Stop Line (Bar) Violation and Placement
My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: California
I was driving down a 2 lane rural road with a sheriff car behind me, so I was sure to be cautious.
I came to an intersection with a STOP sign, stopped completely and proceeded.
Sheriff pulled me over, saying I didn't stop at the stop line.
I went back and looked, and indeed the stop line was over 20 feet from the intersection. Stopping there you can see none of the cross traffic, only tree trunks and vegetation. Even if the vegetation were cut back, the trunks still block the view.
(A side note: recent rains had washed mud & gravel onto the road that covered half the line, and city had laid off the public works staff who used to clean up and trim)
I checked with the city and there are no striping plans for any of the streets.
When the streets are slurried, like this one had been a few months prior, they just put stripes down where whoever is doing it thinks they should go.
The sheriff admitted that they thought the intersection before the one I stopped at had the line too far back, but they give tickets anyway.
The city realizes that there is no striping plan, has got a quote to provide one, and has restriped some areas that were way off when they get complaints.
I checked the MUTCD and it says Stop lines should be placed where one can see cross traffic.
There is no reason at the intersection I got the ticket that they can't move the line up to where most people stop anyway, and where cross traffic can be seen.
Is there any requirement, similar to speed surveys necessary before speeding tickets can be given, that stop lines have to be placed as per MUTCD for visibility of cross traffic, or at least that their placement shouldn't be "willy nilly"?
It would seem that issuing tickets for crossing lines that are deliberately or mistakenly placed could be seen as entrapment.
Is this something that should/could be challenged?
I have no moving violations in over 30 years of driving.
Thanks
Re: Stop Line (Bar) Violation and Placement
If you believe the stop line was concealed, and that you stopped lawfully at a subsequent point consistent with the placement of the stop sign, you can dispute the ticket and should take pictures with you to court.
If you believe the stop line was not properly placed, and that you stopped lawfully at a subsequent point consistent with the placement of the stop sign, you can dispute the ticket and should take pictures (and the relevant portions of the MUTCD) with you to court.