Questions about a trafic violation
 

Hey guys,
Let me just say I just got my license less that a month ago, 7/27 to be precise. And I was coming home late last night (had to be home before 11) and I get of the highway from Pennsylvania (rt 22 through Phillipsburg) and slow down to 35 before coming in to town (6 signs you can't miss it, you get flucked if you do) and I notice there's a cop parked in his favorite hiding spot(next to the ex- dealership) I was doing 37 so I Tapped my breaks and brought it down to 35 just to be safe, no problem so I continue merrily on my way listening to some country twang. There are about 4-5 stop lights going through town and one of them was yellow(don't remember hitting any yellow lights I remember them being all green) Any way I get spotted by a cop for running a yellow- red light. In the mean time, there's like no one on the road (cops prolly scared them all away) and I pick up some speed down the hill to make the next green light. Unbeknown to me there's a cop tailing me several car lengths behind with his lights off, and my sudden gain is speed just pisses him off and he pulls me over(needless to say I didn't make the light) I nearly shat my self cause I got shocked back to reality by seizure inducing lights and a siren that would have made a 1980's lead guitarist jealous. So he goes through his spiel, ya know the whole license and registration bit and walks off to his car....on a side note why do they need two squad cars to pull over one dude? I'm not even Mexican....... So what seems like an eternity later he come's back and give's be a lecture(not complaining about that) and verbal warning for running a red light(turned red after my car entered so he says) and doing 60 in a 45 zone I'm extremely grateful he let me off. Especially after I looked up how much it would have cost me and how many points on my record.

Any way I typed all that to ask this, The cop mentioned some thing about this being my last warning....I assume he ment last warning for this area or for him, but If I get pulled over again(hope not) will it show up I got a verbal warning and I'll get a ticket for sure?...BTW he was a hopatcong local police officer

Not sure if they can put a note on your record but I would say you were pretty darn lucky to get no ticket at all...

I would have expected you to get at least a ticket from all of that...

No it won't show up. Warnings are basically the cop's way of scaring you into not breaking traffic rules again (and his way of avoiding paperwork). Although running the yellow/red light is a gray area (In CA its only a traffic violation if you run a definite red. If it turns while you are in the intersection already, you're ok), doing 60 in a 45 zone is surely ticket worthy. Rule of thumb: cops will usually ticket you if you are traveling more than 10mph over the posted speed limit.

I know the local PD has a list of all of the new drivers with what car they drive hidden somewhere in the station....:whip:

That's highway rule of thumb - in town its usually 5mph.

He probably saw that you were a new driver, and gave you a warning cause of that. I got about 10 of those warnings before the 1st ticket!!!

not sure its legal for a cop (or any car for that matter) to drive at night with no headlights!.........oh wait what am i thinking.....cops dont count, they do what they want :whistle:

I think he meant he was following him w/ no police lights on. This is common, as they 1.) wait for you to make it worse, 2.) have time to run your plate to check you out.

IDK if they actually put a note in your record, but I'm sure they can see if you have been stopped before and for what, and use their descretion whether they will ticket you or not. Depends on what you are doing and if the cop feels like being an asshole.

Careful in NJ, insurance is insanely expensive and the fines are very high too. IDK who pays for your car, but it could cost you or your parents tons of money fast.

You did get pretty lucky w/ that really. Careful when driving late @ night &/or w/ no one around. You can away w/ a lot of stuff during commuting hours on major roads that cops will nail you for at other times and places. Esp around little podunk towns where they get a lot of revenue from tickets (which helps pay for cops, so they like to give them out.)

Ok, So its nothing to worry about as long as I lay low and safe.....:neutral:

BTW I pay from my car.:whip:

Its safe to say Im in no rush to go driving again:lol:

I have no doubt as a new driver with a clean record if the cops catch you doing something wrong they will often strongly consider letting you off with a warning (& a scare) if you;

- obey their instructions
- don't get smart with them
- genuinely look scared
- listen to what they say
- do a bit of nervous hand wringing while you wait

Peeing you pants might also work

Been driving for 22 years, truck driver for 15. Just a word of advice on stale green light's don't pick up any speed to maybe make it, just begin to slow down and prepare to stop. Stale green is a light that's green as you come up to it. Also this way you avoid the douchebag antics of a bored traffic cop.

The town I live in does issue paper warnings with carbon copies to be filed. It's a nice to get off without a fine but it may bite you in the arse later. Since they made the law that you must use a hands free device when talking ona phone while driving I have been pulled over for it twice. First time I received one of the paper warnings. Second was bogus as far as I'm concerned as I was in a parking lot which is private property and not a public road way. If I had gotten a ticket they would have seen in my record that I had been warned before and probably given a higher fine.

How did he know your speed, since only PA STATE cops can use radar devices. Or at least that's how it was 10-15 years ago.

Eh, don't worry about it too much. All part of the learning process. Gotta learn how and when to push it, and when not to. I'm pretty careful, but I still drive fast, and I've gotten pulled over twice in the last year. Only one did I get a ticket for, and that was way reduced from what it could have been.

(Was on a backroad in a rich neighborhood in PA, douche totally forced me to the side off road by coming down the middle of a blind curve downhill. I got super pissed and punched the gas in anger after I got back on the road. Flew by a cop @ 48 in a 25 in the 1/8th of a mi I was speeding. Whoops. Even then got only a "defective vehicle" ticket. whew.)

Only ticket I got in the last ~9yrs. Got pulled over a few times, but was always honest and straight and not doing anything too dumb. All warnings.

Another big rule is (learned this from a cop personally) is be honest! Cops are professionally trained to smell bullshit, unless you are an ace, they will nail you on it. If they think you are lying or playing smart, they will get pissed and F you over.

EG. The cop pulled over a guy, smelled alcohol. Asked the guy if he had been drinking. (Of course he had! But cop will ask to test.) Guy says yeah, he had a couple glasses at dinner. If he said no, cop was pulling him out for a full rundown. Guy was honest and cool about, so cop let him slide.
Protip: Know the ~1+hr/drink for detox rule. Cops will ask what time you had your drinks and how many. If its close and you're not f'd up, you can be ok.

Don't think you can get S-faced & drooling on yourself, or go 20 over and get away with it, but if its a grey zone, you can get off a lot of the time. (plus it helps if your not mexican ;) )

lol:
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