# bicycle ticket fines



## Linga115 (Aug 14, 2008)

i would like to say first and foremost... i am an idiot and i should have been obeying traffic laws yada yada yada.

ok so now thats out of the way. i go to school in davis where many know it as a bike town. the cops here have nothing better to meet their quota's with than ticket college students on bikes. i would say about 98% of the students in davis all run stop signs and red lights... and break just about every other traffic law in existance. anyways, friday morning i was riding to work at approx 6:50 am and i california roll a stop sign and a very non busy red light. both intersections were on campus... hopefully that would tell how non busy they are. anyways right after the red light i get pulled over and issued a ticket. i was completely cooperative and the ticketing process went as smooth as possible. didnt wanna piss off the cop and get more fines slapped on. long story short i learned my lesson and i have my first moving traffic violation ever. 

my question is does anyone know what the penalty for such a crime is? fines? traffic school? if anyone knows the laws specific to davis and yolo county... that would be great. on top of that my bike was not registered to the stupid service that davis requires you to have. i believe that gives me a bigger fine. should i challenge the ticket? should i just pay the fines and be over with? 

i was given the ticket and instructed to call a number within 21 days. i called and they dont even have my ticket on record yet. so im just wondering if anyone knows the penalty or has any advice while i wait for processing. the wait is almost as bad as waiting for a new bike to come in after you ordered it at your LBS.


----------



## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

Was it a campus cop or a police officer that stopped you?


----------



## Linga115 (Aug 14, 2008)

police officer


----------



## pacificaslim (Sep 10, 2008)

If you have time on your hands, always challenge the ticket. It's your right that they prove you are guilty and making them do so keeps them honest. 

FYI, in California bicycle tickets are infractions, not misdemeanors, and though they may end up on your dmv record they don't end up on the section that score points against you and influences insurance rates. Because of this, I don't believe traffic school applies (since its only benefit is saving your insurance rates).

Your fine is probably between $100 and $200. Ouch.


----------



## BLS439 (Dec 1, 2008)

pacificaslim is 100% correct


----------



## Linga115 (Aug 14, 2008)

BLS439 said:


> pacificaslim is 100% correct


i hope so


----------



## pacificaslim (Sep 10, 2008)

Well, I hope for your sake that I'm wrong and the ticket is cheaper! But I bet it's like $143 or something.


----------



## Linga115 (Aug 14, 2008)

pacificaslim said:


> Well, I hope for your sake that I'm wrong and the ticket is cheaper! But I bet it's like $143 or something.


yea im hoping that the ticket is cheaper. every dollar hurts a starving student... looks like i wont eat for a week.  

i hope you're right about the points and what not.


----------



## Cruzer2424 (Feb 8, 2005)

Linga115 said:


> yea im hoping that the ticket is cheaper. every dollar hurts a starving student... looks like i wont eat for a week.


Community service!


----------



## thien (Feb 18, 2004)

So the registration part, is a fix it ticket. For running the red, in Yolo county, it isn't a moving violation for bicycles. The fine will probably be around what pacificaslim mentioned...


----------



## Linga115 (Aug 14, 2008)

so i called the traffic court house place and they said a bicycle fine is 169 per offense. since i have 2 on there my total is 338. i am definitely going to court to reduce that.


----------

