Motorist Avoids A Speeding TIcket By Hypnotizing Police Officer

This is incredible.  Through mind control, this motorist avoids a speeding ticket through neuro-linguistic programming.

Best Place To Get A Speeding Ticket?

Every day 100,000 speeding tickets are issued in the United States.  But none of them are like the ones issued in Samson, Texas.  This small town north of Fort Worth has a unique alternative to a traffic ticket fine.  Rather than issuing a speeding ticket, Samson police officers issue a Tickets For Tots ticket which requires speeding motorists to donate a toy for a needy child.  The motorists also get a warning, however.

The program is working as the Samson police have collected over 1,000 toys (not to mention pleasing many a speeding motorists).

In an era of money-hungry municipalities, it is refreshing to hear what the people of Samson are doing.  Happy holidays everyone.

Speed In A Work Zone (VTL 1180f)

Traffic courts treat speeding in a highway work area more seriously than a regular speeding offenses.  If you are convicted of speeding in a work zone, the fines are doubled pursuant to Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 1180f.  Further, some courts will not plea bargain speed in work zone tickets.  The reasoning behind this harsher treatment is that along such stretches of roadway, there is a higher risk of injuries and fatalities occurring to construction workers and police officers.  Also, slower speeds are required to avoid accidents from reduced lane widths, lane shifts or one lane bridges.  Interestingly, the points for a speeding ticket (3 to 11) do not increase when speeding in a work zone.

So what is a work zone or area?  Under Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 160, a work area is that part of a highway which is being used or occupied for the conduct of highway work, within which workers, vehicles, equipment, materials, supplies, excavations or other obstructions are present.  Note that actual construction need not be in progress to violate this law.  Rather, as long as you are traveling through a posted work zone (even off hours), you must obey the reduced speed.  Work zone speed signs are usually orange with black numbering and lettering and work areas are often marked with orange barrels.  Further, the reduced speed must be posted and cannot be more than 20 mph less than the usually posted limit, and may not be less than 25 mph under section 1180f.

New Technology To Prevent Texting And Driving

AOL Small Business journalist Geoff Williams recently wrote a great article about various technologies which are available to prevent texting and driving.  These applications essentially prevent a driver from using his or her cell phone while operating a motor vehicle.  For example, one application uses GPS and the rate of location change to determine that the cell phone users is traveling in a car.  What isn’t clear is how the application can tell whether the person is driving or just a passenger.

So why would someone want to restrict cell phone use?  Employers are worried about accidents, injuries and lawsuits while employees are on the job.  Similarly, parents are worried about protecting their children and others from injury.  To read the article, go to texting and driving technology.

Four-Year Gets Drunk And Steals X-Mas Presents

This is not traffic-related but, it’s so bizarre, that I couldn’t resist.

Woman Avoids Traffic Ticket By Flashing Breasts

A woman in Florida concocted a new way to avoid a traffic ticket.  She allegedly beared her breasts to a Fort Pierce police officer in hopes to getting out of the traffic ticket.

The ploy worked (kind of).  Instead of a traffic ticket the motorist named Ellena Lucia Barron, was charged with a more serious charge — indecent exposure — and was held at the St. Lucie County Jail on $250.

The incident went down as follows:  Ms. Barron was stopped last Saturday night for a violation.  The officer asked to see her license and registration.   She said that she needed to get them from her car’s trunk.  At the trunk, Ms. Barron lifted her blouse, showing her breasts to the police officer.

Unsecured Load Truck Tickets

One way to ensure that your truck is pulled over is to leave a trail of debris as you drive down the highway.   Such a truck is an easy mark for truck enforcement agents and police officers.

An unsecured load traffic ticket in New York City carries a minimum of $250 fine and many judges will not plea bargain them down.  Further, these truck tickets are not repairable after-the-fact by adding a tarp or safety straps.

The danger of an unsecured load was seen this week when a young woman was killed in the Bronx trying to avoid debris on the Bruckner Expressway.  Suejaes Estrada tried to avoid a cable spool bouncing on the highway as she crossed an overpass, lost control of her SUV and hit a divider.  The crash threw her out of her vehicle and sent her falling 40 feet to her death.  Former NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw and his wife were in a nearby car that was involved in this accident although neither was hurt.

The AAA Foundation For Traffic Safety road debris causes 25,000 accidents and results in 100 deaths annually.  In New York City approximately 130 accidents on East River bridges were caused by loose debris over a three year period.

To avoid lawsuits, injuries and truck tickets, it is therfore important to make sure that your truck’s load is properly secured.

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Vikings RB Adrian Peterson Gets A 109 MPH Speeding Ticket

Star Minnesota Vikings Adrian Peterson runs fast and apparently also drives fast.  He was issued a speeding ticket this past Saturday for going 109 mph in a 55 mph zone in his BMW.

In New York, this would be an 11-point ticket, the most severe moving violation in the state, and could result in suspension of his license.  It could also result in 3o days in jail.  What happens to “Purple Jesus” by the State of Minnesota (and by the NFL), will be interesting to see.

Update:  The rumor that Peterson was speeding to get away from a mad Viking chick with a golf club has yet to be corroborated.

Hilarious Re-Creation Of Tiger Wood’s Careless Driving Ticket

This is a hilarious 3-D re-creation of how the Tiger Woods careless driving ticket incident may have unfolded.  For my take on this incident, see the preceding post.

Re

Billionaire Tiger Woods Issued A $164 Traffic Ticket For Careless Driving

After a 4-day investigation, the Florida Highway Patrol concluded that billionaire Tiger Woods should be issued a $164 traffic ticket for careless driving.  This traffic ticket might be the most famous traffic ticket ever issued and possibly the only one which was the subject of a press conference. 

In Florida, careless driving is a moving violation and carries 4 points.  New York has a similar offense but only imposes 2 points.  As a New York traffic lawyer handing 1,000s of traffic tickets annually, I can tell you that this is not a commonly issued ticket.  It is much more likely for a motorist driving erratically to be issued a reckless driving ticket instead.  Reckless driving is much more serious than careless driving as reckless driving carries 5 points and is a criminal charge (misdemeanor).

Interestingly, if this incident occurred in New York, a careless driving ticket would likely not have been issued even though Mr. Woods hit a fire hydrant and a tree.  In New York, a police officer must actually observe the traffic violation as a pre-requisite to issuing a traffic ticket.

Rather, than hiring a traffic lawyer, Woods quickly opted to just pay the $164 ticket.  Too bad as I bet I could have beat it.

Update:  That $164 may not be the only thing that this incident cost Tiger.  As a result of this incident, it has come out that two women (Jaimee Grubbs and Rachel Uchitel) are allegedly paramours of Woods.  This is going to cost him BIG TIME!

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