Traffic stop in Houston

[rmoraes]

B"H
On Wednesday the 22nd, a Houston Police Officer stopped me 'cause I went trough a "stop sign". Third time I've been pulled since I got my LTC 26 years ago, every time they let me go with a verbal warning.
God bless all police officers out there!

[OneGun]

I was stopped once for running an "orange" light. I found that being polite to the police officer, letting him know I was armed, and handing him my LTC, went a long way to me just getting a warning.

[Ruark]

I was stopped once for running an "orange" light. I found that being polite to the police officer, letting him know I was armed, and handing him my LTC, went a long way to me just getting a warning.

I assume you mean a yellow light. Interesting, I didn't know going through a yellow light was illegal....

[C-dub]

One can get stopped and cited for all kinds of things. I once got a ticket for going 55 in a 40 while taking my daughter to school and my cruise control set on 40. As soon as we turned onto that road I pointed the motorcycle cop up ahead out to her then less than 10 seconds later he lit me up. I also got a ticket for speeding on a highway I wasn't even on when I was leaving NAS Miramar back in '84. Tickets are given out for whatever a particular officer wants at any given time. I've had four speeding tickets in my entire life and only earned one of them.

[03Lightningrocks]

I was stopped once for running an "orange" light. I found that being polite to the police officer, letting him know I was armed, and handing him my LTC, went a long way to me just getting a warning.

I assume you mean a yellow light. Interesting, I didn't know going through a yellow light was illegal....

I was stopped for that one a few years ago. I realize cops are not lawyers but what he told me was that if my vehicle is not clear of the intersection once the light turns red, it is considered running a red light. He gave me a verbal warning and let me go.

[03Lightningrocks]

B"H
On Wednesday the 22nd, a Houston Police Officer stopped me 'cause I went trough a "stop sign". Third time I've been pulled since I got my LTC 26 years ago, every time they let me go with a verbal warning.
God bless all police officers out there!

I am of the opinion that age plays a huge factor. When they see the driver is an older person, over 55, they cut us some extra slack. Maybe it is due to the respect our generation shows for them. I got pulled over in Allen a month ago for doing 65 in a 35. I figured I was about to get my first ticket in 10 years. He came to the window and gave me a written warning. I was extremely polite and did the yes sir/no sir thing. I knew I was in the wrong. No point in acting a fool over it. I let my LTC expire because of constitutional carry so I know an LTC had nothing to do with it.

[Ruark]

Well, I've "been told" by a police officer that if a light is yellow when you enter the intersection, you're okay.

[03Lightningrocks]

Well, I've "been told" by a police officer that if a light is yellow when you enter the intersection, you're okay.

Sounds to me like it is subjective. I suppose a person would need to test the issue in court to find out. Like someone posted above, they can write us up for about anything they want. Standing up in court is likely a different issue.

[der Teufel]

Well, I've "been told" by a police officer that if a light is yellow when you enter the intersection, you're okay.

Sounds to me like it is subjective. I suppose a person would need to test the issue in court to find out. Like someone posted above, they can write us up for about anything they want. Standing up in court is likely a different issue.

That jibes with my understanding, which is if you enter the intersection while the light is yellow without accelerating you're okay. If you speed up to make it, not so good.

[srothstein]

As a police officer, I can tell you that the law on when it is illegal to run a yellow light is very confusing. Our law is written to say that when a light is green, it means you have permission to enter the intersection when it is safe. If the light is yellow, the permission is removed. If the light is red, it is forbidden to enter the intersection.

What does not having permission to enter the intersection men?

Then of course, there is the question of what does entering the intersection mean?

I was always taught, and have always taught others, that the best rule to go by was if the driver was in the intersection when the light was yellow, he was good to go through it. And the driver was in the intersection if any part of his car was far enough forward to write a ticket for stopping at the wrong place. And the definition of intersection is the stop line if there is one and the line of the side of the street continued through on a straight line if there is no stop line.

[ELB]

When I was stationed in Germany, intersections on rural highways that had regular traffic lights often had a special single lense traffic light a couple hundred meters or so in front of the intersection displaying “70”. If the “70” was green, It meant that as long as you were doing at least 70 km/h (about 42 mph) or more you would have the green light at the intersection. If it was red, you weren’t gonna make it. I honestly don’t recall now if there was a yellow “70”. It was pretty handy, you didn’t have to worry about whether you’re going to get right up the intersection and the lights suddenly start changing.

[Ruark]

As a police officer, I can tell you that the law on when it is illegal to run a yellow light is very confusing. Our law is written to say that when a light is green, it means you have permission to enter the intersection when it is safe. If the light is yellow, the permission is removed. If the light is red, it is forbidden to enter the intersection.

What does not having permission to enter the intersection men?

Then of course, there is the question of what does entering the intersection mean?

I was always taught, and have always taught others, that the best rule to go by was if the driver was in the intersection when the light was yellow, he was good to go through it. And the driver was in the intersection if any part of his car was far enough forward to write a ticket for stopping at the wrong place. And the definition of intersection is the stop line if there is one and the line of the side of the street continued through on a straight line if there is no stop line.

I can see how a lot of this is just common sense (not in abundance these days).

Yeah, per your post above, what is the difference between "permission is removed" and "forbidden"?

In my view, it's just a judgement call. So if you're cruising down the street at 45 mph and the light turns yellow .000001 seconds before you hit the intersection, you're supposed to slam on the brakes and lay rubber? On the other hand, I can see the issue when it turns yellow and you're half a block away and stomp on the gas to "beat the red light."

Actually, my wife had a collision in this situation many years ago. A light turned yellow and she wasn't sure whether or not to keep going. She decided to hit the brakes and play it safe. WHAM!!!! The car behind her slammed into her. Since then, she's been pretty liberal about going through yellow lights...

[J.R.@A&M]

B"H
On Wednesday the 22nd, a Houston Police Officer stopped me 'cause I went trough a "stop sign". Third time I've been pulled since I got my LTC 26 years ago, every time they let me go with a verbal warning.
God bless all police officers out there!

I am of the opinion that age plays a huge factor. When they see the driver is an older person, over 55, they cut us some extra slack. Maybe it is due to the respect our generation shows for them. I got pulled over in Allen a month ago for doing 65 in a 35. I figured I was about to get my first ticket in 10 years. He came to the window and gave me a written warning. I was extremely polite and did the yes sir/no sir thing. I knew I was in the wrong. No point in acting a fool over it. I let my LTC expire because of constitutional carry so I know an LTC had nothing to do with it.

I agree with this view. Last week I was pulled over by College Station PD for not slowing fast after exiting Hwy 6 (no excuse... I just didn't drop my speed fast enough). I am convinced, sadly, that the officer simply took pity on a poor Toyota-Corolla-driving old man who turned out to also have an LTC. Got away with a warning. Gratefully.

[powerboatr]

my last stop at or and about 2 45 am 57 in a 50 resulted in a have a nice morning and we chatted about firing range and why no donuts stores are open in winnsboro at 3 am. and he thanked me for my service i bet 5 or 6 six times or more
real nice dude. i was in my wifes 2012 edge and i looked like i just woke up half dressed look, because i did. take grand baby to work at 245

[Caliber]

In Texas, if the front of your car has crossed the white road line at an intersection when the light is yellow, you are legal and should not get a ticket.