Man gets traffic ticket for running stop sign when video shows he clearly stopped (Tampa: how much)

[Tampaite]

Link: Man gets traffic ticket for running stop sign when video shows he clearly stopped

Chief Roach did defend his officers. “He defends his officers, saying technically…the law says you stop at the stop sign, you move forward, stop again, until you can see that the intersection is clear and then you go.”

What an idiot! According to him every driver in PA should be getting a ticket. Idiots like this ruin the goodwill that police have built overtime.

This got me thinking about FL law regarding stopping at STOP sign? am curious - I pulled up my handbook and there was no mention of this.

[SeaSpur]

Hmm. This is really odd- I got a ticket for the nearly the exact SAME THING in Tampa 2 weeks ago.

I posted this to another forum I frequent to get opinions, but I'd like them here as well:

I pass through a 4-way stop that I go through every single day. I'm a pretty cautious driver because something serious would affect my employment and I don't speed because I don't believe it gets you anywhere significantly faster. Never had a citation in my life before.

At any rate, there was a moped in front of me as I approached the stop sign (this was at Cypress/Rome). The moped scooted about 2 lengths of the moped in front of me and came to a stop while I came up behind him and stopped (at the actual line) then crept forward looking left and right then went cross the intersection directly behind the moped.

After 30 seconds, I heard a siren and noticed the lights behind me. Policewoman tells me I rolled through the stop sign and asked if I was distracted or in a hurry, which I was not. I told her I'm certain I stopped and have never been issued a traffic violation in my life and that I go through that intersection 2 times a day. She issued a $153 citation.

Do I have any chance in hell of fighting this in court or just pay up? It's only $153, but I can find a lot of other things to throw that cash at.

Any thing I should do to prepare myself in fighting it? Photos of intersection? Check to see if line is well painted? Obstructed at all?

Or am I pissing my time away and the one wearing the badge is always going to be right?

[jambo101]

How much do dash cams cost and where do you buy them?

[bentlebee]

Police officers like the ones in this case should be suspended without pay!

If cops do things like this than what else are they doing. I bet there are plenty of good people who rather have this cops job and should get it.

It is even ridiculous how some stop signs are placed 2 yards in front of a corner just for nothing and you can only see something if you pull up completely to the corner and hardly anyone will stop at the sign but for sure they stop at the corner to avoid accidents.

I got pulled over once for that but I told the police officer when he stated I didn't stop at the sign that from where his car was located you can't even see the stop sign so how could he even see if anyone would stop or not and I got a warning...pfff I was scared he would give me a ticket for talking back, but I thought if I would get a ticket I would video tape right away the situation and video tape where his car was so I could proof in court he was absolutely not able to see if any car would stop or not.

I'm all for safety but not for unfairness.

That dash cam was worth the money and I wonder why he had it...maybe I missed it since I didn't watch the entire tape but I'm getting the feeling we all may need one in our car to avoid things like this including getting caught for being trapped on the line at a red light camera intersection if traffic all of sudden stops for longer than a few seconds and you get a ticket while not moving.

A wrote months ago about someone I know who had that happen and saw the flash of the camera but months later never got a ticket so it seems they checked if the car had moved or not.

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by jambo101

How much do dash cams cost and where do you buy them?

around $200 for good quality one, amazon has many different to choose from

[Pragmaticus]

Originally Posted by bentlebee

Police officers like the ones in this case should be suspended without pay!

If cops do things like this than what else are they doing. I bet there are plenty of good people who rather have this cops job and should get it.

It is even ridiculous how some stop signs are placed 2 yards in front of a corner just for nothing and you can only see something if you pull up completely to the corner and hardly anyone will stop at the sign but for sure they stop at the corner to avoid accidents.

I got pulled over once for that but I told the police officer when he stated I didn't stop at the sign that from where his car was located you can't even see the stop sign so how could he even see if anyone would stop or not and I got a warning...pfff I was scared he would give me a ticket for talking back, but I thought if I would get a ticket I would video tape right away the situation and video tape where his car was so I could proof in court he was absolutely not able to see if any car would stop or not.

I'm all for safety but not for unfairness.

That dash cam was worth the money and I wonder why he had it...maybe I missed it since I didn't watch the entire tape but I'm getting the feeling we all may need one in our car to avoid things like this including getting caught for being trapped on the line at a red light camera intersection if traffic all of sudden stops for longer than a few seconds and you get a ticket while not moving.

A wrote months ago about someone I know who had that happen and saw the flash of the camera but months later never got a ticket so it seems they checked if the car had moved or not.

Did you see at the end that the journalist was mentioning what chief said? Technically, the cops were correct that he did NOT stop?

It addresses exactly the case you are describing above.

Here is the rule....

STOP at the stop sign, and then move to the intersection and then make another full STOP before going all the way. In other words, you need two stops according to the rule. Translation: the cops can do whatever they want because the rule is a crap....

[The b8nk]

Originally Posted by Tampaite

. Idiots like this ruin the goodwill that police have built overtime.

LOL not sure if this statement is serious, but the police dont have much goodwill to stand on as it is.

Originally Posted by jambo101

How much do dash cams cost and where do you buy them?

$60 bucks will get you a decent one on ebay.

[Magas]

without proof, going to court is going to do nothing, other than add court 'costs' lol

[rezfreak]

Do they not teach this in driver education down here? I'm from the midwest but I specifically remember stopping BEFORE the stop sign being taught. If you cant see down the street, then you have to inch forward AFTER the stop before proceeding.