurance for accidents that occur.

I got caught by some cops at the T intersection at Isabella and John a few years back and would have been cooked had the cop not shown up for court. But in the end if you get a cop who wants to ticket you, you are in the wrong you broke the law and you'll probably have to pay now that they make sure officers show up for court dates.

I was ticketed for failure to stop at a stop sign. I made the mistake to do it right in front of a police cruiser, then must have upset them when I made a rolling right at the next corner to try and evade the traffic stop.

I asked the judge to reduce to fine and he did so, no problem. I said I didn't feel I should pay the same fine as a motor vehicle operator or some such.

It put a point on my driving record (pissed!) but have no idea on how to reverse that.

Beckologist, you should not have a point on your motor vehicle driving record for a bicycle traffic violation. It's not a motor vehicle. This happened because you showed the cop your driver's license when he asked for ID?

Some die hard cyclists get their state's official ID card...it basically carrys the same identification weight as a drivers license, but is not valid for driving a motor vehicle.

Sorry you got busted for this.

any suggestions on how to talk to the judge to get out of paying it? what should i say?

"Guilty"?

Roll: To move forward along a surface by revolving on an axis or by repeatedly turning over

Stop: To cease moving, progressing, acting, or operating; come to a halt

What exactly is a rolling stop? I couldn't find it in the dictionary. The words would seem to be antonyms.

edit: I just re-read your post, and see that you acknowledge that you are in fact guilty. Admit it to the judge, and ask (with all respect) that your fine be lowered to be proportional to the hazard that your actions as a cyclist present, relative to the same actions taken by a motorist. The fines are after all designed to deter motor vehicle operators from operating their vehicles in a way that is dangerous to others.

My mom when she was 11, down in Thousand Oaks, CA, got ticketed for going through a stop sign in her neighborhood on her bike. Had to go to court and pay the fine.

In Ohio a bike follows the same law as a car. See my previous thread

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=113617

Tim

About 30 years ago I got a $30 fine for going through a red light in Toronto on Keele. Admit your guilt, and plead for reduced fine. It might be worth checking what proportion of cars stop at that stop sign.

Some die hard cyclists get their state's official ID card...it basically carrys the same identification weight as a drivers license, but is not valid for driving a motor vehicle.

In Iowa an individual can have EITHER a state issue ID Card OR a Drivers License, not both. Getting a State ID means turning in your drivers license, if it has already been issued.

If you show up in court and the cop is not there, you've got a fighting chance.
IF you can do a trackstand, bring bike to courtroom and do trackstand, if only for 30 seconds. Proves you can stop bike without putting foot down or dismounting it!
Good luck.

I like the idea of asking to pay less because a bike blowing through is not as bad as a car.


About 30 years ago I got a $30 fine for going through a red light in Toronto on Keele. Admit your guilt, and plead for reduced fine. It might be worth checking what proportion of cars stop at that stop sign.

Funny you should mention that. I admit that I blow through stop signs and lights on the bike. I always try to be aware of my surroundings, so I won't do it if I sense a cop nearby. Even so, I also try to take in the illegal things cars around me are doing should I have to face the judge ("why was the cop wasting time on a bicycle when cars were doing blahblahblah which is far more a threat to public safety?"). Maybe it's pointless, but it makes me feel better. :)

Edit: brief thread hijack -- whatever happened to that case (in Utah?) regarding whether someone is legally required to present ID to the Law?

Edit: brief thread hijack -- whatever happened to that case (in Utah?) regarding whether someone is legally required to present ID to the Law?

As I recall, the Supreme Court ruled that you are required to identify yourself (name and residence) if a cop requests it as part of investigating a possible crime.

I don't belive that you are required to carry and present an identification document, only to provide true information. However, the police are permitted to detain you until a positive identification is made so presenting an ID that the cop recognizes is probably a good idea if you don't have a lot of spare time on your hands.

Various states may have other laws so don't call me from jail!

Now, back to your previous thread...

A friend of mine emailed me a few years ago. The cops were out while he was out with a bunch of folks for the MS 150. As all those people (there were a lot) coasted through the stop sign, the cop was there writing out tickets for every one of them. My friend was fuming... he couldn't believe the cops were ticketing a bunch of folks riding for MS!

Koffee