traffic violation

18 Stories

Judge Rules on Man Caught Driving With Dead Cellphone

Canadian judge explains his thinking in detail

(Newser) - A man caught driving with a dead cellphone has been found guilty of using a cellphone while driving, the Guardian reports. A Canadian judge ruled Monday that Patrick Henry Grzelak, caught wearing earbuds behind the wheel in British Columbia in Oct. 2018, had broken the law. "The cellphone itself...

App Fights Traffic Tickets for Less Than the Fine

A startup hires lawyers to go to court for you

(Newser) - Traffic violations can be pricey, with low-level speeding tickets costing as much as $400 in some US cities. After entrepreneur Chris Riley faced a huge fine for going less than 10mph over the speed limit in Miami, he decided to try to "give people access to services [like lawyers]...

Cars That Get Most, Least Tickets

What is up with Nissan 350Z drivers?

(Newser) - What car should you buy if you're hoping to avoid tickets? Apparently not the Nissan 350Z. OK, to be fair, it's probably not the car's fault—but people who buy that car are more prone to traffic violations, a new survey from Insurance.com finds. The five...

Cops Bust HOV Cheater— With 'Most Interesting Man'

Washington traffic stop yields one stiff passenger

(Newser) - If you're going to circumvent HOV-lane rules, go interesting or go home. That was apparently the goal of one driver in Fife, Wash., who was pulled over by a trooper Monday afternoon after the officer noticed the guy's passenger seemed a little stiff, KOMO reports. "The trooper...

Ferguson Sued Over 'Debtors Prisons'

Suit says city routinely locks up people too poor to pay fines

(Newser) - Debtors prisons vanished from most of the US in the 1830s, but Ferguson, Mo., is still routinely locking up people who can't afford to pay fines, according to a group of civil rights lawyers suing the city. A pair of lawsuits accuses Ferguson and Jennings, another St. Louis suburb,...

Police Scandal Leads to 6K Nixed Speeding Tickets

Houston officers filed falsified reports: officials

(Newser) - Some 6,150 speeding-ticket recipients are getting off easy: Their cases are being dismissed because they may have been victims of police misconduct, according to an investigation. Four Houston officers were found to have falsely reported each other as witnesses on tickets they wrote, investigators say. In some cases, one...

Officer Saves Choking Woman Who Ran Red Light

He performed the Heimlich maneuver and dislodged sausage and biscuit

(Newser) - It's not every day people are thankful for being pulled over for running a red light, but for one woman choking on a sausage biscuit, the stop likely saved her life. Kalamazoo Public Safety Officer Jason Gates, meanwhile, says he was just doing his job. After he pulled the...

Left-Lane Slowpokes May Be Georgia's Newest Criminals

'Slowpoke' bill will become law if governor signs

(Newser) - If you've ever been stuck behind a person driving too slowly in the fast lane, the Georgia Legislature is here for you: Its "slowpoke" bill would require anyone driving on a divided highway to move to the right when a faster car approaches from behind—even if the...

USPS: We Don't Pay Traffic Tickets

East Cleveland's mayor gets a surprise

(Newser) - Did you know the USPS doesn't legally have to obey traffic laws? East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton was surprised to find out. His city had sent the USPS a notice after traffic cameras caught postal service vehicles breaking the law seven times, Cleveland.com reports. But instead of a...

Cop Gives Guy $100 With Traffic Ticket

Driver said he broke down in his car

(Newser) - First a cop buys boots for a homeless guy, now this: A police officer in Plano, Texas, slipped a $100 bill in with a traffic ticket for one lucky driver, CBS News reports. Hayden Carlo, 25, says the officer pulled him over for an expired registration: "I said there'...

Ticket-Crazed Virginia Hands Out 6,996 in One Weekend
Ticket-Crazed Virginia Hands Out 6,996 in One Weekend
cha-ching dept
Mar 11, 2010 9:12 AM CST

Ticket-Crazed Virginia Hands Out 6,996 in One Weekend

States across the nation look to motorists as a way to fix budget gaps

(Newser) - In the olden days, cops handed out traffic tickets to keep us safe; in our brave, new, cash-strapped world, states and municipalities are pushing police to hand out as many as possible—for the money they bring in. Just look at Virginia, where last weekend police wrote 6,996 tickets...

Arnold: 'No One Is Perfect'
 Arnold: 'No One Is Perfect' 
PARK IT LIKE IT'S HOT
Nov 24, 2009 7:20 PM CST

Arnold: 'No One Is Perfect'

Governor owns up to traffic violation

(Newser) - Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted he's not above the occasional traffic violation today after being caught parking in a red zone. The slip-up just proves that "no one is perfect—not even me," the governor said today. California forbids parking or stopping in red zones, but that didn't stop Schwarzenegger...

Have Mercy, Officer: I Can't Think of a Good Excuse

(Newser) - Every time a cop pulls someone over, he or she is liable to hear an excuse. And every so often, a driver manages to surprise even the most jaded ticket-writer, the San Jose Mercury News reports. Like the pair of Frenchmen one officer caught speeding on Highway 101. They’d...

Hybrid Owners Have More Accidents, Get More Tickets

Environmentally-conscious motorists also drive more, study says

(Newser) - Owners of hybrid vehicles tend to drive more, have higher repair bills, and get more tickets than their gas-guzzling counterparts, the Car Connection reports. A study of the behavior of 360,000 motorists found insurers pay 17% more for comprehensive coverage of hybrid owners compared to owners of conventional models....

Finland, Land of the $200K Speeding Ticket

(Newser) - If you think that pricey speeding ticket is unfair, just look at Finland, where fines are based on income. Mental Floss takes a look at five doozies:
  • In 2002, a Nokia exec on a Harley got hit with a whopping $103,600 fine for cruising at 47mph in a 31mph
...

Dallas Cop in Moats Traffic Stop Resigns

(Newser) - The Dallas police officer who was suspended after stopping NFL player Ryan Moats, keeping him from his mother-in-law's deathbed, has resigned, the Dallas Morning News reports. Robert Powell said he made the decision “with a heavy heart and great sadness” and hopes the move will allow people “to...

Moats to Traffic-Stop Cop: Apology Accepted

(Newser) - NFL player Ryan Moats said today he accepted the apology of the cop who stopped and detained him with a drawn gun in a hospital parking lot, preventing him from seeing his mother-in-law before she died, though his wife was allowed to go to her bedside. Moats told Good Morning ...

Britney Case Ends in Mistrial
 Britney Case Ends in Mistrial 
Oct 21, 2008 5:12 PM CDT

Britney Case Ends in Mistrial

(Newser) - Britney Spears’ misdemeanor driving-without-a-license prosecution ended in mistrial today, and lawyers for the people have no intention of trying her again, E! Online reports. After 5 votes, the jury remained deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal. The foreman said many jurors had their minds set early and thought the trial...

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