Tag: ticket

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Getting A Ticket In The Mail After A Crash

Q: I was in a no injury accident on I-5. Traffic came to an abrupt stop and I was rear-ended. Damage to the other car was extensive and needed to be towed. We both called his insurance company but no police were called. I waited with him for a tow truck for 20 minutes and then left to work. I received a ticket in the mail for improper lane usage. I contested it and have court next month, but I shouldn’t have got this ticket. Why did the police send me this? They were not called to the scene.

A: In the 2001 heist movie Ocean’s 11, Terry Benedict owns a casino (or three actually) and they’re about to be robbed by Danny Ocean and his 10 buddies. Disregarding that the protagonist in this story, Danny, is likely guilty of multiple felonies while Terry, the purported villain, is only guilty of dating Danny’s ex-wife, the success of the movie hinges on incomplete information. Confident in his casino security, Terry believes he’s not vulnerable to a robbery, but that’s because he doesn’t know the whole story.

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Parking Lots Are Not Base (And Traffic Enforcement Is Not Tag)

Q: Can an officer give me a ticket if I’m no longer on the roadway and have parked in the parking lot of a store?

A: Remember playing tag as a kid? We used to have a “base”; as long as you were touching it you couldn’t get tagged. In my yard that was the apple tree. Now just imagine what traffic enforcement would be like if there was a base for drivers who committed traffic violations. Everyone who ran a red light would be looking for the nearest convenience store parking lot to avoid a ticket. It reminds me of the Dukes of Hazzard. On Friday evenings I watched Bo and Luke Duke race across the county line as Sheriff Roscoe P Coltrane skidded to at stop at the edge of Hazzard County, foiled by the Duke boys again. Great to watch on TV when you’re ten, but not how it actually works.

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Do You Really Always Need Insurance?

Q: Can a person receive a ticket for driving without insurance on private property?

A: The short answer: Yes. If you had asked, “Can a person receive a ticket on private property?” the answer would have been much longer. And now for the longer answer: Most traffic violations apply when a driver is on a public roadway, but some traffic laws apply statewide. I’ll explain how to identify which rules belong just to the road and which ones are anywhere in the state.

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Traffic Enforcement: Do We Have Enough?

I’ve received a number of questions focused on various traffic violations that end with a similar refrain: Why don’t the police do more enforcement of (fill in the blank)? Collectively all these questions hint at the larger question: Are we doing enough traffic enforcement in our community? Instead of answering that question with a yes or a no, I’ve done some research on how much enforcement is happening in our county. I’ll give you the numbers and let you reach your own conclusion. Continue reading “Traffic Enforcement: Do We Have Enough?”

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Shoulder Driving to Escape a Lineup

Q:  Recently I was pulled over after I drove on the shoulder when I got stuck in a border lineup on the truck route. I was given a warning and was told that it is illegal to drive on the shoulder, even if it is to avoid being stuck in a lineup to a location that I am not going to.  Blaine and other border towns frequently have long lineups not just on the state routes or Interstate, but on local roads next to schools, shopping and businesses. If you get stuck you cannot do a u-turn to escape. What is the law about using the shoulder of a road? Is there any accommodation to local residents who are not intending to go across the border?

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Illegal Parking at an Imaginary Address

Q: I received a parking ticket on a private road, at an address that does not exist. Is this arguable before a judge?

A: We are fortunate to have a justice system that allows us to appeal our case to a judge, so technically, yes, you could argue before a judge if you so choose. I think though, the real question is, “Could I beat this ticket in court?” On that question you have reason to be less optimistic. We’ll deal with this question in two parts; first the private road issue, and then the non-existent address. Continue reading “Illegal Parking at an Imaginary Address”

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Does a Crash Always Get You a Ticket?

Q: Why is it that you get a ticket from law enforcement if you get into an accident? To pay for them to come out? What if only one party called, shouldn’t that party get the ticket for requesting their service?

A: At a fundamental level, law enforcement officers write tickets at crashes because they see evidence of a traffic violation. The ticket isn’t a form of reimbursement to the agency for the time it takes to respond to the crash. Actually, a law enforcement agency receives only a tiny fraction of a traffic ticket. The rest gets assigned to other various state and local accounts. Continue reading “Does a Crash Always Get You a Ticket?”

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Photo Radar – When Will We Get It?

Q: When can I expect freeway flyers to get costly fines in the mail from traffic cameras recording speed and license plate numbers?

A: To put this question in context, it was asked after describing a series of high-risk speeding situations that the question-asker has encountered repeatedly on his daily commute. To put it in historical context, Bellingham has experienced some controversy over traffic camera enforcement that makes this question a bit of a volatile topic. But I’m answering it anyway. Continue reading “Photo Radar – When Will We Get It?”