Most common citations

[DESERT RAT]

If they dont teach you in the academy, your FTO will show you. Dont wanna give away our tactics on this board. When you get out on your own you will have all the tools to deal with TINT.

[uoplax13]

Here's a somewhat boring question for you officers out there....what are some of the most common things you end up citing for? Are there any pet peeves of yours that draw more attention than others?

[Mac]

The most common violations cited are the ones that cause the most collisions - DUI, speed, following too closely, stop signs/red lights, bad passing (like over double yellow lines), and right-of-way. Following too closely is one of my pet peeves because it's not only dangerous, it's highly annoying. The most common equipment cite is expired registration - probably followed by tinted windows and modified exhaust.

Different parts of the state will have different areas of emphasis. In the central valley where there's a lot of agriculture, farm labor vehicle violations could be a biggie. On dense urban freeways, it could be carpool lane violations, following and lane changes. On two-lane county roads in rural areas, bad passing and speed would be big game. DUI and seat belts/child restraints are high on the list no matter where you are, though. It's all pretty much tailored to the "accident picture" for that particular area - the "PCF" (Primary Collision Factor) violations will get the most attention, whatever they are.

[Your Mentor]

I write speed more than anything else. Always have but I've always been on rural beats where other movers are rare. To put location in perspective, I've NEVER written a ticket for running a red light in my entire career. Can you imagine? I've never worked a beat where there was a traffic light. Okay, I did work such a beat during the 92' riots but that violation took a sideline to the gun shots. Seriously, I love working speed. It can really be a kick when the traffic flow is high and the top speeds are 85 or better. US-395 south of Bishop is one thrilling beat to work during the ski season. Nothing but high speed. My graveyard partner and I routinely wrote 30 for the car on a Friday night.

I have only two pet peaves. Anything else is just a day at work. I hate DUI drivers with a passion. Hooking deuces is the most satisfying act in our profession, as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately, I work morning shift mostly so don't get as many as I'd like. The other pet peave, and it pales in comparison, is people who park in disabled spaces without DP placards. Stupid, I know, but it really gets my blood boiling. Anything else; passing over double yellows, following too closely, excess of 100 mph, whatever, is all just another day at work. I don't even raise my voice and barely say a word during the stop. My anti-pet peave; the one violation that I could care less about? Seatbelts. I could care less if someone wears them or not. I've bagged bodies who were wearing them almost in equal numbers to those who were not. I will say, however, that those who weren't wearing them ended up in a far more gory condition. That doesn't mean I don't believe in them. I really do. If a person doesn't wear them, however, that ommission will NEVER result in the death of ANOTHER person. Sorry, just the cynical cop in me talking. Of course, I write them just to keep my supervisor and commander happy.

[dw]

Mentor, I agree with you regarding seatbelts, but I don't like paying higher insurance premiums because people don't wear them. If we had a separate insurance category for those who don't want to wear them, I think I'd be okay with it.

[Tom]

Kelley, I Kinda think the same about motorcycle and bicycle helmets.

Tom

It would be cool if you could post like a 2 million dollar insurance bond and then you wouldn't have to wear your seatbelts or wear a helmet if you didn't want to. (I would, personally)

[retchp]

I write speed more than anything else.

I found that the same jerk who is running thirty over the speed limit is the same jerk who runs a stop sign or passes over a double yellow line or tailgates your mom. Any ticket will do for that guy.
I once told an area commander that, when he was bitching at us because we wrote too many speed tickets and not enough pcf violations. He didn't like it and called me into his office for a little tuning up since I had embarassed him in front of the guys.
I still think I am right, but just to humor him I used to go to this little tiny road where there was a set of double yellows and it was pretty hard to not at least partly cross them on a particular curve. I would wait there at the start of my shift for the first poor sap to be over half a car across the lines, cite him and then go write my speeds. Thus killing two birds with one stone...more pcf violations to placate the AC and being left alone to write high fliers.

[DESERT RAT]

The violation that really bothers me is TINT! I know it is a petty violation, but these people from Nevada have Tint on their front windows. I stopped a car the other day that had super dark Tint on the front window with a small 4" by 7" square cut out, so he could see! I hate it with a passion, you cant see if the driver has a shotgun pointed at you or is handing you his license. Man, every car from southern California has dark tint on front side windows.

[ResQ]

So Desert Rat...whaddaya do? My non-trained opinion is use the loud speaker and have all windows down and hands out everytime I pull over tint...like you said, you NEVER know what is behind the tint...OR have the driver exit with the keys and move to the rear of the vehicle and then shield yourself with them until you can determine there are no other occupants through questioning...almost felony stop style because your life depends on it?! But this becomes unreasonable on a number of levels...so is there any balance? I sure hope they teach us this one...

[SB 405]

How about the people who see you coming in the rear view mirror and you notice they have the back, left and right rear doors tinted at 80% and even though it may be 50 degrees outside as you roll by you notice the driver has decided to roll down both the driver and passanger side front door windows to avoid being stopped.:lol: You guys are hip to that...right?

[CHPwannaBE]

80% window tint is nothing. Tint starts to get dark at about 40%. What is the legal limit for tint in CA?

[Mac]

80% window tint is nothing. Tint starts to get dark at about 40%. What is the legal limit for tint in CA?The legal limit is 0%. You're not allowed ANY aftermarket tint on the front side windows or windshield.

[Tom]

Mac beat me to it!

26708. (a) (1) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any
object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied
upon the windshield or side or rear windows.
(2) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any object or
material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied in or upon
the vehicle which obstructs or reduces the driver's clear view
through the windshield or side windows.
(3) This subdivision applies to a person driving a motor vehicle
with the driver's clear vision through the windshield, or side or
rear windows, obstructed by snow or ice.
(b) This section does not apply to any of the following:
(1) Rearview mirrors.
(2) Adjustable nontransparent sunvisors which are mounted forward
of the side windows and are not attached to the glass.
(3) Signs, stickers, or other materials which are displayed in a
7-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield farthest removed
from the driver, signs, stickers, or other materials which are
displayed in a 7-inch square in the lower corner of the rear window
farthest removed from the driver, or signs, stickers, or other
materials which are displayed in a 5-inch square in the lower corner
of the windshield nearest the driver.
(4) Side windows which are to the rear of the driver.
(5) Direction, destination, or termini signs upon a passenger
common carrier motor vehicle or a schoolbus, if those signs do not
interfere with the driver's clear view of approaching traffic.
(6) Rear window wiper motor.
(7) Rear trunk lid handle or hinges.
(:cool: The rear window or windows, when the motor vehicle is equipped
with outside mirrors on both the left- and right-hand sides of the
vehicle that are so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the
highway through each mirror for a distance of at least 200 feet to
the rear of the vehicle.
(9) A clear, transparent lens affixed to the side window opposite
the driver on a vehicle greater than 80 inches in width and which
occupies an area not exceeding 50 square inches of the lowest corner
toward the rear of that window and which provides the driver with a
wide-angle view through the lens.
(10) Sun screening devices meeting the requirements of Section
26708.2 installed on the side windows on either side of the vehicle's
front seat, if the driver or a passenger in the front seat has in
his or her possession a letter or other document signed by a licensed
physician and surgeon certifying that the person must be shaded from
the sun due to a medical condition, or has in his or her possession
a letter or other document signed by a licensed optometrist
certifying that the person must be shaded from the sun due to a
visual condition. The devices authorized by this paragraph shall not
be used during darkness.
(11) An electronic communication device affixed to the center
uppermost portion of the interior of a windshield within an area that
is not greater than 5 inches square, if the device provides either
of the following:
(A) The capability for enforcement facilities of the Department of
the California Highway Patrol to communicate with a vehicle equipped
with the device.
(B) The capability for electronic toll and traffic management on
public or private roads or facilities.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), transparent material may be
installed, affixed, or applied to the topmost portion of the
windshield if the following conditions apply:
(1) The bottom edge of the material is at least 29 inches above
the undepressed driver's seat when measured from a point 5 inches in
front of the bottom of the backrest with the driver's seat in its
rearmost and lowermost position with the vehicle on a level surface.

(2) The material is not red or amber in color.
(3) There is no opaque lettering on the material and any other
lettering does not affect primary colors or distort vision through
the windshield.
(4) The material does not reflect sunlight or headlight glare into
the eyes of occupants of oncoming or following vehicles to any
greater extent than the windshield without the material.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), clear, colorless, and
transparent material may be installed, affixed, or applied to the
front side windows, located to the immediate left and right of the
front seat if the following conditions are met:
(1) The material has a minimum visible light transmittance of 88
percent.
(2) The window glazing with the material applied meets all
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205 (49
C.F.R. 571.205), including the specified minimum light transmittance
of 70 percent and the abrasion resistance of AS-14 glazing, as
specified in that federal standard.
(3) The material is designed and manufactured to enhance the
ability of the existing window glass to block the sun's harmful
ultraviolet A rays.
(4) The driver has in his or her possession, or within the
vehicle, a certificate signed by the installing company certifying
that the windows with the material installed meet the requirements of
this subdivision and identifies the installing company and the
material's manufacturer by full name and street address, or, if the
material was installed by the vehicle owner, a certificate signed by
the material's manufacturer certifying that the windows with the
material installed according to manufacturer's instructions meets the
requirements of this subdivision and identifies the material's
manufacturer by full name and street address.
(5) If the material described in this subdivision tears or
bubbles, or is otherwise worn to prohibit clear vision, it shall be
removed or replaced.

[ResQ]

Sorry Desert Rat...good thought?! :shock:ops:

SUAC applies to me in this case... (shut up and color!)

[dw]

80% window tint is nothing. Tint starts to get dark at about 40%. What is the legal limit for tint in CA?The legal limit is 0%. You're not allowed ANY aftermarket tint on the front side windows or windshield.

...but all windows rear of the driver can be blacked-out, PROVIDED you have a right-side mirror (in addition to the center and left-side mirrors already required).

[BoySergeant]

And, dw, the tint doesn't cover the tail light in the window. I know a guy that writes that all the time. I never have. Of course, he gets at least 1 to 2 complaints a month.

[dw]

And, dw, the tint doesn't cover the tail light in the window. I know a guy that writes that all the time. I never have. Of course, he gets at least 1 to 2 complaints a month.

True, to do so would be modifying the original design of said brake lamp (it's not a tail light, BTW -- last time I checked, it wasn't illuminated with the headlights ;) ).

(For everyone else, I apologize -- BoySergeant and I are hyper-competitive classmates. :rolleyes: )

[Your Mentor]

Rat,
Are you writing out-of-state vehicles for tint?

ResQ,
At night, I tell the occupants over the PA to turn on the interior dome light. It allows you to see in but they can't see out. The light reflects off the inside and blinds them. Try it with you're own vehicle if you have 'privacy glass' on the windows behind the B pillar. It'll surprise you how well it works. Always try to think of ways to turn a situation in your favor. During daytime, have them roll down all their windows (no-brainer) and keep an eye on their side-view windows as you make your approach. Also, I try to make my approach in a sweeping arc if the shoulder permits it and there is cover available. None of these tactics are listed in the OST manual, I just improvised as I went along. As Rat is learning, Death Valley is the remotest beat in the state and backup is rarely available or response is extended.

[SB 405]

Yeah but Mentor do people understand what you mean by telling them to turn on the dome light right away? (I can just see a duce trying to follow that request) I would think more than a few people would be thinking "turn on what,how do I do that" for a minute or two because turning on the dome light by hand isn't something that's done everyday by most people. Along with the natural nervousness a person may be feeling at the begining of the stop. I do agree with you about not being able to see what's going on outside when the dome light is on because the light seems to reflect off the glass back into the vehicle. Not that I'm in the habit of being stopped but in 30 years of driving I've been stopped a time or two and always make it a point to keep my hands on top the the steering wheel as the Officer(s) approach and I avoid making any type of move w/o first telling him/her what my intentions are. I NEVER start fumbling around the glove box until we have an understanding of what I'm going to do. I like to keep everything nice and easy with no suprises. I think to myself I know who you are but you have NO idea who I am.;) I've been warned more than cited so maybe my actions are taken into consideration...who knows.

[Your Mentor]

Haven't had a problem yet but I completely understand your point. I certainly wouldn't beleaguer the request if it was apparent the driver didn't understand my orders over the PA. I'd just make my approach as usual.

[FuelInjection09]

While we're on the topic of citations, has anyone here ever refereed a raised truck before?

Illegally raised trucks are one of my pet peeves. It's an unpleasant feeling when a truck with its front bumper the same height as your windshield drifts into your lane on a canyon road and almost plows into you head-on because the driver was going way too fast for the curve. Not to mention their dangerously high center of gravity, unadjusted headlights that blind motorists, no mud flaps that reek havoc in rain, and their bully tactics of driving. Oh yeah, and they're illegal too. I've never heard of anyone every refereeing one. I've been steadily seeing a rise in 30+ inch lifted trucks romping around; some of these trucks are ridiculous. I understand practical lifts and larger tires, to a certain point, but most of these "show trucks" have never even seen the dirt. :confused:

[FuelInjection09]

While we're on the topic of citations, has anyone here ever refereed a raised truck before?

Illegally raised trucks are one of my pet peeves. It's an unpleasant feeling when a truck with its front bumper the same height as your windshield drifts into your lane on a canyon road and almost plows into you head-on because the driver was going way too fast for the curve. Not to mention their dangerously high center of gravity, unadjusted headlights that blind motorists, no mud flaps that reek havoc in rain, and their bully tactics of driving. Oh yeah, and they're illegal too. I've never heard of anyone ever refereeing one. I've been steadily seeing a rise in 30+ inch lifted trucks romping around; some of these trucks are ridiculous. I understand practical lifts and larger tires, to a certain point, but most of these "show trucks" have never even seen the dirt. :confused:

[Your Mentor]

We stop baby monster trucks (aka "Bubba Trucks") all the time. They offer a plethora of violations.

[retchp]

I especially loved writing them for "Mudflaps required". Nothing like screwing up the looks of the piece of garbage with some big ol flaps on the back. Of course if they didn't get the flaps installed or failed to apear in court that was even better. Now its a warrant.

[SB 405]

ret...If I didn't know better I'd swear I noticed a grin on your face while writing that last post.:biggrin:

[bcjack]

The headlights are the big deal to me...Driving a BMW (car...not motor) and having one of these things come up behind you and bore holes in your retinas with the out-of-adjustment headlights just frys my ass...:cool: