I am from Michigan.
I got a ticket for running a red light. The officer was sitting 4 houses east of the traffic light. Traffic was early morning rush hour and bumper to bumper. I was last in the line of cars that went through the light.
Time was 8AM.
The sky was clear and the sun was blindingly bright as I headed east and it shone right into the windshield. It's that time of the year when sun blinds you as you head east on the road. It is that time of the year when sunglasses are on and visor is flipped.
So the visor was down, speed was about 25 mph or less. I approached the light with caution, with the visor down my eye portl was reduced to looking straight ahead not above at a signal that's centered over the intersection. The light was green when I approached but with the visor down and the bright sun it must have turned yellow, then red faster than I imagined. At worse, I thought I may have went through a yellow when the officer pulled me over. The traffic slowed down going through the intersection which is probably due to seeing the police office sitting in a residential driveway. That's not a normal event in this area. The officer could not see the traffic light on the west side when I approached. He was only sighted to the signal on his side or east side of the intersection. Without the sun blinding him he was able to look to the west and watch the cars pass under the traffic signal.
QUESTION -- Does the fact that the officer did not see my side of the light make any difference in writing up a citation? That is, does the Police Office have to see the actual light that you were supposed to have violated or can he infer it from a bulb on the other side? The lights may not have been synched. Am I "whistlng Dixie" on this one and simply need to pay the fine or should I contest it because the officer did NOT see the actual light I was cited for running? Thanks for your comments and critque.
I am not a chronic violator of traffic lights and my record is clean. I am just a humble business person commuting to work in rush hour traffic.
What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?
I got a ticket for running a red light. The officer was sitting 4 houses east of the traffic light. Traffic was early morning rush hour and bumper to bumper. I was last in the line of cars that went through the light.
Time was 8AM.
The sky was clear and the sun was blindingly bright as I headed east and it shone right into the windshield. It's that time of the year when sun blinds you as you head east on the road. It is that time of the year when sunglasses are on and visor is flipped.
So the visor was down, speed was about 25 mph or less. I approached the light with caution, with the visor down my eye portl was reduced to looking straight ahead not above at a signal that's centered over the intersection. The light was green when I approached but with the visor down and the bright sun it must have turned yellow, then red faster than I imagined. At worse, I thought I may have went through a yellow when the officer pulled me over. The traffic slowed down going through the intersection which is probably due to seeing the police office sitting in a residential driveway. That's not a normal event in this area. The officer could not see the traffic light on the west side when I approached. He was only sighted to the signal on his side or east side of the intersection. Without the sun blinding him he was able to look to the west and watch the cars pass under the traffic signal.
QUESTION -- Does the fact that the officer did not see my side of the light make any difference in writing up a citation? That is, does the Police Office have to see the actual light that you were supposed to have violated or can he infer it from a bulb on the other side? The lights may not have been synched. Am I "whistlng Dixie" on this one and simply need to pay the fine or should I contest it because the officer did NOT see the actual light I was cited for running? Thanks for your comments and critque.
I am not a chronic violator of traffic lights and my record is clean. I am just a humble business person commuting to work in rush hour traffic.
What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?
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