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Following too close ticket

V

voodoojc

Senior member
I was behind another car at a light in right turn lane. I thought the car in front of me had already gone so when I saw an opening in traffic I rear-ended the car in front of me. I got a ticket for following too close, but does it really count as following too close if we were both stopped? Any chance of getting it reduced in court, or just pay the $200 fine and be done with it?
 
I doubt it. Fact is you struck someone from behind. You can argue that you were "Stopped" but then the judge would smartly remind you that you cannot strike someone from behind if you were stopped.
My sister tried this (she's a horrid driver...the complete texter and driver type) after she did something similar.

Pay the fine. If anything you could get it reduced, but I wouldn't try arguing.
 
How'd you hit the car if you were stopped?

I thought when stopped, you were supposed to have a car length between cars, or about that.
 
Thanks for the reply. I thought maybe there would be a lesser penalty ticket that would have less points on my license, and possibly reduce the fine. How bad is this going to look to my insurance company?
 
I don't understand how you rear ended somebody when you were stopped behind them at a red light in the right turn lane. The light went green and you didn't look to see if the car in front of you had started moving? How do you even do that?
 
Originally posted by: voodoojc
Thanks for the reply. I thought maybe there would be a lesser penalty ticket that would have less points on my license, and possibly reduce the fine. How bad is this going to look to my insurance company?
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It's very possible you'll get a rate increase on your next renewal. Maybe not if your record is clean otherwise.

An at fault accident could lead to a rate increase regardless of what they cite you for.
 
I guess that it could be argued that when your following distance goes to zero and then slightly negative in that instant you push in his rear bumper, that is following a little too closely. Did they also give you one for rear-ending the guy?
 
Originally posted by: AMCRambler
I don't understand how you rear ended somebody when you were stopped behind them at a red light in the right turn lane. The light went green and you didn't look to see if the car in front of you had started moving? How do you even do that?
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😱 I'll have to confess that a couple of times, I started rolling forward while turning because I thought the vehicle in front had already gone (because of gaps in the cross traffic), then had to brake quickly! I've sinced learnt not to trust other people.
 
Originally posted by: Mermaidman
Originally posted by: AMCRambler
I don't understand how you rear ended somebody when you were stopped behind them at a red light in the right turn lane. The light went green and you didn't look to see if the car in front of you had started moving? How do you even do that?
Click to expand...
😱 I'll have to confess that a couple of times, I started rolling forward while turning because I thought the vehicle in front had already gone (because of gaps in the cross traffic), then had to brake quickly! I've sinced learnt not to trust other people.
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I've done this too... usually whenever the fiancee decides to finally trust my driving and not freak out on me all the time. Then I pull something like this and she doesn't say anything until I come within 2 or 3 inches of the car ahead.
 
Pay it, it sounds totally like a deserved ticket even though we've all done it or come close to it over the years.
 
Argue it, maybe the judge will have a sense of humor and change it to an accident. Then worry about your insurance rates. Your lucky it was just following to closely.
 
I hope they send you to traffic school. This kind of stupidity may not injure or even endanger people, but it's incredibly maddening to the victims of people like the OP.
 
Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Guy at work did that exact same thing. They deemed it his fault.
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That's because it was. There is no excuse for this. How is sam hill could you think the car in front of had already gone? WTF were you doing, that you couldn't see that it was still there?

Go to court & fight it, and then be sure to post back.


I can always use a good laugh.😛
 
Originally posted by: AMCRambler
I don't understand how you rear ended somebody when you were stopped behind them at a red light in the right turn lane. The light went green and you didn't look to see if the car in front of you had started moving? How do you even do that?
Click to expand...

He didn't mention a green light. It sounds like at that particular light you could turn right when traffic was clear. The thing is the car in front of him rolled far enough forward his mind had thought it was turning or already turned. So, instead of watching in front of him he was watching traffic; out of corner of his eye saw the car roll forward, and he instinctively moved forward too and rear-ended the guy.

To me it sounds more like a case of negligent driving than following to close; but I will assume one of those are more expensive to pay that the other.
 
Originally posted by: Quiksilver
Originally posted by: AMCRambler
I don't understand how you rear ended somebody when you were stopped behind them at a red light in the right turn lane. The light went green and you didn't look to see if the car in front of you had started moving? How do you even do that?
Click to expand...

He didn't mention a green light. It sounds like at that particular light you could turn right when traffic was clear. The thing is the car in front of him rolled far enough forward his mind had thought it was turning or already turned. So, instead of watching in front of him he was watching traffic; out of corner of his eye saw the car roll forward, and he instinctively moved forward too and rear-ended the guy.

To me it sounds more like a case of negligent driving than following to close; but I will assume one of those are more expensive to pay that the other.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Lack of foresight. He assumed the car moved. Someone else's bad day caused by his stupidity.
 
Guy did the same thing to me,
He went to court. Obviously i had to goto court as well. The judge went, um are you seriously trying to fight this ticket? Which was followed up by the you need to go ahead and pay his deductables by the end of the week for taking time out of my life.
Good luck fighting it, you ran into somebody when you were stopped. Next time pay more attention.
 
I'm starting to see a lot of people doing this now. They're looking at traffic before even coming to a full stop at the light or stop sign. Usually people who do this are the ones who are trying to beat the traffic and thus not have to wait for traffic to clear. They'll just blow through that red light or stop sign. Not saying this is what you do but just something I'm noticing more and more people do.
 
Dude! Seriously, look in front of you when you drive. You shouldn't even be looking at oncoming traffic if it ain't your turn.
 
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