General Cycling Discussion - Ticketed for Not Having Lights

Hello, this is my first post here.

Last night I was riding in my neighborhood to my friend's house down the street (two blocks)
when I was pulled over by a cop car, and ticketed for not have my lights on my bike.

I was just wondering how much these tickets run for, or if I explain to the judge about my situation (just riding down the block in a residential area) if I might get it lessened or expelled.

My state requires front and rear lights to be Street Legal at Night.

Yeah, check local laws. Your best bet may be to buy a head and tail light set and show them to the judge. I know for cars when they ticket you for having burned out bulbs they will sometimes dismiss it if you replace the bulbs before the court date.

Okay, cool. I figure I just might bring my lights into court, and say at the time that they were out of batteries, and have since replaced them.

Or what if I just bring in new lights and say, I have already gone and bought lights, because I was unaware of this law, and would rather have spent money on obtaining lights instead of on this fine.

it's about time ! i called the cops a number of times about you

:rolleyes:

good thing, because I had obviously stolen the bike and was riding around looking for a **** victim..

I'd just tell the judge you bought 'em because you didn't know you need 'em until you were stopped, and see if that'll fly.

Read your ticket, too. It may cost you extra to go before the judge.

Just pay the ticket. No Court Costs.

No, I was issued a "Notice To Appear"

so I have to go to court..

No, I was issued a "Notice To Appear"

so I have to go to court..

Are you kidding? A notice to appear for a no lights ticket???

I'd show up in court on a clown suit, because the town is obviously trying to be a circus.

i got a 25 dollar fix it ticket for not having a front light. i didn't have a rear light at the time either, but the ticket was for a headlamp. now a days i'm probably riding around with to much light and reflective tape at night.

I'm really hoping the police will have a crackdown on people without lights and/or riding on the pavement in our area. There's nothing like someone dressed in black, riding a black bike, at night, next to a black cat, in a coal cellar to surprise you when they decide to ride across the road without looking. I really don't see what the problem with a £60 fine and if they're under 16 confiscating the bike until the parents collect it. It might even uncover a lot of stolen bikes.

I see these guys all the time here in Jacksonville riding without lights.. its dangerous.. they have no idea.

Even if you cant see from the lights ahead of you, get them for being seen by others. It makes the difference.

I was just wondering how much these tickets run for, or if I explain to the judge about my situation (just riding down the block in a residential area) if I might get it lessened or expelled.

That's the last thing you should say. Know what their answer will be? Well, the law is the law Mr. _________ and what you were doing was not only dangerous to yourself, but dangerous to others, no matter how far you're going.

You should really get some lights though.

I have lights, I was just riding down the street to a friends house..
When I go on actual night rides, I always have lights; I was just going down the street..
I've lived in my neighborhood for 20 years, having been doing this for years..

and yes, my town is among the worst for police related b.s. (bakersfield)

Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but the Bail Out Bill that was just passed by Congress included provisions, effective immediately, for automatic $500 fines, nationwide, for riding a bike without lights. That's to help pay for the bailout.

Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but the Bail Out Bill that was just passed by Congress included provisions, effective immediately, for automatic $500 fines, nationwide, for riding a bike without lights. That's to help pay for the bailout.

Good thing he got in before the next bailout...that socialist Obama wants to increase it further so all them rich scofflaw cyclists can spread the wealth!

The cops around where I live give out tickets for not having pedal reflectors.
You might have all sorts of lights - front and back - but if you have no pedal reflectors: TICKET!

Well if you wound up squashed under a truck, the police wouldn't be too please about soaking you up with a sponge off of the pavement.

If you really want to not pay. Go in front of the judge and apologize and explain the situation. Ask that he / she could reduce the fine or let you go with a warning. Chances are they will give you some slack. Judges can be pretty cool if you give them a chance.

Oh and go out and buy a new light before the hearing. Bring it to the hearing and make sure you have new batteries. You might earn some points.

I'm really hoping the police will have a crackdown on people without lights and/or riding on the pavement in our area. There's nothing like someone dressed in black, riding a black bike, at night, next to a black cat, in a coal cellar to surprise you when they decide to ride across the road without looking. I really don't see what the problem with a £60 fine and if they're under 16 confiscating the bike until the parents collect it. It might even uncover a lot of stolen bikes.

Seems like your talking about our area! However the night ninjas are usually riding the wrong side of the road! :eek:

on edit: 2 lane road, dark night, ninja in the wrong lane. Can be hazardous to the cagers too, if they don't see the ninja till the last moment, and have to veer into the oncoming lane! (Don't ask how I know.)

I'm really hoping the police will have a crackdown on people without lights and/or riding on the pavement in our area. There's nothing like someone dressed in black, riding a black bike, at night, next to a black cat, in a coal cellar to surprise you when they decide to ride across the road without looking. I really don't see what the problem with a £60 fine and if they're under 16 confiscating the bike until the parents collect it. It might even uncover a lot of stolen bikes.

+1

I see them all the time heading to the University in the morning before sun-up. The occasional one might have lights, a few more might have something reflective on their bicycles, and the rest are not only light-less, and reflective-less, but those riders always seem to dress in dark colors too. I nearly drove over one today who was decked out from head to foot in charcoal grey. I was turning the corner, and he popped out from nowhere.

The worst I've seen was a family with kids ... the two adults were on dark mtn bikes, and were dressed completely in black ... and they were both pulling homemade wooden trailers which contained the kids. They had no lights, no reflective gear, and not a bright article of clothing among them, on their bicycles, or on the trailers.

I was finishing up a 300K brevet at about 11 pm with a group of other cyclists. We were all lit up like Christmas trees, and were riding in a line when all of a sudden the front rider shouted something and swerved. We could not see those riders with their trailers until we were right on top of them.

I could not believe that parents would put their kids into such danger like that!

OP, you said "last night" and, pardon my ignorance, what time exactly was it? Most MV laws state that cars ( I know :rolleyes:) should have lights on 1/2 hour before sunset and 1/2 hour after sunset. And most tickets have "notice to appear", but you should be able to pay the clerk of courts unless you want to ask the judge, graciously, for leniency. If he/she is in a good mood, it might happen.

I have lights, I was just riding down the street to a friends house..
When I go on actual night rides, I always have lights; I was just going down the street..
I've lived in my neighborhood for 20 years, having been doing this for years..

This is the same kind of thing that drivers say when they have an accident within a couple miles of home.

And besides, how can the cop truly know that you're just going down the street? They deal with liars all the time, so how could you expect him to believe you instead?

:rolleyes:

good thing, because I had obviously stolen the bike and was riding around looking for a **** victim..

If you had lights maybe you would have found what you were looking for.

Okay, cool. I figure I just might bring my lights into court, and say at the time that they were out of batteries, and have since replaced them.

Or what if I just bring in new lights and say, I have already gone and bought lights, because I was unaware of this law, and would rather have spent money on obtaining lights instead of on this fine.

One of these is perjury and one is the truth. Standing before a judge, which one should you pick?:rolleyes:

Hello, this is my first post here.

Last night I was riding in my neighborhood to my friend's house down the street (two blocks)
when I was pulled over by a cop car, and ticketed for not have my lights on my bike.

I was just wondering how much these tickets run for, or if I explain to the judge about my situation (just riding down the block in a residential area) if I might get it lessened or expelled.

Well I'll be.. :eek: Someone actually got stopped for no lights. In my 40 years I have never seen anyone stopped for no lights on a bike. Don't misunderstand me. I truly feel your pain. Policemen often have a sense of justice that often cause them to enforce the law in an incongruous fashion. Like harassing a cyclist to use the sidewalk (that the local municipality insists is a bikepath) located in an upscale neighborhood at 5 in the morning when the cyclist and the policeman are the only traffic in a 6 block radius.

The cops around where I live give out tickets for not having pedal reflectors.
You might have all sorts of lights - front and back - but if you have no pedal reflectors: TICKET!

I wonder if reflective ankle bands would suffice in your town? My vintage Raleigh pedals have no reflectors.

I have lights, I was just riding down the street to a friends house..
When I go on actual night rides, I always have lights; I was just going down the street..
I've lived in my neighborhood for 20 years, having been doing this for years..

and yes, my town is among the worst for police related b.s. (bakersfield)

Face it. YOU broke the law. Period, done, over. You tell a judge that you were just riding 2 blocks
and the judge will tell you either learn the law or walk....pay the fine.

In this case I happen to agree with the cop. God know there are to many cyclist that blow off the
laws they wouldn't dare to in a car giving ALL cyclist a bad name. Sorry, no sympathy here bud. :notamused:

Hello, this is my first post here.

Last night I was riding in my neighborhood to my friend's house down the street (two blocks)
when I was pulled over by a cop car, and ticketed for not have my lights on my bike.

I was just wondering how much these tickets run for, or if I explain to the judge about my situation (just riding down the block in a residential area) if I might get it lessened or expelled.

Ticket penalties can vary by county. On your citation left of where the violation is written in about half way down the sheet is there a checked box. if so you can add the lights and have it signed off. if not the judge may choose to make it a fix it ticket in court. depends on his/her mood.

also, with respect to the police related BS. Bakersfield is a pretty rough town. most of the adult people riding bicycles at night are tweakers, or some other form of drug addict usually out to burglarize innocent law abiding people.

Most of them do not have lights on there bikes and is excellent Probable cause for a bike stop, to make contact and find out what they were up to. Police write the tickets so they cant be accused of profiling, as well help keeping you safe. There are a couple ways to educate people, one is with a warning the other a ticket the later course is sometimes taken based on the violators attitude

I have scraped up several people riding their bikes during the night without lights, its not a very fun thing to do, especially when they have been drug under the vehicle for a few yards.

Just be cause you were issued a ticket doesn't mean you have to go to court. you can call the court house using the number provided on the ticket and ask what the fine is and mail it in.

You broke the law and got caught. Pay the ticket. Consider it a self imposed tax.

Face it. YOU broke the law. Period, done, over. You tell a judge that you were just riding 2 blocks
and the judge will tell you either learn the law or walk....pay the fine.

In this case I happen to agree with the cop. God know there are to many cyclist that blow off the
laws they wouldn't dare to in a car giving ALL cyclist a bad name. Sorry, no sympathy here bud. :notamused:

That got me to thinking. We should require pedestrians who walk on or across roads at night to have lights as well.

OP, you said "last night" and, pardon my ignorance, what time exactly was it? Most MV laws state that cars ( I know :rolleyes:) should have lights on 1/2 hour before sunset and 1/2 hour after sunset. And most tickets have "notice to appear", but you should be able to pay the clerk of courts unless you want to ask the judge, graciously, for leniency. If he/she is in a good mood, it might happen.

So I only need my lights for about an hour out of the day, 1/2 hour before sunset to 1/2 hour after sunset.

torgrot

Last week, on our fully lit(five headlights-three bikes) night ride we ran across a night ninja,no lights, reflectors or helmet, on the greenway. He cursed us out for ruining his night vision and how unsafe we were blinding him until he was out of earshot.

afternoon rides in the winter. always carry a decent AA battery light. It's happened to me.. A ride took longer than expected and it's dark.. When under the threat of darkness, at least it gets your cadence up..

If you go to court. Take new lights, plead no contest, tell the truth. You will probably have to pay court costs if the judge lets the ticket slide. It may be just as cheap and worthwhile to pay the ticket at the clerk of court.

That got me to thinking. We should require pedestrians who walk on or across roads at night to have lights as well.

Also could they have a device that detects when they're about to step into the road which reminds them to check for traffic. The look of surprise when when I bear down on then at 20mph in a hi-vis jacket and blinding lights is fun but not as enjoyable as cycling without having to avoid pedestrians. I don't think it's necessary to swear at them, as I approach I just yell 'careful' which seems to do the trick.

in my state (state of confusion (california)) the law states in order for a rider to ride a bike "at night" they must have a headlight and a rear reflector that can be seen from 300 yards away. one day i abducted the chief of police in my town and asked him. in california a rear light is not neccesary, but rear reflector and headlamp are.

gusee it could be worse, in indiana i heard you need a bell on your bike mandatory. and since i ride mainly vintage, i welcome the day any cop tells me i need wheel reflectors. that whole argument would end with my wife picking me up from jail and us getting my bike out of impound.

on the real, it should just be a fix it ticket. show up to court and tell the judge you have the required lights. since i have a flare for the theatrical, i would have the bailiff turn off the courtroom lights so you can demonstrate your new lights. and p.s. if you didn't have the lights on the bike when the officer ticketed you, don't lie and said you did but just no batteries. around here thats called perjury.

If it was only two blocks, why didn't you just walk?

If it was only two blocks, why didn't you just walk?


Because posting in the walking forum isn't nearly as much fun.

Hello, this is my first post here.

Last night I was riding in my neighborhood to my friend's house down the street (two blocks)
when I was pulled over by a cop car, and ticketed for not have my lights on my bike.

I was just wondering how much these tickets run for, or if I explain to the judge about my situation (just riding down the block in a residential area) if I might get it lessened or expelled.

The only part that's relevant. Good of him I say.

See what the fine is and then decide if you want to pay or see a judge. In california you pretty much will pay 10-20 bucks even if you win in court on a fix it ticket. But either way you should have the option to pay the court clerk before the court date.

Just get some Knog Frogs or other tiny lights for these type of occasions. I carry them with me everywhere just in case I get caught out in the dark unexpectedly. If I plan on riding at night, I have a real light setup.

That got me to thinking. We should require pedestrians who walk on or across roads at night to have lights as well.

Some states DO require pedestrians to have reflective belts/vest or carry a flashlight to warn motorist
of their presence.

I wonder if reflective ankle bands would suffice in your town? My vintage Raleigh pedals have no reflectors.

If you can prove the bicycle was made before the law went into effect you do not need the pedal reflectors. However, unfortunately for the OP the law requiring lights went into effect about 1890.

My suggestion is put working lights on the bike, get a cop to note on the ticket that the bike now has working lights and that he has seen them, mark the ticket "guilty with explaination" and say your batteries had died on you and you replaced them the next day. Then go down and see if they will let you pay the fine without going to court. Here where I live the fine is $25, but if you go before the judge it is $25 + $175 court costs. The court may or may not send your fine back, but at least it is not going to put points on your drivers license and cause your insurance rates to go up as it would if you had been driving a car.

That is what I would do, it is not to be construed as legal advice. The fact is they are not going to come looking for you for an unpaid bicycle violation, but if you do not follow through and get stopped for something else later, they probably would arrest you rather than giving you a ticket.

People on BF sneer at generator lights, but if you infrequently ride at night at least you do not have to worry about getting caught with dead batteries.

Some states DO require pedestrians to have reflective belts/vest or carry a flashlight to warn motorist
of their presence.

In Utah, or at least Salt Lake City, they require pedestrians to wave bright orange flags as they cross the street, even in daylight. Or at least they still did back in 2002...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/BarracksSi/SaltLakeCityflag.jpg

I have lights, I was just riding down the street to a friends house..
When I go on actual night rides, I always have lights; I was just going down the street..
I've lived in my neighborhood for 20 years, having been doing this for years..

and yes, my town is among the worst for police related b.s. (bakersfield)

You need lights when riding in the neighborhood. People can be entering/exiting their driveways, crossing the street on foot, etc, and any harm you do will be your responsibility to answer for, if you aren't meeting your legal obligations. Sounds like you earned your ticket. Use your lights in the future.

Equipment Requirements - California Vehicle Code - Bicycles

21201. (a) No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it is equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.

(b) No person shall operate on the highway ( )1 a bicycle equipped with handlebars so raised that the operator must elevate his hands above the level of his shoulders in order to grasp the normal steering grip area.

(c) No person shall operate upon ( )2 a highway a bicycle that is of a size that prevents the operator from safely stopping the bicycle, supporting it in an upright position with at least one foot on the ground, and restarting it in a safe manner.

(d) ( )3 A bicycle operated during darkness upon a highway, a sidewalk where bicycle operation is not prohibited by the local jurisdiction, or a bikeway, as defined in Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways Code, shall be equipped with all of the following:

(1) A lamp emitting a white light that, while the bicycle is in motion, illuminates the highway, sidewalk, or bikeway in front of the bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle.

(2) A red reflector on the rear that shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle.

(3) A white or yellow reflector on each pedal, shoe, or ankle visible from the front and rear of the bicycle from a distance of 200 feet.

(4) A white or yellow reflector on each side forward of the center of the bicycle, and a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle, except that bicycles that are equipped with reflectorized tires on the front and the rear need not be equipped with these side reflectors.

(e) A lamp or lamp combination, emitting a white light, attached to the operator and visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle, may be used in lieu of the lamp required by ( )4 paragraph (1) of subdivision (d).

Amended Ch. 723, Stats. 1979. Effective January 1, 1980.
Amended Sec. 1, Ch. 232, Stats. 2007. Effective January 1, 2008.
The 2007 amendment added the italicized material, and at the point(s) indicated, deleted the following:

1. “any”
2. “any highway a bicycle which is of such a size as to prevent”
3. “(d) Every bicycle operated upon any highway during darkness shall be equipped (1) with a lamp emitting a white light which, while the bicycle is in motion, illuminates the highway in front of the bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle; (2) with a red reflector on the rear which shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle; (3) with a white or yellow reflector on each pedal visible from the front and rear of the bicycle from a distance of 200 feet; and (4) with a white or yellow reflector on each side forward of the center of the bicycle, and with a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle, except that bicycles which are equipped with reflectorized tires on the front and the rear need not be equipped with these side reflectors. Such reflectors and reflectorized tires shall be of a type meeting requirements established by the department.”
4. “clause”

Interesting set of lighting and reflector requirements in California. Nevada's bicycle lighting laws are not nearly as comprehensive. I wonder how many bikes in CA actually meet all of the points of the law in this respect.

Most higher end bikes are delivered to dealers without pedals and most clipless pedals have no provision for reflectors. Sounds like to be legal you would need reflectorized shoes or ankle wraps on such a bike at night.

the Bail Out Bill that was just passed by Congress included provisions, effective immediately, for automatic $500 fines, nationwide, for riding a bike without lights. That's to help pay for the bailout.

really???
share a link to the documentation on this if you have it handy.

at least there's some good in there for bicyclists, too.
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/buried-in-the-bailout-the-bicycle-commuter-act/
$20 per-employee, per-month benefit for employers who provide reimbursement for bike-commuting costs (repair, etc.) and/or provide documentation for spending on bike racks, lockers, closets, etc.

really???
share a link to the documentation on this if you have it handy.

at least there's some good in there for bicyclists, too.
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/buried-in-the-bailout-the-bicycle-commuter-act/
$20 per-employee, per-month benefit for employers who provide reimbursement for bike-commuting costs (repair, etc.) and/or provide documentation for spending on bike racks, lockers, closets, etc.


:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
I have a bridge and some swamp land for you to see. Interested?