You are herePolice Crackdown continues, plus Les' Halloween Alleycat recap.
Police Crackdown continues, plus Les' Halloween Alleycat recap.
James emailed me this earlier today and I wanted to spread the word:
Well the police are in full "crackdown" mode. Got pulled over this evening for no rear light. My battery went dead over the weekend hadnt gotten it replaced. My fault you know. But the officer said it is a $500 dollar fine for not having lights. Lucky for me i got off with a warning but others might not be so lucky. Thats is scary five hundred dollars thats almost a whole months pay for me. Well just letting you know how crazy it is as if you didnt already know.
WATCH OUT Y'ALL! I'm not entirely sure where the cop pulled the $500 fine amount from, but the point is they're on the look-out and WILL pull you over. I'm not sure if they're using light infractions as probable cause to search or anything, but if they're willing to violate you one way, I'm sure not much is holding them back from doing you on all fronts. Also, according to the law you don't even need a rear light, as long as you have a reflector (Sec 551.104). I'd still recommend as bright a rear flashing light (and a matching front) as you can acquire. Safety first!
I've never seen this level of fine for anything bike-related, and will be contacting them tomorrow to see if I can get a full schedule of bicycle-related fines from the City of Austin. I'm sick if hearing cops quote made-up numbers and bullshit laws as a threat to deter what they see as bad behavior amongst cyclists. Get over it officers, go stakeout 6th street in search of DRUNK DRIVERS, the real menace in downtown Austin on the weekends. Blaming the cyclists for the downtown traffic safety woes is sort of like blaming minnows for the increase in costal shark attacks.
Last night was Les' Halloween Alleycat. Rather than rehash what it was all about, go check out Les' after-race report. He's got a copy of the manifest for the race, as well as this badass map that really captured the spirit of the season. I missed the actual race but I caught the finish (on-camera, no less!) and stuck around for the after-party at Wahoo's. It looked like a hell of a race, with a great setup all around. Beer, food, awesome prizes and over 50 racers, though not all of them finished the grueling 20+ mile course. Les is quickly becoming my favorite race organizer, and with a busted leg, on top of it all! You're hardcore, dude.
my route for the race was roughly 21.18 miles with an average speed of between 21-22 miles an hour...that was fun hahaha
less gears more beers
I'd show you where he got the fine from, but goatse just isn't what it used to be ...
It's hard to be certain, but the car equivalent to the fine would be an equipment violation, $137. Of course, in a car, equipment violations might be reduced to a $10 or $20 fine if you get it taken care of -- I guess in the case of a bike light, that might mean producing a receipt for a new light, or a pack of AA batteries? Ultimately, it seems like the only accurate way of determining what the fine for something around here is to actually get charged for it and try to pay the fine. It seems like they just make things up as they go if they're not sure ... and just because the law says something, that doesn't make them sure.
As for a safety issue, the front light at night is more important than a back light or even a back reflector. If they're going to crack down on anything, cracking down on missing front lights makes a lot more sense than going after people who go through stop signs at a walking pace after looking. Though even $137 for a first offense seems awfully steep.
If lights are too expensive, buy one of these. They're cheap, but most seem to work pretty well. If you've got a few more dollars, buy this one -- really bright, but reasonably priced. Get two lights, have a backup. Make sure you get something that takes AA or AAA batteries, and get rechargables for it ...
that a front or rear light with dead batteries can arguably serve as a reflector, thus satisfying the law.
For that matter, so will reflective tape/clothing/equipment on the bike. Not the best or safest options, but certainly worth making sure they are noted on the ticket before signing. These are what may get it reduced or dismissed.
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The best substitute for good manners is fast reflexes.
For the back, the law says `[a reflector] of a type approved by the department'. Which is incredibly vague. Which department? (Department of Transportation seems the likely culprit, but this is the law -- we don't get to simply apply common sense.) What types have they approved? Have they ever approved a type? But I'd say that having a light that also has a reflector (not all lights do) ought to qualify, even if off. You might have to take it to the judge, but the judge ought to see it your way.
For the front, the law says light. Not reflector.
But I can't really fault any crackdown on bike lights. It seems like 2/3rds of the bikes I see out at night don't have lights, and it makes a huge difference in how easy they are to see. Unlike rolling through a stop sign, this actually is a safety issue. Though telling people it's a $500 fine is a bit over the top -- but I'd rather have a warning for a fictional $500 fine than an actual $137 ticket.