Car kicking dust in air, Illegal?

[Thomas]

Thank you in advance if you know the answer, or can tell me where I might be able to find the answer.

I've only been pulled over once. I was on a public dirt road at night, and the officer was heading in the opposite direction. It was a narrow road, so he had to continue driving forward before he turned around, got to where I was, and then lit up his lights. When I found a place to pull over, he didn't ask why he pulled me over, he just said he pulled me over because I was kicking up dirt in the air and he couldn't see the road. I didn't get a ticket or even a warning. My Texas Motor Vehicle Record doesn't have a mark on it.

So my question is, is it illegal to kick up dirt on a public dirt road? I was going fast for a dirt road, but probably not over the speed limit (this road is normally paved, and I wasn't looking down at my speedometer). I didn't realize at the time (several years ago) that I was kicking up a lot of dirt and that it would provide a hazard to others. I obviously know now to be more careful when driving on a dirt road with others.

[Jasonw560]

That is the first timeI have ever heard of that.

I'd get a ticket every day.

Check local government code for that one.

If it's not there, call the county or city clerk.

[TxRVer]

I grew up on dirt roads. When it was dry, you couldn't avoid kicking up dust at any speed.

[Thomas]

I appreciate y'alls insight. There are not many dirt roads in this area (city), and the LEO was young. He probably didn't realize that about the dust, and/or wanted to express his concern (though he didn't even tell me to slow down next time), now that I think about it, he didn't really say much. Next time I'm at the county court, I'll have to inquire about it. Thanks.

[flintknapper]

I appreciate y'alls insight. There are not many dirt roads in this area (city), and the LEO was young. He probably didn't realize that about the dust, and/or wanted to express his concern (though he didn't even tell me to slow down next time), now that I think about it, he didn't really say much. Next time I'm at the county court, I'll have to inquire about it. Thanks.

Might have been a rookie and this was just a "practice" stop.


I'm sure if you dig around long enough...you'll find some obscure traffic law that pertains to creating a hazard or unsafe condition.

[TexDotCom]

I remember 10 mph speed limits on post in the "sandbox" and that was enough to kick up clouds of dust from our HMMWV tires. (unless we'd just gotten our 1/2" of rain for the year) I also grew up in rural south-central TX and even the gravel roads would kick up dust if you drove around 20 mph. Unless a solid case could be made that you created a hazard for another driver and/or you were tearing down the road, I'd be inclined to wonder about this, too.

As others on here have said...my opinion is what you paid for it. :)

[C-dub]

Might have been interesting if you pointed out the same observation from his car after you passed him.

[Thomas]

Might have been interesting if you pointed out the same observation from his car after you passed him.

Lol if it was true. This happened a little over a year ago, and I don't remember not being able to see. Of course he could have been on the paved part before I passed him. (This road was mostly paved.)

[TexDotCom]

Plus..."interesting" might not be the word for the situation if you said, "yeah, well...takes one to know one!"

[OldSchool]

I think it was just a reminder stop (although the LEO seems to not have phrased it that way). All of my early driving was in fields and dirt roads, and I always have had to remind myself that I kick up far more dust than I think I am. Just a courtesy reminder, I suspect.

[jimlongley]

Many years ago, when telephone trucks were OD green with gold bells on the sides, my boss was following "Charlie" from one job to another down a dusty country road. Boss' Dodge Dart had a "Bell Boy" mobile telephone in it, and said telephone had a switch to allow the phone to honk the horn and flash the lights when it rang, if the driver was away from the car. Every once in a while a telephone car would be observed going down the street beeping and flashing because the guy driving forgot to switch back to the internal ringer.

So Boss and Charlie are running hard and fast over Bradt Hollow Rd in Berne NY, with Boss behind in the cloud of dust from the unpaved road. And Boss' phone rang, flashing the lights and honking the horn. Charlie, in the lead and in the clear, saw Boss' lights flashing and heard the horn honking and assumed that Boss meant for him to stop, so he stomped on the brakes. And of course, just as Charlie began his sudden stop, Boss glanced down at the phone to throw the switch and then pick up the receiver.

And then boss glanced up just in time to note that when a telephone truck was braking hard, its read end had a tendency to raise up some just as he stomped on his own brakes, causing the Dart's front end to dip and plow right under the back of the phone truck. Neither was injured beyond their pride, but due to the way the phone company ran investigations into such things, they self insured, the vehicles stayed embedded like that until an adequate number of photographs were taken, photographs which circulated far and wide, and were posted an all of the local garage bulletin boards. I remember those photos well.

[Thomas]

Ouch. I'll definitely have to remember to be careful on dirt roads now.

[gigag04]

Might have been interesting if you pointed out the same observation from his car after you passed him.

Emergency vehicles don't have to obey traffic laws, even fictional ones

[texasmusic]

Seems to me that the dust would have made it all the easier to speed away! Duke boys at it again!

[Thomas]

Seems to me that the dust would have made it all the easier to speed away! Duke boys at it again!

At one point I kinda wished we were further away from the point where the officer turned around, and then I realized it would have been extremely bad if I were to try to evade the police (even if I was very sure I couldn't be identified).