Following too close ticket (live, dangerous, vs.)

smallcoin · 09-27-2008, 03:21 PM

Im wondering if some one here might be able to tell me any thing concerning the law, in Michigan pertaining to following a vehicle too closely, 2 days ago I was on my way from the church where i work and was going to the bank to cash my check, it wasin the afternoon, dry, no rain, sunny, a beautiful day, it was in a residential area and the speed limit was 25mph, I was driving along minding my own business at about 22mph with a Police officer in front of me, I was in absolutely no hurry, its a park like area so I was just enjoying the ride, all of a sudden the officer with no indication of what he was going to do puuled over like he was going to turn down a side street, but then kind of just stopped blocking the side street, I wondered what he was doing but thought oh well maybe he got a call, so kept going, turned down the street to got to the bank and he came up behind me and pulled me over, and ticketed me for being to close to him, I was shocked, I was not speeding, I was wearing my seat belt, I didnot bump into him or had to break inany way when he left the road, I just dont understand it at all,I dont know whether to fight this or just pay it, thinking I am not going to win over an officer of the law. Does anyone have any advice?

Milabs · 09-27-2008, 03:55 PM

How many feet from his bumper were you? A car length? Half a car length? Does it say on the ticket? You can fight it if you feel it's unfair.

smallcoin · 09-27-2008, 04:32 PM

to be completly honest I cant tell you at this time how close I was because I cant look back now and determine a distance because if you dont think your doing anything wrong you dont drive down the road and measure, I just know that I was in back of an officer and I must have felt that i was far enough behind, why would I sit on a police officers bumper? if I had hit him or something significant had happened I may have been more aware of something that was wrongfull.

Br1234 · 09-27-2008, 08:08 PM

Fight it. He was probably having a bad day and took it out on you.

I got a ticket for speeding 5 years ago. I was going about 5 over but he wrote me up for 25 over, I thought about fighting it but didn't want to bother. I regret not contesting it still to this day. FIGHT IT. He most likely will not even show up and the mag. will drop the vio..

jst333 · 09-27-2008, 08:19 PM

Its about time that police start giving tickets for this. Were You 2.5 car legths behind him? If not, You should be, it was the law, and a safe distance. But in Your defense, I've had police speed up and ride my A$$, until I turn off. Why? because they can, and they can write you tickets for laws that you would never think of. But they are the law.
When, I see people riding My bumper.. and, I'm doing the speed limit... Its "Brake Check Time"!

Coldjensens · 09-28-2008, 05:45 AM

Following too close is a huge problem with Michigan drivers. Everyone who comes here from other states notices this. What they need to do, it ticket 90% of the drivers in the state twice a day and then maybe driving habits will change. It is very dangerous and it makes no sense, yet it is the prevailing method of driving here. You do not arrive one second earlier by tailgating. In fact, you may arrive late because you end up in an accident. More than once I have been one of only two cars on the freeway or street late at night and the other guy is sitting ten feet off my bumper.

This is the one thing that drives me nuts about Michigan drivers since we returned from CA. Other than that, by comparison, Michigan drivers in general are far far better drivers than California Drivers in general. This also seems to be true of the comparison to east coast drivers.

If I remember right, you are required to leave one car length (about 10-12 feet) for every 10 mph of speed. thus, if you re going 25 MPH you should be 2.5 car lengths back. If you are going 70 you should be 7 car lengths back. If you are going 100 m.p.h., you need to leave 10 car lengths. This will leave you adequate stopping distance.

to be honest, if you were tailgating, it is good that they wrte a ticket. They do nto ticket often enough for this. If they did, the practice would stop. It is a hard ticket to prove however, it is a question of their judgment vs. yours about what is "too close". They have no means of measuring. Perhaps someday they will measure this by radar as well.

So many police departments now are using tickets as a means of supplementing funding for overtime and writing bogus tickets. I am surprised that they do not write more of these.

smallcoin · 09-28-2008, 01:55 PM

in my opinion I was not too close, If I thought I was too close I wouldnt have continued to tailgate an officer, bottom line, I feel I was a fair distance behind, I was not speeding and felt confident that I had my vehicle under control, Just because he felt and said I was too close does not make it so. Period, lots of things come into play when you are driving, day, night, wet, dry, speed etc,

Coldjensens · 09-28-2008, 02:49 PM

That is what you should tell the judge. No way you were too close. Only an idiot tailgtes a cop. Since you are not an idiot, he must be incorrect. - note do nto say he is lying. Say he is mistaken.

Nearborn · 09-28-2008, 02:59 PM

There is no number of feet or "car lengths" specified. It is a somewhat subjective assessment by the officer based on his experience and common sense. If you're going 25 mph, you're going about 32 feet per second. It generally takes an average person about 1to 1.5 seconds to perceive and react to a problem. Then it takes more time for the brakes to work and the car to come to a stop, or to swerve. So if the car in front of you suddenly slams on the brakes and you're less than 30-50 feet behind him, chances are you're going to rear-end him.

It's a virtual guarantee if you have your head up your behind putting on makeup, talking on the cell phone or playing with your radio. Chances are, if the cop wrote you for that, you deserved it.

Quote:

MICHIGAN VEHICLE CODE (EXCERPT)
Act 300 of 1949

257.643 Distance between vehicles; violation as civil infraction.

Sec. 643.
(1) The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of the vehicles and the traffic upon, and the condition of, the highway.
(2) A person shall not operate a motor vehicle with a gross weight, loaded or unloaded, in excess of 5,000 pounds outside the corporate limits of a city or village, within 500 feet of a like vehicle described in this subsection, moving in the same direction, except when overtaking and passing the vehicle.
(3) A distance of not less than 500 feet shall be maintained between 2 or more driven vehicles being delivered from 1 place to another.
(4) A person who violates this section is responsible for a civil infraction.
[SIZE=2][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]History: 1949, Act 300, Eff. Sept. 23, 1949 ;-- Am. 1978, Act 510, Eff. Aug. 1, 1979 [/SIZE]

MittenDweller82 · 09-28-2008, 03:06 PM

Sorry but....given the states need for $$ right now...I don't think the judge will sway much on his response. In the past I have only won 1 ticket out of several that were clearly the officers fault, but in this case, many many accidents are caused by tailgating so I would prepare to pay up.