Question about speed limit signs...

[gunguy1960 2]

Signs can be confusing, use the nearest police car to judge the correct speed you should be going.

[2ANJ 0]

Signs can be confusing, use the nearest police car to judge the correct speed you should be going.

I like that idea...tailgate him or along side him? lol

[maintenanceguy 510]

Now back to our regularly scheduled topic:

 

NJSA 39:4-215 Any person who fails to obey the directions of a police officer or fails to obey the directional signals or signs provided hereunder shall be subject to a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or imprisonment for ten days in jail, or both

 

"Failure to obey a posted sign"

[Malice4you 627]

My last ticket was for "failing to obey(follow?) signs" instead of a speeding ticket.  Granted, I was speeding because the car behind me was on my ass, think it was a new Taurus interceptor model I didn't recognize (it was dark out) until the lights went on

 

He'd been following me a short while and I didn't like how I was being followed so closely, so I accelerated into a curve.  Most people slow way down for the slightest of curves, so I figured I'd get some room behind me (I pay good money for my performance tires for a reason, after all).  Shortly after he got thru the curve, he was on my ass again, so I was certainly moving above the limit, and only then did he throw the lights on.  He claimed I'd hit 64 in a 30, which I don't believe, but I had been speeding, so I took the failure to obey signs ticket and just paid it.

 

I'd been pulled over years ago after going through a few curves at speed, cop was coming from the other direction and pulled a U and came after me, claiming I was speeding...I'd been doing the speed limit, just on some tighter curves...again in a car with some performance rubber...  He had nothing on me and let me go after a few minutes when he couldn't get me to admit to anything...

[maintenanceguy 510]

I was pulled over for speeding in PA a few months ago after 20+ years without being pulled over for anything.  I was speeding, no question.  Cop wrote me a ticket for failing to obey a posted sign.  Saved me points on my license and insurance increases.

 

I thanked him and shook his hand.

[2ANJ 0]

I was pulled over for speeding in PA a few months ago after 20+ years without being pulled over for anything.  I was speeding, no question.  Cop wrote me a ticket for failing to obey a posted sign.  Saved me points on my license and insurance increases.

 

I thanked him and shook his hand.

Same thing happened to me once but he left me off with a "obstruction of view" ticket for an airfreshner I had.

[High Exposure 5,674]

You can be issued a speeding ticket for doing the posted speed limit if traffic is heavy or if the road conditions or visibility is poor. You can also be written a speeding ticket without a radar reading, just on the observations of the Officer.

 

Careless Driving just means you drove carelessly.

39:4-97. A person who drives a vehicle carelessly, or without due caution and circumspection, in a manner so as to endanger, or be likely to endanger, a person or property, shall be guilty of careless driving.

And can apply to any number of things while driving including taking a turn at an unsafe speed or any speed higher than what is posted as safe.

 

The idea that traffic tickets will be dismissed simply because an Officer did not show up to court is also a myth. Some courts may do this, but it is not mandatory or universal.

 

And IMO as a LEO I see no reason for anyone to think that there is LEO bashing or disrespect towards Cops in this thread.

[2ANJ 0]

You can be issued a speeding ticket for doing the posted speed limit if traffic is heavy or if the road conditions or visibility is poor. You can also be written a speeding ticket without a radar reading, just on the observations of the Officer.

 

Careless Driving just means you drove carelessly.

And can apply to any number of things while driving including taking a turn at an unsafe speed or any speed higher than what is posted as safe.

 

The idea that traffic tickets will be dismissed simply because an Officer did not show up to court is also a myth. Some courts may do this, but it is not mandatory or universal.

 

And IMO as a LEO I see no reason for anyone to think that there is LEO bashing or disrespect towards Cops in this thread.

Thank you for making that clear!

[DSD1026 48]

basically we dont know the real story because as the OP said, he wasnt there, he only heard it secondhand..  maybe more was said, maybe the bike was doing something that looked to be unsafe to the layperson.. fact is, i see bikes doing things all the time that i would deem unsafe personally, but then, im not a LEO..  i know on my street, there is a very sharp left curve which has a yellow sign..   you can go around it doing the white-sign posted limit and it will 100% cause you to drift very far on to the shoulder..  which brings you close to driveways and mailboxes and possible pedestrians..    (on, and there is a real left turn into a street directly after that curve, so you have people stopping to turn right after the curve).   going the posted speed limit could easily cause a problem if your not paying attention.. going under the white sign limit but over the yellow sign limit could definitely be unsafe..

 

could it be that the cop used his dislike of bikes to write a ticket?  sure..   could it be that there were other things going on that the OP doesnt actually know about?   you betcha..     that's why they say there are 3 sides to every story.. 

[2ANJ 0]

basically we dont know the real story because as the OP said, he wasnt there, he only heard it secondhand..  maybe more was said, maybe the bike was doing something that looked to be unsafe to the layperson.. fact is, i see bikes doing things all the time that i would deem unsafe personally, but then, im not a LEO..  i know on my street, there is a very sharp left curve which has a yellow sign..   you can go around it doing the white-sign posted limit and it will 100% cause you to drift very far on to the shoulder..  which brings you close to driveways and mailboxes and possible pedestrians..    (on, and there is a real left turn into a street directly after that curve, so you have people stopping to turn right after the curve).   going the posted speed limit could easily cause a problem if your not paying attention.. going under the white sign limit but over the yellow sign limit could definitely be unsafe..

 

could it be that the cop used his dislike of bikes to write a ticket?  sure..   could it be that there were other things going on that the OP doesnt actually know about?   you betcha..     that's why they say there are 3 sides to every story.. 

This is true...I agree with you 100%...I know with motorcyels especially streetbikes you are able to take turns ALOT better then in cars however you have to really lean a bike to make some of these turns/curves/bends or whatever you may call it...might it be that the cop thought that "lean" looked unsafe?...Possibly..but like I said I will try to get more info

[Fred2 367]

This is true...I agree with you 100%...I know with motorcyels especially streetbikes you are able to take turns ALOT better then in cars however you have to really lean a bike to make some of these turns/curves/bends or whatever you may call it...might it be that the cop thought that "lean" looked unsafe?...Possibly..but like I said I will try to get more info

 

The yellow signs are a coded challenge.

 

On a bike, or sports car, the code is: Double the number, and add 10.

 

So, a sign that says 20, should be taken at 50

[2ANJ 0]

The yellow signs are a coded challenge.

 

On a bike, or sports car, the code is: Double the number, and add 10.

 

So, a sign that says 20, should be taken at 50

HAHA!!! You ride...I can tell.

[ChrisJM981 924]

A yellow speed limit sign is an advisory speed limit. While you won't neccessarily receive a ticket, you may be liable for some or all damage resulting from an accident.

[ktd1597 10]

In my experience bringing a good lawyer prevents trials.  Prosecutors either drop the case or agree to drop it to a non-points fine for a non-moving non-traffic violation.

 

In multiple cases I paid a few hundred dollars for "parking on the sidewalk" instead of a speeding ticket.

 

Also, most pertinent to the original poster, if the cop fails to show up you can often get it dismissed with a lawyer present.  Without that, it will always get postponed, even multiple times.

 

The only time you'd ever go to court to fight a radar ticket is if you could get strong evidence via subpoena that the gun was a piece of crap, or that the speed limit was improperly posted, etc.  I agree, if you are going to fight a ticket on its merits just go alone, because you're going to lose anyway.

 

They key is that except in extreme cases of speeding where you actually put people's lives in jeopardy, all speeding tickets are merely attempts at increasing revenue.  If you give the town an alternate method of collecting almost as much revenue without wasting time in court they will almost always take it.

I agree, except for the revenue thingie and "dropping" the ticket, unless you are referring to downgrades which I would gladly help someone out if they showed up.  "Dropping it" makes you think of "dismissal",  which is not accurate.

[ktd1597 10]

I like that idea...tailgate him or along side him? lol

How about passing him going the same direction at 15+ over??

[ktd1597 10]

Now back to our regularly scheduled topic:

 

NJSA 39:4-215 Any person who fails to obey the directions of a police officer or fails to obey the directional signals or signs provided hereunder shall be subject to a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or imprisonment for ten days in jail, or both

 

"Failure to obey a posted sign"

During a time of an emergency, like snow routes etc....

[ktd1597 10]

Thank you for making that clear!

I agree.  As a Traffic Officer we could write a book about how NOT to get a ticket and how Court works.  There are so many myths it's like believing what you read on the internet!  

[2ANJ 0]

How about passing him going the same direction at 150+ mph??

I fixed...

 

I agree.  As a Traffic Officer we could write a book about how NOT to get a ticket and how Court works.  There are so many myths it's like believing what you read on the internet!  

Wait so not everything you read on the interwebs is true?!

[ktd1597 10]

I fixed...

 

Wait so not everything you read on the interwebs is true?!

You got me good!  

[RedBowTies88 41]

The yellow signs are very useful, I know I can just about always do double that and usually more.

 

They hold no force of law,... however if an officer feels you were going to fast for a turn he can write you for careless as well as i'm sure other plenty of other

infractions.

 

However cops can do basically anything they want with careless citations... you could be going less then the yellow sign and still write you and you would be hard pressed to prove it in court.