woody
Well-Known Member
I don't usually have a bike rack on the back of my car... should I bust out a tail light to avoid speeding tickets? :hmmm:
Traffic ticket for bike rack
- Thread starter Smith
- Start date
I don't usually have a bike rack on the back of my car... should I bust out a tail light to avoid speeding tickets? :hmmm:
nah, that what your seatbelt is for.
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
It's funny -- when I was up in VT this summer, I actually got pulled over for that. I got off with a warning (the cop actually saw my bike in the back and we ended up chatting about singlespeeds for a bit.) But I always drive int he left lane everywhere and that was the first time I ever got pulled over for it.
The lesson? Carry a singlespeed every time you drive.
aedubber
New Member
Sucks that you got the ticket but i bet it was cuz you did not move over. Im not directing this towards you but as Blair said , and its also a law and in the handbook . The LEFT is for PASSING only , there is no need to stay in the left lane at all . If you see someone coming up behind its not complicated to just move over .
Ive seen a state trooper pull someone over that was in the left lane due to barely doing the speed limit and not moving over lol .
Ive seen a state trooper pull someone over that was in the left lane due to barely doing the speed limit and not moving over lol .
I got a warning for that a few years ago. Luckily(?) a lady plowed into the back of me while I was stopped waiting to turn into my driveway and obliterated my T2. I took the opportunity to get a 1up rack. With the single bike tray it doesn't block my plate and the second bike attachment is really easy to take on and off on the rare instances that I'm traveling with more than one bike.
MST.ESQ
New Member
The "unclear" standard does not apply and is bogus as applied in this case. The plate was not dirty or unclear, nor was there anything hanging from the plate holder, thus this statute does not apply. You need to look to trailer regs. as this is an attachment causing the plate to be obscured. I recall reading a brief once on this issue and was convinced that a hitch rack, unless right up against the bumper) would not obscure from reasonable angles in a manner warranting a violation. Hang 5 bikes of a 2 bike rack and strap a DH tire directly to the plate frame - a different story. A travel trailer, etc. of course, but not something less than 2" wide, and certainly not without bikes on it. I also think there is direct case law on the issue. I just can't remember if was in NJ.
Either way, you will need to appear at least twice. The first time is simply to enter your plea, then they will schedule you to come back for trial - and make you wait hours. You may get lucky if the trooper does not show up (Suhr40, if you are able to respond, are they still giving adjournments if a trooper does not show to local traffic court?). I went through the process last year to be found "not guilty" of a snow shovel violation, but I had the benefit of being able to work on a laptop from the courthouse while waiting for my trial.
Either way, you will need to appear at least twice. The first time is simply to enter your plea, then they will schedule you to come back for trial - and make you wait hours. You may get lucky if the trooper does not show up (Suhr40, if you are able to respond, are they still giving adjournments if a trooper does not show to local traffic court?). I went through the process last year to be found "not guilty" of a snow shovel violation, but I had the benefit of being able to work on a laptop from the courthouse while waiting for my trial.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
I've been pulled over for this a couple times but only ticketed once. My ticket was #39:4-56 Delaying Traffic? I guess that's a way to get me out of something else? Now I just take the rack off if I'm not carrying a bike to at least limit getting pulled over for it. I have enough other things to get pulled over for.
-Jim.
-Jim.
Steve Vai
Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
This is my main reason for not running a front plate on my car. It has saved my life more than once.
-Jim.
don
Well-Known Member
Yeah, sucks you got a ticket but I think being in the left lane just pissed him off like some others have said.
I try to stay out of the left lane. And I always keep an eye on the rear view. If a trooper is coming up that lane I do not want to get in his way. And if the guy is an a$$hole driver going too fast like you originally thought - let him go, tuck in behind, and have him run "radar"
Flounder
Member
Pay the ticket. May come back in your favor someday. I have bike rack on back of my GMC envoy and it saved me 141.00 red light camera ticket at plainfield ave. in edison.Had two bikes on rack kayak on roof coming home from vacation.No way they could read tag number. I'll pay your ticket and still be up.
Came through Mass Conn Pa and NY.
Came through Mass Conn Pa and NY.
All fine and dandy and a good argument, counselor. Until you take into consideration that traffic court is a kangaroo court. But I do love how attorneys think they can actually get "justice" in municipal court. For something that is a $54 fine.
FYI: Our court does give at least one adjournment for missing troopers. Two or more for more serious offenses.
So, what happens if you're trailering a boat? Boat/trailier is blocking your plate. Trailer has a different plate number than your car, could be registered to boat owner not you. Can they pull you over for that? Probably they move into the next lane (easy enough for ANY driver to do) and pull up just enough to read it.
Seems to me if the plate is readable from some angle (as in above) then you don't deserve a ticket.
If on the other hand it looks like Jim's pic above, then cop has a valid case.
Dave sorry you got one too for your Kuat
Seems to me if the plate is readable from some angle (as in above) then you don't deserve a ticket.
If on the other hand it looks like Jim's pic above, then cop has a valid case.
Dave sorry you got one too for your Kuat
My buddy just moved back to Germany. Over there, you have to get your bike rack set up approved by the government. Anytime you want to add anything to your car (roof rack, Thule torpedo case, rear rack, hitch, etc), it has to be inspected and be an approved configuration for your vehicle. At least we don't have that here (YET!).
I think NJ is going the other way, state inspection is a joke. The only thing they do is plug into your cars computer to make sure car is running clean. They don't check things like; directionals, lights, windshield wipers, brakes, alignment...all things to make a vehicle safer.