Busted for slicks...
#1
Senior Member
RACING JUNKIE
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: EUGENE,OR.
Posts: 3,391
Busted for slicks...
I was making some adjustments on my carb & decided to hit the street w/ slicks on. Not even a mile away, I was pulled over after a cop was behind me at a light. My car is licensed, registered, & insured, but I only have a license plate on the back. I did no burnoff, went speed limit, etc... after telling me I needed at least one wiper, different tires (front tires are not DOT either) he gave me a written warning. I have had this car 3 years with slicks on the whole time... but never been pulled over. Anyways, just FYI... I never really thought the police would care in summer weather & driving normal, but they do. I guess I will have to p/u some drag radials now...
#3
Member
MASTER JOURNEYMAN
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Newark, Delaware
Posts: 46
Your lucky on the written warning....If you look at my racespace, the bottom left picture was taken about 30 minutes before I got a $120.00 ticket for "unsafe tires". I had ET Streets on the car, and was not going to argue with the cop anymore, he first acused me of doing a burn out, which I amazing did not, but he had circumstancial evidence!!! Anyway, I took it to court and won!!!!!!
#4
Senior Member
RACING JUNKIE
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: EUGENE,OR.
Posts: 3,391
You won!! it is good to see... anyways, did the cop show or was it dismissed because he was not present @ court? This cop was pretty nice, treated me fair. I have driven many times w/ slicks, but never a problem until a cop was right behind me.
#5
Member
MASTER JOURNEYMAN
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Newark, Delaware
Posts: 46
He was there. It was all of us from the Cruise weekend there fighting our tickets. I watched a bunch of guys lose, but then I went up there and told the judge he never told me what was unsafe (which he did not), but I printed out the DMV page on unsafe tires, and I could not find anything that met the criteria. He then mentioned the tread, which I apoligized to the judge for converting those fractions to decimals, and told him the minimum tread dept for rear tires was .0625, and I still had .100 to .110 as of the day before, in "all the major tread groves. He liked my story, and sent me away!!!! Paying gas money to get from Delaware to Maryland to save $120.00 sucked, but beating the ticket, PRICELESS!!
It helped I think the cop was a rookie, he even admitted to me it was the first "unsafe tire" ticket he ever wrote.
It helped I think the cop was a rookie, he even admitted to me it was the first "unsafe tire" ticket he ever wrote.
#6
Junior Member
APPRENTICE
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 11
These are generally chicken s#$t tickets & the code is used as a tool by veteran officers to establish PC for other, more serious violations. about the only time I'd write it is a chronic violator or someone with a big mouth. Now that I'm older I'm not that quick to write 'em..........
#7
Senior Member
RACING JUNKIE
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: EUGENE,OR.
Posts: 3,391
I feel he was fair to me... I think he had some race blood in him back in the day... he saw the cut off switch, noticed a cage inside, then said he saw the slicks... & sumped tank with AN/hose. We were at a stop light & he was behind me. He was really cool though- I was NOT wearing my harness, basically no seat belt (I hate putting it on to go down the road a mile or 2). Anyways, he could have nailed me for a few things.... he told me that Oregon law states you must have at least one windshield wiper, but it does not state you have to have a windshield!! I was honest, had all the licensing, & did not argue... what could I say??? I did not even have my seat belt! Anyways, he wanted to know if I had the car certified... because he knew it was safer than just some amature abortion kid-car. It was, but expired. I guess I will find some drag radials now.