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Summonsed for running red light

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Well-known Member
But I didn't even run the yellow. Yesterday I was driving the triaxle dump truck for my friends. As I was approaching a light it turned yellow and I rolled up, and was third in line. Now this is a very broad intersection with three lanes in each direction on both roads. The way I was going, there is a slight up grade. The truck has an 8LL transmission, and as anyone who has driven a heavy loaded truck knows, when starting from a dead stop, it takes a while to get it rolling. I made it easily past the stop line while the light was green, then the light turned yellow, and just as I got to the midpoint it turned red. The cop was on the other road waiting for the light, and when it turned he took off past me to pull over the guy that passed me in the intersection. As soon as that guy pulled over the cop jumped out and waved me over as well. As he approached I smiled and asked if I should put my reflective triangles out. As he was waiting for my license and reg he said something about trying to squeeze through the yellow. I replied that it takes a while to get it rolling. Then he told me that
the light turned green for him as I was passing in front of him, the yellow is plenty long, therefore I had to have run the red. Well, isn't this just grand? I have no doubt that what he said about the light is true, but what does this have to do with me trying to get the eleven year old 450 HP Mack carrying 23 tons rolling going up grade? I am pleading not guilty and going to court. I have been 46 years without a violation, so I will not take one that I am not guilty of without a fight.
 
I foresee Victory in your future!

Just curious here, was this a younger cop? Maybe he was taught some of that "new math". *lol*
 
Well, I wish you luck but think you will be dissapointed. It's about the money not safety these days. I
suspect they will offer to change it to a parking ticket or something if you agree to pay the fine. But
I seriously doubt you will get out of the fine unoess you have video showing the light was green when
you started.
 
I would definitely go fight it, I got a ticket years ago and didn't go fight it, pleaded not guilty but they of course found me guilty and not only fined me but added 4 points to my license. Took a while to get those off.
 
I agree with you, it also takes time to stop that thing. This may help. I
have a couple friends that are local judges. Here if you plead guilty and
pay the fine all the money goes to the state. If you plead not guilty and
settle for a nonmoving violation all the fine money stays in the local
community, so courts are motivated to settle. So if you can't get it
dismissed get it reduced and don't get the points.
 
I hope you win! I know what you are talking about. Perspective is a weird thing. I took a trip to Coney Island last week and just got a ticket in the mail for not paying a toll. Country boy doesn't know what he did. I didn't drive thru any booths without paying. Years ago on a trip to Philly I got one in the mail for the same thing.Does anyone know what I am missing?
 
To some of those below: a holder of
a CDL CANNOT plead guilty to an
"amended" or "plea bargain " charge.
It will still show up on the CDL as
the original offence. Anyone with a
CDL has two options. Take it to court
and beat it: or: play dead! !! This
is Federal requirements on CDL
holders. State nor local standards
apply. I have first hand knowledge of
this as well. Part of the "double
standards " applied to truck drivers.
Someone that drives 15,000 miles a
year can plea bargain. Truck drivers
doing 100,000 plus per year Can't.
 
If you intend to win this, don't show up without a lawyer.

It will probably cost more than the fine, but it will keep your record clean.

No lawyer and they won't even listen, guilty as charged.
 
Was reading your post to the wife and, while reading, was explaining how the officer apparently did not "see" the conditions upon which you entered the intersection - only that he noticed you were still in the intersection once the light turned red. That would suggest he wasn't paying attention at first. Now, with that said, you also stated how he had to pull over a car who passed you WHILE IN the intersection - a definite no-no!! So here's my thought:

For you to have made it through that large intersection before the light turned red, you would have had to be FIRST IN LINE when the light turned to green. Does that sound about right?

Now, if you entered the intersection while the light was still green, and a car STILL passed you, imagine how much worse things might have been if you had instead come to a stop while the light was still green? How many other people would have been honking their horns and zipping around you?

So you did the only thing you could. If this officer cannot understand the dynamics involved in heavy hauling, AND if he did not see the event in its entirety, then how the heck can he go after you for running a red light?

In every state I've lived in, as long as you get into the intersection before the light turns, it is legal for you to remain in the intersection to make a left turn until oncoming traffic has come to a stop. So what's the difference here? You were still in the intersection before the light turned. Seems to me that gave you right of way.

Hopefully the cop will realize all this on his own and simply not show up. Then you win by default, and it's no skin off his back.

([i:6fb330c30e]Hope you can understand my thinking. Is sometimes virtually impossible for me to convert my thoughts into words![/i:6fb330c30e]) :x
 
Obviously the guy has never driven a loaded truck himself to know how that works.

In AZ, the cities have some discretion on the interpretation of the law. Mesa has RED Light cameras, but as long as you enter the intersection on yellow, you will not get a ticket if the light turns red before you clear the intersection. Chandler says that if you enter the intersection on yellow, you will get a ticket if the light turns red before you clear the intersection. Chandler can tell if you speed up trying to beat the light and you will get a ticket for that too. I avoid going to Chandler if I can.
 
(quoted from post at 09:41:27 06/17/17) To some of those below: a holder of
a CDL CANNOT plead guilty to an
"amended" or "plea bargain " charge.
It will still show up on the CDL as
the original offence. Anyone with a
CDL has two options. Take it to court
and beat it: or: play dead! !! This
is Federal requirements on CDL
holders. State nor local standards
apply. I have first hand knowledge of
this as well. Part of the "double
standards " applied to truck drivers.
Someone that drives 15,000 miles a
year can plea bargain. Truck drivers
doing 100,000 plus per year Can't.
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Are you sure about this? Vehicle and Traffic laws are local laws, not Federal, and you license is a State license, not Federal. I've been retired from NYSP DOT for 8-9 years now, but that sounds incorrect to me, unless things have changed drastically.
 
Yes, I am sure. Operators license is
state issued and regulated: CDL is a
federally implemented, mandated and
regulated program.
 
Fred, I don't know how toll roads work where you are, but down here the booths have long ago been replaced with cameras that scan every car that enters and exits the toll road.

It first looks for a toll tag, if it doesn't find one, it reads the license plate, then they mail a bill for the toll.

All the toll roads are clearly marked, and I avoid them always! But it would be easy to get funneled on to one if in unfamiliar territory and heavy traffic.

If what you got was just a bill, be sure to pay it on time. They use extremely aggressive collection techniques. There are basically no provisions to contest the charges, and the late fees are astronomical!

Here, the charges are not criminal, but they can destroy credit, and withhold various license renewals.
 
Without a video and a lawyer you will not get the ticket dropped. The officer's word is golden and yours is not. In these type of things your guilty because he says you are. You where in the intersection after the light turned red. The officer saw that. He did not see when you started through the intersection. It will really depend on the judge's mood when you go to court. If the court is busy you will not have the time to present much evidence.

I know around here arguing traffic tickets is wasted time and effort. Several reason for this: one they are money makers for the local governments, two; the officers are always right even when they are not, LOL.
 
I totally disagree that you can't win w/o a lawyer. There is a good chance the law officer won't even show up.
 
(quoted from post at 05:47:05 06/17/17) Was reading your post to the wife and, while reading, was explaining how the officer apparently did not "see" the conditions upon which you entered the intersection - only that he noticed you were still in the intersection once the light turned red. That would suggest he wasn't paying attention at first. Now, with that said, you also stated how he had to pull over a car who passed you WHILE IN the intersection - a definite no-no!! So here's my thought:

For you to have made it through that large intersection before the light turned red, you would have had to be FIRST IN LINE when the light turned to green. Does that sound about right?

Now, if you entered the intersection while the light was still green, and a car STILL passed you, imagine how much worse things might have been if you had instead come to a stop while the light was still green? How many other people would have been honking their horns and zipping around you?

So you did the only thing you could. If this officer cannot understand the dynamics involved in heavy hauling, AND if he did not see the event in its entirety, then how the heck can he go after you for running a red light?

In every state I've lived in, as long as you get into the intersection before the light turns, it is legal for you to remain in the intersection to make a left turn until oncoming traffic has come to a stop. So what's the difference here? You were still in the intersection before the light turned. Seems to me that gave you right of way.

Hopefully the cop will realize all this on his own and simply not show up. Then you win by default, and it's no skin off his back.

([i:2cc80297c3]Hope you can understand my thinking. Is sometimes virtually impossible for me to convert my thoughts into words![/i:2cc80297c3]) :x
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I understand your thinking, but no one expects you to come to a stop in an intersection when the light changes. Having never gotten a violation for a light before I went and asked my local chief.
 
I know that here in N.Michigan, the law is - no driving through with any red at all and no excuses. It is up to the driver to
know how much time is needed to get going and through the light while it is still green or yellow. One trooper told me I can
be ticketed for taking off at a yellow light since the law, according to him, is I must stop at a yellow if possible. When I
lived in NY, it was taken for granted that as long as you started out on a green or yellow, it did not matter if red while
passing through.

I suspect if what you described happened here, you'd be found guilty. Maybe different where you are.
 

Yeh...Last summer the wife and I traveled to the Texas panhandle and hung-out in the Amarillo/Canyon area...seeing the sights and touring the museums(quite a bit to see and do in the Texas high plains..plus it's close to Oklahoma)

Anyhow...late one evening we as we were driving back to our motel the wife ran a red light in a construction zone...no other traffic or anything like that. Then a couple weeks later I get a ticket in the mail from some address in Arizona...mailing Amarillo's traffic tickets I guess....somehow despite the fact that the wife ran the light..and I don't own her Tahoe..I still got the ticket!!??

All I can figure is that her Tahoe is registered to me in Oklahoma. They had online video and everything! No disputing the fact my wife's Tahoe ran a red light. I just mailed a check and let it go. Big brother is always watching with his stick ready to punish
 
When I drove sugar beet truck I was guilty of that a couple of times, driving an International with an autoshift. It would
shift about 4 times in the intersection and hesitate each time. The Mack with an Allison would only shift once!
 
Agreed, JD.

It's almost impossible to prove yourself innocent against the word of a uniformed officer, regardless of how wrong or corrupt he is.

Dean
 
Reading your post brings a few things to mind.
Having driven plenty of heavy loads myself, it seems that it is not unreasonable to be able to clear an intersection with 23 tons and 450 horsepower. Slow, but reasonable.
However, once you legally enter the intersection, you own that intersection until you complete your maneuver as I was taught in CDL school so many years ago.
I think you caught that one cop that was working on his quota.

As others have said, I would not even waster my time going to court without a lawyer. They simply will not listen to you without one. Also, a lawyer can look up case law for precedents regarding your case. It may well be proven that case law would give you the right of way once you legally entered the intersection. That would prove the cop wrong if he said the wrong thing.

Personally, I would get a lawyer and fight it regardless of cost just to keep my record clean. A matter of principle.
 

The other point of view is that if the equipment is not able to clear the intersection in one cycle then it is not sufficient to haul the load that was on it.

The fact that the truck was too weak to haul the load doesn't excuse not clearing the intersection. I understand you entered on green, but it apparently took up the entire yellow light and got to red and you were still only halfway through? Too much load or too weak of a truck.
 
I think the excuse should be the timing on the lights are wrong. It should have given you time to get through the intersection before it started changing again. They must have it set wrong.
 
LEOS are very good at identifying lights or confusing signs or markings where it's difficult for drivers to NOT break the law. They call them "berry pickin patches.
I suspect that light is not timed right, he knows it, that's why he was there.
Go back with a video iphone and film the light. Also use the timer to check the cycle. Then check out a few more nearby. Let us know if it is short cycling on the yellow. Happened to me on a light that the yellow only lasted less than 2 seconds. MVC said it must be at least 4 . I beat it in court with my video in hand.
 

A lot of you guys are missing the statement that I made that there is no expectation that I should have cleared the intersection in the green. You need only to ENTER it under the Yellow. There is no violation as long as the tip of the tow loop clears the nearest edge of the painted line while the light is yellow.

To JMG; You may have missed that it is a wide intersection. Three lanes North three lanes south going up hill that you pass through, at 74,000 lbs.

Another point is that this is one of those variable lights. The timing changes during the day. This has no bearing on my situation though.
 
In my many experiences with traffic court basically your screwed. Plead guilty take the fine ,go home. Money on a lawyer will be wasted.
 
. Cops are no longer your friends or neighbors. They don't like you and you don't like them. It is all about the money. I don't drive anything with out a dash cam . It's a lot better investment than a crooked lawyer.
 
You should live in my town...A major hiway runs thru it and I have counted that sometimes at
one light,the green is only on for as little as 17 seconds which is stupid....Wal-mart paid for the
light as its on a side street to their store.....It changes so fast that semis and pickups pulling trailers
sometimes run it because they have no time to stop..
 
You have a CDL you have to fight it, if you would have an (your)at fault accident next week, you will need a new job that does not require a CDL.
 

In my state.. if you "enter the intersection" before the light turns red.. your legal.. your state must have different laws..

Good luck.. either way.
 
Here in Michigan, it is legal to make a right turn on a red light
after a complete stop if there is no traffic coming.
Same in many other states.
Stipulations apply, and left turns onto one way streets, etc.

In my home town, a guy made a right turn after stopping at a
red light. Legal.
A woman on the cross road, a fairly major state highway, hit him.
She had a yellow light. She got the ticket. He didn't get any.
I haven't heard the final outcome yet. I hope she fought it.
 
That's how mine was. Officer didn't show up for am issue I had with a motorcycle. Was looking to lose my license. Paid the tickets I was actually guilty of, fought the ones I was not guilty of. Didn't show up, so I was cleared.
 
If the light turned green for hi, when you were in front of him , that means it didn't turn red for you until you were well across the intersection. His words will win your case for you. Put him on the stand and get him to repeat that statement. Ask if he is positive it turned green while he was sitting there Don't act like it is important, just a minor detail Then move on. In closing go back to it as proof you were almost through the intersection when the light turned red. (for you). Many lights don't show a green for stopped traffic until several seconds AFTER it turns red for crossing traffic. Check that light for this feature.
 
(quoted from post at 21:47:05 06/17/17) If the light turned green for hi, when you were in front of him , that means it didn't turn red for you until you were well across the intersection. His words will win your case for you. Put him on the stand and get him to repeat that statement. Ask if he is positive it turned green while he was sitting there Don't act like it is important, just a minor detail Then move on. In closing go back to it as proof you were almost through the intersection when the light turned red. (for you). Many lights don't show a green for stopped traffic until several seconds AFTER it turns red for crossing traffic. Check that light for this feature.
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The officer's position is that I came across the line moving right along in order to make the light. He also stated that "this light has a long yellow". I do plan to go to the intersection and time the light.
 
Our Walmart also...I hate it. If one person comes out of walmart, even if they can legally turn right on red, the traffic light changes instantly for them making everyone else come to a sudden stop.
 
(quoted from post at 10:20:17 06/17/17) Yes, I am sure. Operators license is
state issued and regulated: CDL is a
federally implemented, mandated and
regulated program.
Click to expand...

What do you mean "CDL"? That means "Commercial Drivers License", a state issue. If you are referring to the FMCSR or other Federal regulatory statutes, could you point me to the sections saying no pleas are allowed? I've never, ever heard of that and have seen many tickets I've written pled down or dismissed.
 
He just admitted there that the lights in the area are different times and are prone to problems. Ask him if he reported it to the Highway Dept?. Ask, "If it is "long" what is correct. Keep him on the stand Ask lots about lights. He will get confused and frustrated and then You simply ask for dismissal of charge. BTDT
 
Congratulations on the 46 years of driving without a violation, we all thank you for your good service! I know heavy trucks can not handle anything like sports cars, passenger vehicles or even medium duty trucks. Driving a commercial truck requires much more attention and forward thinking than driving a passenger vehicle. If you were getting paid while driving the truck, don't you owe your employer/customer and your fellow motorists enough of your attention and good judgement to drive the truck safely and legally?

It does sound like you decided to push on through the yellow light and got caught running through a red light. The excuse that you didn't want to stop or didn't start slowing down soon enough to be able to stop for the red light won't get you too far in court. I would pay the fine and move on. Sorry.
 
Even if you did not have a dash cam, the officer probably does. IF it is worth it to you, you or an attorney can request the video. You would need to act quickly to preserve it, maybe not worth the expense, maybe it is. Tough call, too bad the guy had to include you.
 
Sitting here with friend. When he took his
class A CDL road test a light turned yellow
and his decision was to continue through the
light rather then try to stop. Examiner
grabbed the dash in case he jammed on the
brakes. He thought he failed. She passed him
and said he had the choice and to either
speed up or stop for a yellow.
 
(quoted from post at 14:22:44 06/19/17)
(reply to post at 03:49:50 06/17/17)
Click to expand...
ou have a problem with truckers? This is not a 'what if' he had done something different. This is, he entered on yellow (but didn't clear on yellow, which is irrelevant), thus he is not at fault. Should be end of story.
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....Am I missing something here? This is what is written in the OP. Whether or not it is accurate we cannot know, but this is what was stated:
"[i:d78d761a36]I made it easily past the stop line while the light was green, then the light turned yellow, and just as I got to the midpoint it turned red[/i:d78d761a36]."
 
(quoted from post at 07:38:23 06/19/17) Congratulations on the 46 years of driving without a violation, we all thank you for your good service! I know heavy trucks can not handle anything like sports cars, passenger vehicles or even medium duty trucks. Driving a commercial truck requires much more attention and forward thinking than driving a passenger vehicle. If you were getting paid while driving the truck, don't you owe your employer/customer and your fellow motorists enough of your attention and good judgement to drive the truck safely and legally?

It does sound like you decided to push on through the yellow light and got caught running through a red light. The excuse that you didn't want to stop or didn't start slowing down soon enough to be able to stop for the red light won't get you too far in court. I would pay the fine and move on. Sorry.
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Please read the original post. I did not push, I went over the stop line on the green at about 6 MPH, Please read the original post.
 
(quoted from post at 09:55:55 06/19/17) Sitting here with friend. When he took his
class A CDL road test a light turned yellow
and his decision was to continue through the
light rather then try to stop. Examiner
grabbed the dash in case he jammed on the
brakes. He thought he failed. She passed him
and said he had the choice and to either
speed up or stop for a yellow.
Click to expand...

Please read the original post.
 
(quoted from post at 14:23:18 06/19/17) ....Am I missing something here? This is what is written in the OP. Whether or not it is accurate we cannot know, but this is what was stated:
"[i:ee2d71c3aa]I made it easily past the stop line while the light was green, then the light turned yellow, and just as I got to the midpoint it turned red[/i:ee2d71c3aa]."
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Thanks for the help Kcm.MN reading comprehension is not a prerequisite for being an old tractor nut.
 
You guys better watch it. If I get many more pats on the back, I'm liable to get a chip on my shoulder. *lol*

Hey, just think - if this were a predominantly female forum, the OP would have become far more twisted by the 3rd post! ROFL

...No offense SweetFeet - you're a Class Act!! :D
 
If you do go to court it would be a very good idea to work with a lawyer to clarify your story ahead of time. Some of the story does not add up, that may just be because of the way it was told. Try to connect the important facts first. Your third sentence you talk about the light turning yellow as you were approaching. Did you stop for that yellow light, start out into the next green light and then did not make it through that green light or did you run that first yellow light? You didn't actually say which one you did, so the reader has to guess and so will a judge, (probably skeptically as some of us did). The fact that the guy ahead of you also got pulled over does not sound good.

How long were you in the intersection, close to a minute? If the truck has trouble on that grade, your friend who owns the truck may need to route his truck over a more truck friendly route or load it lighter so it can easily make it through an intersection before the lights turn red. (Were you overloaded?)
 
(quoted from post at 07:12:20 06/20/17) If you do go to court it would be a very good idea to work with a lawyer to clarify your story ahead of time. Some of the story does not add up, that may just be because of the way it was told. Try to connect the important facts first. Your third sentence you talk about the light turning yellow as you were approaching. Did you stop for that yellow light, start out into the next green light and then did not make it through that green light or did you run that first yellow light? You didn't actually say which one you did, so the reader has to guess and so will a judge, (probably skeptically as some of us did). The fact that the guy ahead of you also got pulled over does not sound good.

How long were you in the intersection, close to a minute? If the truck has trouble on that grade, your friend who owns the truck may need to route his truck over a more truck friendly route or load it lighter so it can easily make it through an intersection before the lights turn red. (Were you overloaded?)
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I was actually not planning to use my post here in court. Maybe if you read it a couple more times??
 

As I understand your post, you started into the intersection when the light was green and were committed to crossing when it turned yellow, then red. I also understand you were crossing several lanes in the intersection. IMO, that's what needs explaining to the judge, along with the fact you were riving a loaded truck that can't accelerate as fast as a car. That is the defense I would use, since obviously you can't stop in the middle of an intersection or know exactly when the light would change from green. As a retired Trooper, IMO that is a chicken crap ticket and not something I would have ever actually written.
 
Bret, thank you for your service!

One thing I'd like to add (which Bret made it hard, as it's so well-written) is this:
"...[i:fe35317b7d]along with the fact you were riving a loaded truck that can't accelerate [color=blue:fe35317b7d]or stop[/color:fe35317b7d] as fast as a car[/i:fe35317b7d]."
 
(quoted from post at 08:32:01 06/20/17)
As I understand your post, you started into the intersection when the light was green and were committed to crossing when it turned yellow, then red. I also understand you were crossing several lanes in the intersection. IMO, that's what needs explaining to the judge, along with the fact you were riving a loaded truck that can't accelerate as fast as a car. That is the defense I would use, since obviously you can't stop in the middle of an intersection or know exactly when the light would change from green. As a retired Trooper, IMO that is a chicken crap ticket and not something I would have ever actually written.
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Thanks, Brett for reading and understanding. That is the defense that I am planning. In addition, just incase the prosecutor says that they see trucks everyday making it through the intersection much faster, I intend to explain how ten years ago it used to take three cycles to get through that light when the trucks were 350 HP standards, whereas now most are 550 HP automatics. They can get through intersections almost as fast as general traffic.
 
And again, so long as you entered the intersection while the light was green, or if it had turned yellow but would be impractical/impossible to stop, then that makes you perfectly legal to continue through the intersection. ....What, there ain't never been a car that has stalled while taking off from a red light?!?!? Some yahoo don't know how to drive a stick and they go from 1st to 5th and it dies?

As I stated to begin with, I see a victory in your future. You have a long and distinguished driving record, yet not so old that you become the road hazard. So go in there, present your material AND your record, try to quote the officer as best you can word-for-word and then ask him if those were his words? Maybe even have a small camera in there with you sitting in plain sight. Nothing wrong with that so long as you're not recording the court proceedings, but might make the officer think a bit harder about his answers. ...Maybe have it out in the open to start with, then once you know he's seen it, put it away to avoid any unnecessary attention/questions. ....Eh, don't mind me - just spouting off a little. :wink:
 
(quoted from post at 10:34:40 06/20/17) And again, so long as you entered the intersection while the light was green, or if it had turned yellow but would be impractical/impossible to stop, then that makes you perfectly legal to continue through the intersection. ....What, there ain't never been a car that has stalled while taking off from a red light?!?!? Some yahoo don't know how to drive a stick and they go from 1st to 5th and it dies?

As I stated to begin with, I see a victory in your future. You have a long and distinguished driving record, yet not so old that you become the road hazard. So go in there, present your material AND your record, try to quote the officer as best you can word-for-word and then ask him if those were his words? Maybe even have a small camera in there with you sitting in plain sight. Nothing wrong with that so long as you're not recording the court proceedings, but might make the officer think a bit harder about his answers. ...Maybe have it out in the open to start with, then once you know he's seen it, put it away to avoid any unnecessary attention/questions. ....Eh, don't mind me - just spouting off a little. :wink:
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Actually I was thinking of bringing my I-phone with a recording of the light cycle at the time.
 
Yes, if you could get that same truck with another load, at about the same time of day, you could try to set up the same circumstances and show that you enter on green, but with full load cannot exit the intersection before the light turns red. Not sure if simply timing the light will work, as the court most likely has no idea how long it takes to get that rig moving.

In order to avoid taking the truck through that intersection again, you could do as you said and time the light, but then also find non-road, but hard ground with about the same up-slope and time (on camera) how long it takes you to travel the required distance. The trick here is, as you were #3 in line, it took you longer than usual to get up to the line before the light. As the light was still green, you continued on through. Now you are committed - you pushed the truck to its limits and still could not clear the large intersection before the yellow light (which doesn't last long) turned red.

I'm guessing that the green light changed to yellow about the time your cab was underneath the light - in which case you were already committed to crossing the intersection.

If you had been first in line at the light, do you think you would have cleared before it turned red?
 
(quoted from post at 17:25:06 06/20/17) Yes, if you could get that same truck with another load, at about the same time of day, you could try to set up the same circumstances and show that you enter on green, but with full load cannot exit the intersection before the light turns red. Not sure if simply timing the light will work, as the court most likely has no idea how long it takes to get that rig moving.

In order to avoid taking the truck through that intersection again, you could do as you said and time the light, but then also find non-road, but hard ground with about the same up-slope and time (on camera) how long it takes you to travel the required distance. The trick here is, as you were #3 in line, it took you longer than usual to get up to the line before the light. As the light was still green, you continued on through. Now you are committed - you pushed the truck to its limits and still could not clear the large intersection before the yellow light (which doesn't last long) turned red.

I'm guessing that the green light changed to yellow about the time your cab was underneath the light - in which case you were already committed to crossing the intersection.

If you had been first in line at the light, do you think you would have cleared before it turned red?
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I was completely legal by a long way. As I said earlier, all I needed to do was get into the intersection under the yellow. I got completely in under the green. Nothing about the yellow matters, yet that is what the cop based his judgment on. I will explain, as I have said, how a standard transmission truck with low(by modern standards) HP just takes awhile, and I can't imagine that the judge will have never been held up by a truck.
I drove again yesterday on the same route and was able to time myself from a two car lengths back start. Tomorrow AM I will go and stand nearby and time it at that time.
 

Previous posters are correct that revenue generation and not safety is what is most important. I'm in Cali, somewhere I saw a chart of all the extra fees everybody in govt adds to a speeding ticket, or any other moving violation. It might be $60 for the actual ticket, but $360 by the time everybody has a crack at you.

I had a jerk cop stop me and claimed I ran a stop sign. It was a 4 way stop, I was following a pickup and he got to the intersection and stopped; me too.

Pickup went straight thru the intersection and now I can see I'm the only car there. So I went thru the intersection and he stopped me a half mile away.

He said I followed the truck thru the intersection, which I didn't.

I think what he wanted was for me to roll forward 10 feet and stop again.

I fought it, took pictures of the intersection and gave those to the judge; told me if I paid $25 he would settle with nothing on my record; I paid.

When I was leaving the court, the bailiff that had been watching stopped me in the hallway and told me not to judge all cops by this jerk that stopped me. He said this cop should never be out among the public.
 
(quoted from post at 01:26:05 06/21/17)


I think what he wanted was for me to roll forward 10 feet and stop again.
Click to expand...

If I understand you correctly, you didn't stop at the sign when you were the lead vehicle? In my state, each vehicle coming to a stop sign must stop. It's that way everywhere I've ever driven. Are the laws different in your state?
 
I was wondering the same thing. Have never known an area where stopping other than #1 position was considered stopping for the red light, WITH THE EXCEPTION of the first car actually coming to a stop IN the intersection (after the white line, if there is one).

Also, if there is a white line and a stop sign, the actual stopping point is not the stop sign, but the white line. Unfortunately, have seen many such intersections where I have to come to a stop at the line, then creep forward as I could not see one or both directions. Anything after the line is considered being in the intersection.
 
(quoted from post at 05:38:56 06/21/17)
(quoted from post at 01:26:05 06/21/17)


I think what he wanted was for me to roll forward 10 feet and stop again.
Click to expand...

If I understand you correctly, you didn't stop at the sign when you were the lead vehicle? In my state, each vehicle coming to a stop sign must stop. It's that way everywhere I've ever driven. Are the laws different in your state?
Click to expand...

I have always though that if I stop within 3-4 feet of the stop line that I have stopped for the sign, regardless of how far into the intersection a vehicle ahead of me was sitting waiting.
 
(quoted from post at 13:38:56 06/21/17)
(quoted from post at 01:26:05 06/21/17)


I think what he wanted was for me to roll forward 10 feet and stop again.
Click to expand...

If I understand you correctly, you didn't stop at the sign when you were the lead vehicle? In my state, each vehicle coming to a stop sign must stop. It's that way everywhere I've ever driven. Are the laws different in your state?
Click to expand...

I was the second vehicle, following a pickup. He stopped short of having his truck in the intersection, I was stopped behind him.

He took off straight thru the intersection, I'm sitting still, about a truck length from entering the intersection, what was left of the white stop line painted on the pavement was a few feet in front of my car. Stop sign was off my front right fender.

There were no buildings or anything else blocking my view of the other 3 sides of the intersection; I was the only vehicle.

The cop, I think, wanted me to move forward a few feet, stop again and then go. The judge saw the pictures I took or the intersection, saw that I did nothing wrong and did the face saving $25 fine and thru the rest out.
 
(quoted from post at 21:27:55 06/21/17)
(quoted from post at 13:38:56 06/21/17)
(quoted from post at 01:26:05 06/21/17)


I think what he wanted was for me to roll forward 10 feet and stop again.
Click to expand...

If I understand you correctly, you didn't stop at the sign when you were the lead vehicle? In my state, each vehicle coming to a stop sign must stop. It's that way everywhere I've ever driven. Are the laws different in your state?
Click to expand...

I was the second vehicle, following a pickup. He stopped short of having his truck in the intersection, I was stopped behind him.

He took off straight thru the intersection, I'm sitting still, about a truck length from entering the intersection, what was left of the white stop line painted on the pavement was a few feet in front of my car. Stop sign was off my front right fender.

There were no buildings or anything else blocking my view of the other 3 sides of the intersection; I was the only vehicle.

The cop, I think, wanted me to move forward a few feet, stop again and then go. The judge saw the pictures I took or the intersection, saw that I did nothing wrong and did the face saving $25 fine and thru the rest out.
Click to expand...

Glad you more or less got out of it, but in my state the law specifically addresses stopping. Each vehicle is supposed to pull up to the stop line and stop completely. What you did certainly isn't legal here, and I would be uncomfortable doing that myself. To each their own I guess.
 
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