Virginia legislature passes bill preventing cops from stopping cars with no headlights, brake lights, etc

[livingston]

Virginia legislature passes bill preventing cops from stopping cars with no headlights, brake lights, etc
One of the leading indicators of a drunk driver at night is a car that is operating with no lights on. Criminals who are casing neighborhoods for burglaries also like to cruise around with their lights off.

Under a law passed by the General Assembly, police officers would no longer be able to use operating without lights lit as probable cause to conduct a traffic stop. There are numerous other equipment violations that are included as well.

As we said, pure genius.

Yahoo News, citing a report from The Daily Press, says the legislation, which is headed to the desk of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D), also bars police from stopping cars for a variety of equipment violations—from darkly tinted windows (another tactic enjoyed by criminals) to faulty brake lights, loud mufflers, or objects dangling from rearview mirrors.

Not only that, but officers are prohibited from pulling drivers over for expired inspection stickers, unless they are three months overdue, or for having outdated registration plates. Genius.

Virginia legislature passes bill preventing cops from stopping cars with no headlights, brake lights, etc.

Police would no longer be permitted to stop cars without lights lit at night, one of the leading indicators of DUI or other criminal activity; police would also be unable to stop drivers operating on learner's permit for using handheld devices, along with other restrictions.

www.lawenforcementtoday.com

 

[Catskillkid]

One could argue that you don't necessarily need to hand out tickets for broken tail lights, blinkers, etc. A stop saying "Excuse me sir, just wanted to let you know your taillight is out. Might want to get that fixed when you have a chance. Have a nice day now" isn't a horrific thing to do. Take down their plates and if they still haven't fixed it in 15 days or 30 days or whatever it is then think about writing a ticket. Otherwise, what's the point of enforcing laws?

 

[GOYABEAN]

Virginia legislature passes bill preventing cops from stopping cars with no headlights, brake lights, etc
One of the leading indicators of a drunk driver at night is a car that is operating with no lights on. Criminals who are casing neighborhoods for burglaries also like to cruise around with their lights off.

Under a law passed by the General Assembly, police officers would no longer be able to use operating without lights lit as probable cause to conduct a traffic stop. There are numerous other equipment violations that are included as well.

As we said, pure genius.

Yahoo News, citing a report from The Daily Press, says the legislation, which is headed to the desk of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D), also bars police from stopping cars for a variety of equipment violations—from darkly tinted windows (another tactic enjoyed by criminals) to faulty brake lights, loud mufflers, or objects dangling from rearview mirrors.

Not only that, but officers are prohibited from pulling drivers over for expired inspection stickers, unless they are three months overdue, or for having outdated registration plates. Genius.

Virginia legislature passes bill preventing cops from stopping cars with no headlights, brake lights, etc.

Police would no longer be permitted to stop cars without lights lit at night, one of the leading indicators of DUI or other criminal activity; police would also be unable to stop drivers operating on learner's permit for using handheld devices, along with other restrictions.

www.lawenforcementtoday.com

Good luck with that as long as families still get to sue the out the state law maker's for wrongful death and injuries

 

[Darth]

Good.

Victimless crimes are victimless.

"But muh safe roads."

Some states don't even have inspections. Nor should they.

 

[Cooolone]

Just like our legislature hand tying military engagement by instituting ROE without ever having set foot on a battlefield, these legislators are doing the same to LE on false premises that Law Enforcement in itself is racially biased without even an earnest examination in regard to other contributing factors, like the particular demographic prone to criminal activity! But hey, I guess smelling marijuana and finding it in the car invalidates the suspicion or probable cause entirely due to a persons race!

Simply befuddling!

 

[Carlos Hathcock]

Other vehicles driving with no lights on in the middle of the night aren't a safety hazard. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[spat]

Virginia legislature passes bill preventing cops from stopping cars with no headlights, brake lights, etc
One of the leading indicators of a drunk driver at night is a car that is operating with no lights on. Criminals who are casing neighborhoods for burglaries also like to cruise around with their lights off.

Under a law passed by the General Assembly, police officers would no longer be able to use operating without lights lit as probable cause to conduct a traffic stop. There are numerous other equipment violations that are included as well.

As we said, pure genius.

Yahoo News, citing a report from The Daily Press, says the legislation, which is headed to the desk of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D), also bars police from stopping cars for a variety of equipment violations—from darkly tinted windows (another tactic enjoyed by criminals) to faulty brake lights, loud mufflers, or objects dangling from rearview mirrors.

Not only that, but officers are prohibited from pulling drivers over for expired inspection stickers, unless they are three months overdue, or for having outdated registration plates. Genius.

Virginia legislature passes bill preventing cops from stopping cars with no headlights, brake lights, etc.

Police would no longer be permitted to stop cars without lights lit at night, one of the leading indicators of DUI or other criminal activity; police would also be unable to stop drivers operating on learner's permit for using handheld devices, along with other restrictions.

www.lawenforcementtoday.com

Good.

Traffic stops are at once both the most dangerous things police do, and an anethema to freedom by doing an end run around the 4th amendment.

Red light cameras opened up the pandora's box of "just mail them the ticket". If you can do that for running a red light, you can do it for any moving violation.

 

[Airborneguy]

If I'm in VA and a blacked out car causes an accident with me, especially if myself or my family members are injured, I'm just going to shoot them since I have no other recourse.

...but this will go away once VA'ers take back their state from the taker's electeds who need to pander to the criminals and lowlives they represent.

(disclaimer: this site allows a troll to reside here so on this topic, don't bother trying to engage in intelligent back and forth debate.)

 

[C3D]

I remember from a pamphlet "Visual Guide to the Detection of Impaired Driving" that a car without headlights had a 40% chance of being a DWI.

 

[Darth]

I remember from a pamphlet "Visual Guide to the Detection of Impaired Driving" that a car without headlights had a 40% chance of being a DWI.

So it's a 60% chance of being a simple harassment. Don't like those odds.

"If I get into an accident in VA and my family gets hurt, I'll just shoot the other driver."

Yikes, glad I'm not a troll like that. Imagine people that emotionally unstable being cops. That would justify decisions like this tenfold.

 

[Darth]

Good.

Traffic stops are at once both the most dangerous things police do, and an anethema to freedom by doing an end run around the 4th amendment.

Red light cameras opened up the pandora's box of "just mail them the ticket". If you can do that for running a red light, you can do it for any moving violation.

Yeah, isn't it weird.

"A traffic stop is one of the most dangerous things a cop can do."

Also, "Let's do more fishing."

 

[spat]

I remember from a pamphlet "Visual Guide to the Detection of Impaired Driving" that a car without headlights had a 40% chance of being a DWI.

So, 40% chance.

i.e. more likely than not that they *aren't* impaired.

So, "probably" not impaired.

So, no probable cause.

There are a lot of things that would be *very* effective, but we don’t allow them because they are an anethema to freedom. This should be on that list.

 

[Cooolone]

Oh boy... Being pulled over because you don't have your fucking lights on isn't harassment!

It actually happened to me on my birthday one time, but my wife drove as she had taken me to a special place and I partook in the fine refreshments available there, lol

Was an unknown area to both of us and had street lights, so it was a bit amusing when we got stopped just after leaving the place, but relived when we were told why (lights)... because neither of us had realized due to there being no street lights where we live, and you'd know right away you didn't have your lights on. So not only did it help us, but potentially anyone who might have missed us by turning into our path... The encounter was very cordial and we were both sent on out way with a Happy Birthday, Drive Safely message and we returned a thank you for the courtesy and assistance!

But hey... Fuck laws, and the revenue systemic hidden taxation of drivers. I'd rather pay a sin tax, get a special sticker that lets me drive fast! I'll pay it forward even... Maybe we can do the same for all of societies misfits, pay a special tax, wear the Scarlet letter to signify your status, and do whatever the fuck you want with impunity! Ok, well, let's forget the tax then, and oh, the Scarlet letter too and we can just use race as a Get Out of Jail free card from now on!

 

[Darth]

But hey... Fuck laws, and the revenue systemic hidden taxation of drivers. I'd rather pay a sin tax, get a special sticker that lets me drive fast! I'll pay it forward even... Maybe we can do the same for all of societies misfits, pay a special tax, wear the Scarlet letter to signify your status, and do whatever the fuck you want with impunity! Ok, well, let's forget the tax then, and oh, the Scarlet letter too and we can just use race as a Get Out of Jail free card from now on!

Or we could just not pull people over for victimless crimes like plenty of states do already.

But the conditioning is coming along nicely.

And yes, it is harassment.

 

[Robin]

So some dark night you're driving along with your lights off and a cop signals you to pull over, you comply with his request (order), he pulls along side and signals you to roll you window down, in a quandary, you comply, whereupon and he shouts, "Turn you fucking lights on asshole" an drives away. To which, you face palm and turn your lights on. Thats the way it should be handled in a free country. No muss, no fuss.
Robin

 

[Rocpo]

::SIGH::
In NY, a headlight out summons is a fix it ticket. What that means, is that you get it repaired within 24 hours (not including weekends and holidays) of the date of the summons and send the summons and proof thereof to the court, the court doesn't fine you.
If I just stop someone and tell them to fix the headlight, what's the proof that they did get it repaired? How many other cops told him prior to my interaction to get it fixed?
No headlights at night? Without it being a confirmed DWI, it's warned and admonished. Usually with my sarcastic "let there be light!" to end the interaction. I've had, SEVERAL TIMES, made decent warrant arrests off such an oversight.

 

[Justincase]

I remember from a pamphlet "Visual Guide to the Detection of Impaired Driving" that a car without headlights had a 40% chance of being a DWI.

The other 60% are driving either a Kia or a Toyota. Dash lights come on even if the headlights are off. Dumbest feature ever implemented on a car. If my wife got pulled over for driving with no headlights (yet again), I'd be thankful.

Victimless until you t bone someone who pulled out in front of you cuz they couldn't see you cuz ur dumb ass had no lights on.

So, it's mah right to drive how I wanna! Works both ways and why these things aren't so cut and dry.

 

[spat]

I've had, SEVERAL TIMES, made decent warrant arrests off such an oversight.

And therein lies the problem.

If it was just a "turn your lights on" nobody would complain.

If you just flash your lights at him and he figures it out and turns them on himself, no big deal.

But every cop out there every time they pull someone over is looking to use it as an excuse to conduct a search that they otherwise wouldn't.

Otherwise, why would you even run the license and registration over a headlight ? If the goal is just to get him to turn his lights on, it's unnecessary.

The goal is to conduct a search that would be impermissible without the pretext.

 

[Darth]

Victimless until you t bone someone who pulled out in front of you cuz they couldn't see you cuz ur dumb ass had no lights on.

Correct. And at that point it is your fault.

Much in the same way driving around with a loaded gun is victimless until you pull it out and shoot an innocent person.

 

[spat]

The other 60% are driving either a Kia or a Toyota. Dash lights come on even if the headlights are off. Dumbest feature ever implemented on a car. If my wife got pulled over for driving with no headlights (yet again), I'd be thankful.

Victimless until you t bone someone who pulled out in front of you cuz they couldn't see you cuz ur dumb ass had no lights on.

So, it's mah right to drive how I wanna! Works both ways and why these things aren't so cut and dry.

Once they T-Boned someone due to negligence, they have committed a crime.

As a matter of principle we aren't *supposed* to prohibit activity just because it *might* lead to a crime. That is a slippery slope right to hell.

 

[Jmac00]

whats the big deal, if the cops pull you over, the first thing they are going to want to see is your travel Papers, and if you're not authorized to be traveling, off to the covid re-education camp you go

 

[Justincase]

Correct. And at that point it is your fault.

Much in the same way driving around with a loaded gun is victimless until you pull it out and shoot an innocent person.

Not the same thing. Just carrying a loaded gun around isn't inherently dangerous. Driving at night with no lights on, is.

 

[GOPerfect]

Another possibly decent thread turned into shit nearly as it starts.

 

[Darth]

Not the same thing. Just carrying a loaded gun around isn't inherently dangerous. Driving at night with no lights on, is.

Depends on who you ask. Both have the same number of victims.

 

[nortatoga]

 

[Blimey]

I remember from a pamphlet "Visual Guide to the Detection of Impaired Driving" that a car without headlights had a 40% chance of being a DWI.

But DWI is victimless, too!

 

[Darth]

But DWI is victimless, too!

Correct.

And any accidents or injuries you cause are not.

 

[Blimey]

Correct.

And any accidents or injuries you cause are not.

Serious question: why are you like this?

 

[Darth]

Serious question: why are you like this?

Serious answer: I can't fathom how anybody isn't like this given where the government run amok has us today.

 

[Blimey]

Serious answer: I can't fathom how anybody isn't like this given where the government run amok has us today.

Making drunk driving illegal and ensuring people have some standard level of safety on the roads is not “government run amok”.