[Louisanna] Failure to Dim

[LAGrad]

Hello

About an hour ago (1am local) I was traveling down a residential street in Baton Rouge LA, the College Town area. Since it's a holiday weekend I should have been unsurprised that there were some house parties going on, but this particular stretch of road is the shortest distance home. I noticed that there were cars parked on the side of the road (I don't think it's illegal, its just one of those roads that's barely wide enough to park on the side) and a large number of people milling about on the sidewalks and in the road.

The road itself was clear of other vehicles (at least ones with any lights on) and very poorly lit, no steetlights just a couple porch lights and stoop lights. So I decided there was something of a safety issue (reasonable expectation is that all the pedestrians were intoxicated) and I decided to flip on my high beams to make sure the pedestrians (jaywalking) were aware I was there and to make sure I could see them. As I was clearing the worst of it I saw a vehicle turn onto the road from the far end, after I got well back onto my side of the road I flipped my high beams off. About this time I realized that the car in question was a police vehicle, he turned around in a driveway and pulled behind me at the stoplight. After the light changed I made my left turn and the police car followed, flipping on his lights when I was on the new road. I pulled over into a nearby gas station (there was no shoulder), and I went through the pullover procedure (though he asked me to get out of my car before asking for my license/insurance/registration, which seems a little odd to me).

A little background, I've gotten 2 tickets, a speeding ticket for 75 in a 70 which is 4 years old and a parking violation which is 3 years old. I probably should have gotten a couple more when I was younger and dumber, but my brother-in-law is a volunteer fireman and so the police officers who pulled me over knew me and let me off.

I'm not a police officer, nor do I honestly claim to understand the officer's point of view, but since my record is pretty clean, I was stone sober and cooperative, and it should have been relatively clear that I had a reason to have my brights on, did I get a ticket due to the combination of a holiday weekend, out of state plates/license, and I'm young? To me this seems like it should have been a warning, I can understand pulling me over to check for a DUI, but after it was clear I wasn't intoxicated I really don't understand why the officer didn't send me home.

So my question is what do you think the odds are of having the fine removed if I show up to my court date? Will the judge even care that I was attempting to improve my visibility and thus make the road safer, or will he tell me to pay my fine as soon as I tell him my hi beams were in fact on and not care for the reason? Showing up to the court is honestly probably not worth it for the fine, I'm a grad student and it would mean staying in town for the first 2 weeks of my Christmas break (and I only get to go home a couple times a year, so I don't want to lose a lot of time with my family for no good reason). While the ticket is quite expensive it's certainly within my means to pay it, but I'm worried about whether this will add points to my license (I've never had any) and the impact it could have on my insurance.

If you were me, what would you do?

[Samuel]

Hello

About an hour ago (1am local) I was traveling down a residential street in Baton Rouge LA, the College Town area. Since it's a holiday weekend I should have been unsurprised that there were some house parties going on, but this particular stretch of road is the shortest distance home. I noticed that there were cars parked on the side of the road (I don't think it's illegal, its just one of those roads that's barely wide enough to park on the side) and a large number of people milling about on the sidewalks and in the road.

The road itself was clear of other vehicles (at least ones with any lights on) and very poorly lit, no steetlights just a couple porch lights and stoop lights. So I decided there was something of a safety issue (reasonable expectation is that all the pedestrians were intoxicated) and I decided to flip on my high beams to make sure the pedestrians (jaywalking) were aware I was there and to make sure I could see them.

Nothing Egregiously wrong with that IMO - so far....

As I was clearing the worst of it I saw a vehicle turn onto the road from the far end

So you now have oncoming traffic...

, after I got well back onto my side of the road

And you were driving on either the wrong side of the road or partially blocking oncoming traffic lane(s)...

I flipped my high beams off.

Apparently you should have dimmed them much earlier...

About this time I realized that the car in question was a police vehicle, he turned around in a driveway and pulled behind me at the stoplight. After the light changed I made my left turn and the police car followed, flipping on his lights when I was on the new road. I pulled over into a nearby gas station (there was no shoulder), and I went through the pullover procedure (though he asked me to get out of my car before asking for my license/insurance/registration, which seems a little odd to me).

Nothing wrong with pulling you out - LEOs can make you stay in OR pull you out at their discretion.

A little background, I've gotten 2 tickets, a speeding ticket for 75 in a 70 which is 4 years old and a parking violation which is 3 years old. I probably should have gotten a couple more when I was younger and dumber, but my brother-in-law is a volunteer fireman and so the police officers who pulled me over knew me and let me off.

Has nothing to do with anything... Even the most careful driver could absentmindedly make a violation...

I'm not a police officer, nor do I honestly claim to understand the officer's point of view, but since my record is pretty clean, I was stone sober and cooperative, and it should have been relatively clear that I had a reason to have my brights on,

maybe, maybe not... you also have the responsibility NOT to blind other vehicles/drivers or pedestrians...

did I get a ticket due to the combination of a holiday weekend, out of state plates/license, and I'm young?

No, apparently you got a ticket for failure to dim your high beams... but that's a guess since you didn't write down the code/statute or explanation...

To me this seems like it should have been a warning, I can understand pulling me over to check for a DUI, but after it was clear I wasn't intoxicated I really don't understand why the officer didn't send me home.

LEOs also have the discretion to warn or cite. You got cited. BFD.

So my question is what do you think the odds are of having the fine removed if I show up to my court date?

Have to ask the judge. How is any of us supposed to know?

Will the judge even care that I was attempting to improve my visibility and thus make the road safer

You may have made the road "safer" for YOU but NOT for oncoming traffic... Next time, you won't have to blind other drivers IF you SIMPLY SLOW DOWN WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A CROWDED PEDESTRIAN FILLED ROADWAY...

, or will he tell me to pay my fine as soon as I tell him my hi beams were in fact on and not care for the reason?

Again, how is any of us supposed to know? Ask the judge.

Showing up to the court is honestly probably not worth it for the fine, I'm a grad student and it would mean staying in town for the first 2 weeks of my Christmas break (and I only get to go home a couple times a year, so I don't want to lose a lot of time with my family for no good reason). While the ticket is quite expensive it's certainly within my means to pay it, but I'm worried about whether this will add points to my license (I've never had any) and the impact it could have on my insurance.

See if you can go to traffic school.

If you were me, what would you do?

Take responsibility for your actions. Learn from this. See if you can go to traffic school.

[LAGrad]

And you were driving on either the wrong side of the road or partially blocking oncoming traffic lane(s)...

It's one of those narrow residential roads where they don't even paint lines down the middle, because people would cross them to avoid parked cars. There were parked cars so I gave them a wide berth.

You may have made the road "safer" for YOU but NOT for oncoming traffic... Next time, you won't have to blind other drivers IF you SIMPLY SLOW DOWN WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A CROWDED PEDESTRIAN FILLED ROADWAY...

I did slow down, sorry if I didn't make that clear, realistically though I didn't want to get surprised by someone walking out from behind a parked car. Hitting a pedestrian, even at idle, doesn't sound like a good idea so I was simply trying to make it easier for me to see them, and for them to see me.

Have to ask the judge. How is any of us supposed to know?

It's my understanding that issuing officers sometimes need to show up to traffic court. Since I've never been to traffic court I was wondering if I could get an opinion from someone with more experience with such things.

Take responsibility for your actions. Learn from this. See if you can go to traffic school.

I'm simply soliciting advice on how to best take responsibility. Will I have to show up to my court date to go to traffic school, or is it something I can negotiate before hand?

[tcop733]

Fail to dim headlamps is almost universal from state to state. In Texas you're required to dim them while approaching another vehicle at a distance of 500ft.
Believe you have 300 ft when approaching from behind.
Apparently, you approached the patrol unit at a distance less than 500 ft, without dimming your headlamps.
Being a former traffic deputy I know we were required to show up for court, regardless if it's just traffic.
Same when I was a patrolman.
You certainly have a right to explain your situation to the judge. Why your headlamps were on high beam "Pedestrians, low visibility, safety in mind".
Will it make a difference, of course that's up to the judge?

[kendral77]

Just an FYI, most of us will get OT for going to traffic court, so don't count on us not showing up to court.

[mcsap]

PA 500 feet approaching , 300 coming up behind.

I have missed ONE traffic court hearing in 24 1/2 years and the defendant failed to show as well. Good luck with that old wives tale of the officer frequently not showing up

[scott715us]

A big pet peeve of mine. It's not nice to blind other people, especially while driving a vehicle. Ticket deserved. It's a non-moving violaton in TN and no ponits on your record, just a fine.