10speedhuffy

So i was riding on the quite streets of Cupertino alongs Steven's Creek Blvd and made a left on a red light onto a side street...well a cop was just behind me just out of view and pulled me over in a nearby shopping center. (actually 3 cops showed up, blocking part of the parking lot) needless to say, i got a nice lecture from the officer about turning on red lights and if i would do such a thing in a car. in the end, i rode away with a red light violation ticket on my bike.

my question for you guys is...will i receive a point on my record and will i have any chance at fighting this ticket? I realize that this will be treated as if i were in a car, but the ticket clearly states that i was on a bike...is there any hope in me fighting this ticket? and what kind of fine am i looking at? what would you guys do if you were in my shoes? (besides stopping on a red light!)

any help would be greatly appreciated...

moral of the story: dont run reds. lesson learned

kix

No point should be added to your driving record.

Also, I've seen some ppl just say they don't have a driver's license...and they'll have to say a name (fake or real).

Anyway, see if you have any bike coalitions in your area that may have advice...I got one is Sausalito and there was a safety class I took that dropped the fine a lot.

Oh yeah, red light fines are $$$$.

If there are no classes offered, you might as well fight it--what's there to lose?

cccorlew

Giving a cop a fake name will land you in more hot water than running a light. Don't go there.

Stevens Creek, not quite quiet -- really -- is it?

So, do drivers school, avoid the points and stop running reds.

spingineer

Based on the title of this thread, seemed like you were proud to get a ticket ...

10speedhuffy

i'm defintiely not proud of my ticket...the thread title was said out of sarcasm for how ridiculous this was handled...3 cops were there to pull me over in a shopping center parking lot. you have to admit, it was a little excessive

Red Rider

Did they think your frame pump was a weapon? Or that you had illegal substances in your saddlebag?

Three cars -- excessive. Yeah, our tax dollars at work.

Lt.Gustl

3 cops, ticket a cyclist, slow night for the police..

Were you the only vehicle at the light? Are you at this light often? Does it ever turn green for you? I find myself running lights on both my bicycle and my motorcycle because they never turn green. Just plead not guilty for reason of a defective traffic device.

So if the streets were quiet rather than quite then you may have a chance if the judge has common sense.

The next time an officer asks "would you have done that in your car?" say "No I wouldn't have because the light would have turned green for me."

as a disclaimer, I stop at stop signs (don't put my foot down) and will do the same at red lights, then depending on circumstance I will either go through it or wait.

msincredible

I once got pulled over for running a red light on my bike, many years ago.

I had waited a couple of cycles but it wouldn't change, so I decided to go, just as the cop came along.

Well, I first tried to explain to him why (bike wouldn't trip the sensor), but he was having none of that, just told me I should go the long way around.

I changed my tune when he threatened me with an expensive ticket, got teary-eyed, and he let me off with a verbal warning.

kix

Agreed...especially with 3 cops idling with nothing better to do. Just mentioning it as I've seen it occur.

However, you shouldn't get a point on your driving record for this. So if the court doesn't give a reduction of the fine through some class (driving classes typically don't count--it's generally a bike safety class), then it's worth fighting for in my opinion.

Maybe this is useful:
https://svbcbikes.org/

gpelpel

They probably have more than one cyclist that escaped them through parking lots especially a crowded one. They also probably have seen their fair share of badly injured or killed cyclists who did stupid things on the road.
Let's be straight here. What was the more ridiculous here; the cops giving you a ticket or you running a red light?
We often rightly complain about car drivers' behavior, what kind of credibility do we, cyclists, have if we even don't respect the most obvious rule of sharing the road?

I don't want to be mean, I am just trying to keep things in perspective

7rider

That only works for an attractive lady in distress.

Mhendricks

What a useless thread!

Pizza Man

Yeah, a friend of mine tried that. Then he found out that cops have computers & dmv access so they can check out if you're telling the truth. He got in a lot more trouble than the original violation.

doughboy

Are there any DMV/V.C. references about bicycle tickets and how/if that affects your driving record? People have said that it doesn't affect your driving record, but are there any links to suggest this or have they gotten such a ticket before?

DiabloScott

Bob Mionske did an article on points and bikes last year.

https://www.velonews.com/article/9893


There's a lot of info there but this bit is especially en pointe:

Generally, citations you receive will be infractions, and therefore will not generate “points” against your driver’s license, although they will be a part of your driving record. Even a DUI, which would be a misdemeanor if you’re driving a motor vehicle, is only an infraction on your bicycle. Although having citations on your driving record doesn’t really affect you personally, you should be aware that under Section 40000.28 of the Vehicle Code, if you’ve been convicted of three infractions within a twelve month period, the next conviction on a traffic violation will be for a misdemeanor, rather than an infraction. And that will go onto a different record—your criminal record—and carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. So be careful that you don’t collect too many tickets.

BenRidin

As a poor college student, I was forced to ride my bike everywhere. One day, I made a right turn without stopping at the red light.

Trouble was, I made it in front of a motorcycle cop...instant ticket. So, on my appointed court date, I pleaded "Guilty w/ an explanation". I'm not sure if you can do that now. Now mind you, I was a poor college kid and couldn't afford to pay a ticket.

My explanation simply was that I was being chased by biggest, meanest dog in the neighborhood and I wasn't going to stop for anything and let that thing take a piece of my ankle.

The judge dismissed my case.

BR

artichoke

tie up the court system:

exercise your right to a speedy trial
and postpone it
then postpone again
go to arraignment
NEVER PLEAD GUILTY
postpone trial
chances are, jhonny law won't show - and if he/she does... what do you got to lose?

garysol1 

Great advice......to waste California's tax money. How about the OP just man's up and pays the fine and goes on with life.

artichoke

yeah, because i'm sure all of our tax money is being well spent on things that matter

or should i say: "cities that matter."
-------------------

i say so, because it puts stress on the court systems to quit wasting "California's tax money" on petty violations, and toss these types of charges out.

x136 

Hey, let's not lump all red-light-running into insanely blasting through intersections without slowing or looking. There are plenty of cases where it's perfectly safe for a bike to go through a light. There are plenty of intersections that will never give a bike a green light unless a car comes along and trips the sensor. There are even intersections in which there is almost no reason for a cyclist to stop (three way intersection, no road or parking lot to the right).

I run red lights on a fairly regular basis on my bike. But only when it's safe to do so. That doesn't mean it's legal, and of course it isn't, but I'll take my lumps if an officer feels the need to write me a ticket.

damnpoor

I ran a red on my bike and got stopped by a cop in Santa Clara. Maybe it was the same guy. I was waiting to go straight across through a small intersection. The left turn light for oncoming traffic was already yellow and no cars were coming, so I went. I only beat the light by about five seconds but the dude stopped me anyway. I lied and said I didn't have my DL with me but showed my military ID and got off the hook with lots of "yes sir" and "i wont". He completely filled out the ticket then handed me the carbon copy saying, "I'm going to keep this but if I see you do it again I'll sign it and turn it in." So now, whenever I'm about to run a light or sign, I always look to see who's following me

dpb13

I thought in California a bike is permitted to run a left turn red when a bike can not trip the sensor. Is this not correct?

DiabloScott

I'm sure there's no specific exemption like that for bicycles. There is a provision that says if the signal isn't working that you can go (any kind of vehicle) after waiting for a safe time. I interpret that as meaning if the sensor doesn't sense me, it isn't functioning properly and I'll go through. Might have trouble convincing a traffic cop that's the case, but I'd take it to the judge if I got ticketed for it. Hardly ever necessary in my case though.

Harry94025

I was stopped after going through a red light at 6:00 AM; the sensor wouldn't pick up my bike frame. After the first cop pulled me over, another patrol car pulled up behind him.

I wouldn't give them my driver's license, reminding them I didn't need a driver's license to ride a bicycle. So, I gave them my pilot's license instead...they called in to the station, and got my driver's license from their database.

The judge dismissed the ticket after I told her the circumstances of time of day, and the sensor's inability to be triggered by my bike.

DiabloScott

You are required to identify yourself (after being stopped) to the officer's satisfaction (they might take a passport or military ID for example)- and if you can't, they can take you in to the station until they can verify your identity. And if you don't have your license (for a minor infraction like this) they'll usually call in to the station and get your license information as happened in your case; they're mostly concerned to see if there's any reason to arrest you (outstanding warrants for example). This idea that not showing your license is somehow protecting your driving record just isn't true. I carry a photocopy of my license and the one time I was asked, he said that was good enough.