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Avoiding The Ticket
Everyone would like to know just how to prevent from being stopped in the first place and you can do
certain things to make yourself less of a target. There are many different areas where you can lessen your
chances of getting the officers attention, and lets face it, you do not want the attention of a person who
has the potential of writing you a ticket that could cost you as much as two tickets to a
Broadway play or more. So what can you do? The obvious is to slow down! However, there are other contributing factors
that may cause you a traffic ticket.
Lets break it down into several categories: Vehicles, Loud Equipment, Conditions and Your Driving
Ability at the Time of the Ticket.
Vehicles:
Its a known fact that bright colors draw the attention of most people and lighter colors tend to blend in
with the surroundings. If you should be one who likes a flashy color, you have to understand that if you
are driving down the road alongside a lighter colored car speeding side by side he just may choose to stop
you rather than the other car.
To get the officers attention only for a moment is all that is needed if you are doing something
just a little above the law at the time.
Loud/Exotic Equipment:
If you like to have a car that sounds really cool, (which is often loud and in violation of most exhaust
statutes) you may have to pay the price when you push those RPM's just a little too far. Glass packs,
(straight exhaust pipes) are going to be heard from great distances and you will stick out more so that a
person with stock equipment. This goes for cars, trucks and motorcycles. If you are one who likes
fancy lights on and under your vehicle you don’t need to be driving outside the law
because someone with his own set of blue lights will see you and turn his on right
behind you. Offensive writings and bumper stickers on your vehicle will get attention you would rather not have; lets not give him a reason to stop
you before you do something wrong.
The officer can find a justifiable reason to stop you if he really tries. You need to make sure that any
equipment you place on your vehicle is permitted by your state Department of Motor Vehicles. Those
states which still have vehicle inspections can answer questions pertaining to equipment.
Conditions:
You need to keep in mind that most states require you to reduce your speed when driving in poor
environmental and hazardous conditions, and you need to stay alert to this. Speed zones are set up for
normal driving conditions. Many states have a statute covering Driving in Hazardous Conditions which
include weather, special road hazards and any event in which people are congregated in an area along a
roadway. An officer can pull you over for doing the posted speed during these conditions and issue you a
citation. The burden would be on the officer in court to prove that these conditions necessitated your
slowing down. Sun glare is often used as an excuse for not seeing a road sign or another vehicle but most
courts advise it is the drivers obligations to pull off the road if they can not see properly.
Unfortunately this condition comes upon us suddenly and does not give us this
opportunity to calmly pull off the road.
Your Driving Ability At The Time:
At the time of the alleged offense were there any physical or mental diversions at the time preventing you
from driving within the law? Fatigue is a common example and unfortunately carries little sympathy with
the courts or any officer who stops you. You can explain to an officer who stops you for a violation that
you are just a little tired and he may or may not give this some consideration but I would not
count on it.
Taking medication is another form of physical condition but I would hesitate to tell this to an officer
unless I had that medication with me show him it was not a narcotic or one which could be having
adverse affects on my driving. If you have nothing to show him, you may find your self out on the side of
the road doing a field sobriety test.
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