This Blog was brought to you by the San Antonio Traffic Ticket Attorney Gordon Slade

Common Pitfalls of Nighttime Driving: Mistakes That Can Result in Traffic Tickets

Take it from an off-duty traffic cop:

The easiest time to hand out a traffic ticket or two is at night. Some motorists tend to slack off on the traffic laws because of the diminished traffic
volume. I use the darkness to my full advantage, and oftentimes, speeders never even see me until I pull them over and hand out a moving violation citation. Here are a few tips for you stay safe on the roads while avoiding those expensive traffic tickets:

Obey the speed limit. It is so much easier for cops to hand out speeding tickets at night. We like to turn off all our lights and hide at the bottom of hills, around curves, or anywhere else where we can clock you before you see us. A radar/laser detector does you no good here because we don’t turn the radar/laser on until we are ready to clock a target. Your device cannot detect our radar/laser if it is not on. A clock only takes a split second, so as soon as I see you, I push a button and get the clock. By the time your detector picks up the signal, it is too late.

Your best defense here is to be proactive:

Expect to see cops anywhere, slow down, and you will avoid the speeding tickets. Obey the traffic control signs. Whether they are stop signs, yield signs, no u-turn signs, or even no parking signs, it is imperative that you follow the rules here. Under the cloak of darkness, I can park in an
inconspicuous spot and freely monitor the traffic around a particular sign. The diminished traffic volume also helps out, since I don’t have to weave in and out of heavy traffic to catch up with motorists after I witness a moving violation. Wear your seat belt. Although many states prohibit cops from stopping cars for seat belt violations alone, we can still stop you if you commit any other violation. If you are discovered not wearing your seat belt at that time, you can get a seat belt ticket along with a traffic ticket for the original violation.

I’ll let you in on a little trick I like to use at night:

When I am waiting at a red light, I look out for equipment violations like burned-out headlights, inoperative taillights, cracked windshields, etc. If I see a vehicle with a violation, I pay special attention to the occupants inside the vehicle. If I see a seatbelt violation, then you just earned a traffic ticket. Now, I have given you the “inside track” by revealing some of our tricks, but it does no good if you don’t put your newfound knowledge
into practice. Follow the rules, keep your eyes open, and you will most likely avoid an expensive speeding ticket or moving violation citation.