Today I was driving with my children and passed 2 police cars and the car that they had pulled over, on the side of the road. Everyone was in their cars and getting ready to merge back into traffic. (They were pulled WAY off the road, almost into the grass) I slowed down to 40 (It was a 55 mph speed limit) as I passed. One of the police cars immediately pulled me over and gave me a ticket for not switching lanes as I passed them. Has this ever happened to any of you? What can I expect when I go to court? (He checked the box making it mandatory for me to appear in court. I was hoping I could just mail the fine in, but no) I haven't gotten a ticket in 12 years and back then, I just mailed the fine in. Can I ask for court supervision?
2007-09-04 14:46:04 · 14 answers · asked by zachcorinne 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
I should have mentioned that I live in Illinois. Also, I noticed that someone below replied with "you are going to get the death penalty", please don't waste my time with stupid answers like that.
2007-09-04 14:58:49 · update #1
Also, I did slow down, and swerved a little bit into the left lane. They were getting ready to merge. If they were standing outside the car, I could see the reason for the ticket. But in the car?
2007-09-04 15:00:22 · update #2
This is law in most states now. As one poster said, it's the pull over or move over law, enacted as a result of officers getting hit by traffic while conducting traffic stops. The law should read yo are to change into the left lane if able to safely OR slow down. If you slowed down 15 MPH below the posted speed limit, then you followed the law in my opinion. Some states want you to slow down 20 mph. The officer may have had his rear radar activated for the sole purpose of seeing if you were in compliance.
Believe me....when a vehicle comes within a foot or so of killing you at 65 mph, the law is enforced for a reason.
2007-09-04 15:00:45 · answer #1 · answered by LEO53 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You don't say what state you're in so these will be just general comments. States are passing move of these "Move over laws" to protect emergency workers stopped on the side of the road. I'm most familiar with the law in NC, which says that you must change lanes or slow down when approaching emergency vehicles on the side of the road. Obviously this is subject to interpretation by officers and motorists. If you were on a two lane or crowded road and you slowed down then you would be in compliance. If you did slow down and you have to go to court tell it to the judge. Your first line of defense is to find out exactly how the law reads, remember it's all a safety issue. If it would have been unsafe to make a lane change and you slowed down you should be ok but at this point the burden of proof is up to you. I happened to be standing in the middle of I-85 the night this law went into effect in NC when a drunk driver swerved across 3 lanes to avoid all of us at an accident, and I've been to many a emergency vehicle that's been hit from behind so I know that this is a serious issue. Good luck.
2007-09-04 15:09:41 · answer #2 · answered by Lastdue 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's a recent law in Texas... it's called "Move over, or slow down." Meaning, when any type of "emergency" vehicle is on the side of the road, either "move over" or "slow down", if moving over isn't an option; and "slowing down" means going at least 20 mph slower than posted speed limit. I don't know if this is the case in other states, though.
2007-09-04 15:04:56 · answer #3 · answered by scruffycat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
thats the pull over law if a few police got hit so now its a law that if u see the police on the side of the highway to get into the left lane.
2007-09-04 14:55:53 · answer #4 · answered by cashville_con 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Definitely contest the ticket in court. Most of the time the issuing officer doesn't show up and the court has to dismiss the ticket.
2007-09-04 14:53:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
fight it,,,your defense could be, unable to change lanes due to other traffic, emergency vehicles did not have blue or red light activated showing that they were in the course of official duty.In any matter, contest the citation!.. even if convicted, they would most likely lower the fine.
2007-09-04 15:42:22 · answer #6 · answered by Michael H 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
definite! the different day i replaced into sitting at a delicate and a cop replaced into interior the subsequent lane. It replaced right into an prolonged gentle and he ought to have been impatient because of the fact he became his siren on, went contained in direction of the gentle, became the gentle off and pulled right into a Dunkin Donuts!! I toddler you no longer!
2016-10-09 23:32:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
well no i ,
haven't gotten a ticket for that , but i think the officer should of explained to better as to why he felt you got the ticket . but yes i have gone to court many times before for other things .but as for a ticket yeah i have had those before. and yes i have got them reduced just for showing up, it shows responsibility to the court and well i got make payments for a couple months and well got it taken care of.
2007-09-04 15:00:50 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Urk?! I thought California had all the crazy traffic laws.
2007-09-04 14:55:16 · answer #9 · answered by ʄaçade 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't pay it. Tell them that you can't merge over when there are other cars in the way.
This law is stupid and only causes more accidents and deaths. Fight this ticket and DO NOT PAY IT !!!
2007-09-04 14:54:09 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋