I was returning from a trip to my parents house (1 mile away), going down my driveway and I see blue lights in my mirror. I stopped in my driveway and the trooper gave me a ticket for not wearing a seat belt and a warning ticket for not have my license on me. The fine is $25.50 and the court cost is $135.50, what a rip off. I couldn't believe that the trooper wouldn't just let me go considering I've never had a ticket before, been driving for 19 years, and that when he past me on the road I was a 1/4 mile from my house. Should I just pay the money or do you think the court or magistrate would cut me some slack?
I guess with a partial government shutdown they are looking to raise some funds some how. Even with useless tickets.
I got a seatbelt ticket in Clayton about a year ago and I was wearing my seat belt the whole time. I got some legal advice and was told to pay it or show up and call the cop a liar. At that point, I was advised to just pay it and chalk it up as bad luck.
If you were on the highway at any point during that mile then you deserve the ticket. The law is the law, there is no provision for length of trip. Why not just buckle it? Maybe they are tired of scraping people out from under cars. Or maybe they are tired of knocking on doors to report someone got ejected that likely would have walked away otherwise. Wulf - No excuse for getting a ticket if you were wearing it, that's just wrong, but I'm not surprised from Clayton cops. Some of them seem to have a bit of a chip on their shoulder.
No pot shots as to why you hate and won't vote republican. Lol. Useless ticket? Look at what don't care NY wrote. Do you realize how many people have died less than a mi or even half mi.from their destination. Quite a lot.
I thought a seat belt violation was a secondary violation, meaning they couldn't stop you for it but if they stopped you for something else and observed you not wearing your seat belt, then they could also give you a ticket for that. No?
DH recently got one.:banghead: He got pulled because his tags had expired. He had done the inspection and neglected to renew his tags.... he went to court showed them he had the inspection and tags, had to pay the seatbelt ticket - $160.00, they only take cash.
I do Transportation Assessments for Hazardous Material Haulers and a number of these carriers consider not wearing a seatbelt to be an offense worthy of immediate termination. I have seen in cab video of drivers without their seat-belts on and they are flying all over the place. To me this is as bad as talking on a cell phone.
Just to give you a little thought: My husband was in a wreck almost two weeks ago less than a mile from our house and totaled his truck... SO with that said just pay the ticket and save yourself the headache and wear your seatbelt :jester:
I read the other day that a huge percentage of bad accidents happen less than a mile from home. That was the last straw, I'm moving. :jester:
Was he the overturned Toyota down from the stoplight (Barnes store)? I saw that wreck on my way to school and hoped that the driver was okay!! Back in the day, I was in a wreck. I was 15, with my now husband (then boyfriend), and I didn't have my seat belt on. We were 1/2 mile away. I have a scar on my face to show for it and I am lucky that I wasn't ejected and killed in the crash. The only reason I wasn't is because I had a second to get low in the floorboard and it was a small sports car, so I hit the windshield and dash rather than flying out. I won't ever forget it. It is the rule at my house that you wear it...no exceptions. My son also wears his when he goes "muddin" on the farm...and his friends do too. Glad your hubby is okay!!!
Please also note that if you are seen by an officer not wearing your shoulder seat belt correctly, you can also be ticketed. Years ago my daughter had her drivers side seat belt on, but since the shoulder strap was rubbing badly across her neck (her car was not such that you can adjust the height of the shoulder strap)she had tucked it under her one arm. It was still on, and across her body, but under her left arm. A HP officer pulled up alongside her at a stoplight, glanced over, then followed her and pulled her and ticketed her for not wearing her seatbelt correctly. One more thing...my family believes in Murphy's Law....and that's based on experience! Our oldest was in a wreck 10 years ago as a front seat passenger. Her friend driving got distracted, didn't see traffic was stopped ahead of her, and plowed into the back of a car at about 35 mph. My daughter had JUST unbuckled her seat belt to reach for something in the back seat. She went head first into the windshield which almost gave way....she was very lucky not to be ejected. She still has the facial scars to remind her why keeping her seat belt on at ALL times is so important.
