First ticket on the 'busa

First ticket on the 'busa - What to do?

  • A. Go to court and fight the ticket.

    Votes: 18 100.0%

  • Total voters
    18

K Wolf

Donating Member
Registered
I received my first ticket on the 'busa today-Careless Driving. I was riding on a three lane freeway in bright daylight with light traffic. I was going slightly faster than the speed limit (as was every vehicle around me). A city patrol car had followed me to the onramp before I got on the freeway. I knew he was going to be watching me to see if I was going to hit light speed on the freeway, so I decided to keep it on easy. After I moved into the fast lane, I engaged my Throttlemeister at a pace appropriate for the fast lane without being fast enough to get a speeding ticket unless the officer was anal. Well after engaging the TM, I did what I often do for relaxed riding, and sat straight up with my hands at my side while watching traffic and road conditions and occasionally making minute throttle adjustments. There was always at least 70 yards in front of me clear in my lane, and about the same behind me until the patrol car pulled me over. After about four miles of this, the patrol car comes up behind me and blue lights me. He had been pacing me from the service road and video taped me.

Anyone else occasionally ride hands free, or am I crazy for doing so?

Karl
 
You said he had it on video so you might as well pay the ticket.
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look up your traffic laws and see what qualifies for careless driving and if anywhere it states how many, if any, hands have to be on the grips. a while back, dps trooper gave me a warning for improper/incomplete stop because both feet weren't down at the stopsign, but there wasn't any forward motion on my part. I think it was just an excuse to light me up and run my info. didn't care too much since it was just a warning
 
sounds like you were pushing your luck knowing the LEO was behind you.. hands off bars could cause some guy with bad intentions to harass you...

Seems around here the attitudes get worse every year as more and more "runners" make them less likely to have any kind of mercy in mind...
 
Careless driving ? Is there points involved ?
I don't know what the point value is. I'm most concerned with the effect it will have on my insurance premiums.

As far as the law, this is what I've found:


Title 27 Transportation
Subtitle 4. Motor Vehicular Traffic
Chapter 51 Operation Of Vehicles - Rules Of The Road
Subchapter 1 - General Provisions
27-51-104. Careless and prohibited driving.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to drive or operate any vehicle in such a careless manner as to evidence a failure to keep a proper lookout for other traffic, vehicular or otherwise, or in such a manner as to evidence a failure to maintain proper control on the public thoroughfares or private property in the State of Arkansas.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or drive any vehicle on the public thoroughfares or private property in the State of Arkansas in violation of the following prohibited acts:

(1) Improper or unsafe lane changes on public roadways;

(2) Driving onto or across private property to avoid intersections, stop signs, traffic control devices, or traffic lights;

(3) Driving in such a manner, or at such a speed, so as to cause a skidding, spinning, or sliding of tires or a sliding of the vehicle;

(4) Driving too close to, or colliding with, parked or stopped vehicles, fixtures, persons, or objects adjacent to the public thoroughfares;

(5) Driving a vehicle which has any part thereof, or any object, extended in such fashion as to endanger persons or property;

(6) To operate any vehicle in such a manner which would cause a failure to maintain control;

(7) To operate or drive a vehicle wherein or whereon passengers are located in such a manner as to be dangerous to the welfare of such passengers; or

(8) To operate a vehicle in any manner, when the driver is inattentive, and such inattention is not reasonable and prudent in maintaining vehicular control.

© A person who violates this section shall be subject to a fine not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100).

The bold part is what makes me think I'd lose in court.

Karl
 
Come on think about it... We all do it but the fact is it is Careless Driving. Riding a Busa that can easy do 200+ with no hands? What else could it be? Just pay the ticket... You had you chance to run but you pulled over...
 
If the video shows you running striaght down the road in control, I say fight it!

But if you were swerving side to side, forget about it, just pay up.

If you were not swerving side to side, I'd also file a complaint against the officer. Maybe hire a lawyer. Sounds like he pulled you over for being on a motorcycle to me.
 
looks like you might qualify for #8 too, good luck. for less than $100, I'd pay the extra and see if I could get it deferred so the insurance won't find out
 
I'm not sure what options you have being in a different state, traffic laws vary so much depending upon where you are. My recomendation would be to check into court supervision or a similar option where if you keep your record clean for a set period of time the violation is removed from your record. This would keep your insurance down as they would never know unless you told them. You will most likely have to contact the office that will be handling the prosecution of the offense to inquire about such programs and I would take the opportunity to explain the offense to them at that time, never know, on a long shot they may agree with you and toss it out.

Sounds to me to be the best option if he got you on video. If you were to fight it you would most likely have to convince a judge that your actions were safe, this could be tough to do.
 
what kills me is a guy in a car can eat lunch, text his mother, read a book and then take a look to see where they are going...
 
ok go to court talk to the judge see if you can get supervision kind of like probabtion like 30 day or 90 that way if no more infractions it wont show up on your record
 
If you take you throttle hand off the grip you are no longer in control of the vehicle.
So if you take your foot off the gas pedal, you are no longer in control??

What about applying makeup, eating, using a cell phone, pushing buttons on the radio...??

I'd have to see the video to see what the cop saw.
 
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