Did your last full stop come across as more of an easy yield?
Intersections can be deadly. They provide the backdrop for nearly 50 percent of vehicular injuries and one in five automotive fatalities nationwide, and the fact is that the majority of these accidents never should have happened. Most would not have occurred if the drivers involved had only taken the time to really stop at that pesky red light or stop sign.
Despite the potential for disaster, however, drivers in a hurry commonly greet stop signs with nothing more precise than a quick glance and a slow roll. That slow roll at a stop sign can result in a traffic ticket? Does the harried driver have any defense?
How to Stop at a Stop Sign
When encountering a stop sign (NRS 484B.250), the law expects any driver to completely halt at the painted line, crosswalk or other obvious intersection entrance. A true stop means just that. A slight bounce-back will tell you that the vehicle is no longer moving.
Nevada law requires all drivers to treat both stop signs and red lights with equal respect. Unless a police officer has waved you on through, the failure to come to a full stop equates to breaking the law and puts you in danger of receiving a stop sign ticket.
Penalties in Nevada for Running a Stop Sign
In Nevada as in the rest of the country, failure to stop at a stop sign is a moving violation for which the penalties can go quite high. A finding of guilty can add up to four points on your driver’s license while subjecting you to a fine of up to $1,000. When it comes to filling the city’s coffers, tickets received at stop signs often take top honors.
Possible Defenses for Your Nevada Stop Sign Ticket
Since failure to honor a stop sign counts as a moving violation, it never makes sense to simply pay the fine and forget about it. Those points will add up, and once you have accumulated a certain number, the loss of your license is certain.
Possible defenses for fighting your stop sign ticket include arguing that:
- Law enforcement could not have seen whether you stopped or not. Some traffic police in search of stop sign offenders will park on a cross street where only the sign, the limit line and the intersection itself consistently fall within his field of vision. If your complete stop took place a few feet in front of the line or at a moment when something temporarily blocked his view, he can’t say with certainty that you didn’t really stop.
- Local conditions at the time made the stop sign impossible to see. Had vandals removed or defaced it? Did the branch of a tree block your view? If anything beyond your control prevented you from seeing the stop sign, photographic evidence can disprove any criminal intent and help to establish your innocence.
- The limit line was nearly invisible. Before you can stop at the right location, you have to be able to see it. The law can’t hold you responsible for failing to stop at a crosswalk or other delimiting mark if weather conditions or lack of maintenance have obscured it from view.
- The stop sign wasn’t there last week. It’s easy to overlook any traffic-control device that appears without warning at an intersection. If you had no idea of its sudden existence and failed to see it in time to stop, the judge may find no willful or careless intent and return a “not guilty” verdict.
Let Vegas Ticket Wizard Fight Your Stop Sign Ticket
As a moving violation, failure to stop at a stop sign is not without its consequences. Anyone convicted of this charge is bound to accrue points on the license along with a substantial fine. Because the pros at Vegas Ticket Wizard understand the potential ramifications of a guilty verdict, we will do all within our power to have the allegations against you either reduced or entirely dismissed. As a special service to our clients, we will even appear in court on your behalf.
If you’ve received a stop sign citation, you have the right to challenge it. Call Vegas Traffic Wizard at 702-202-0500 and let our experts get a start in mounting your best defense, because paying the fine without a fight is always a mistake.