So i got pulled over and thrown the book. apparently i need wide vehicle lights?

[Tommyd]

Years ago on a Sunday morning group ride. I watched 6 of my friends go down because of some asshole blew his grass clipping out on the road in the middle of a turn. Looked like dominos falling down.

That’s a little different there.

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[Cburd61]

That’s a little different there.

You don’t seem to get it, do you? You don’t necessarily have to see mud or debris coming from a vehicle, to run into it and have an issue. Hell, 45 years ago I was riding in a rural area after 9 at night, when I hit mud in a curve that was left by a farm tractor during the day. Not another soul on the road, save for my brother riding slightly behind/beside me. Caused me to lay it down, exploding the tank, and giving me 3rd degree burns. Like the story Rusty PW told about. No difference at all.

 

[Cburd61]

Years ago on a Sunday morning group ride. I watched 6 of my friends go down because of some asshole blew his grass clipping out on the road in the middle of a turn. Looked like dominos falling down.

I live out in the country on 10 acres. We cut close to 3 acres of yard, between my houses. (Inherited my folks house next door). There’s about 2000 feet of road frontage. Your example is exactly why we always cut the first 4 rows nearest the road so the clippings land in the yard.

 

[Cburd61]

As far as the original post, I feel like the trooper was being overboard. I can see the obstructed tag, etc., but, I think that would have been a warning, if anything. I used to work with a guy who was a reserve officer. He said a lot of cops seem to be the ones who were picked on in school, and now are taking it out on everybody they pulled over. (Not denegrating cops in general, as I personally know of a lot of good ones and bad ones).

 

[legacy_etu]

AFAIK, Virginia does not have any extra or unique laws that are not on the books in other states. Just that Virginia Law Enforcement has a penchant for giving you max everything they can at every stop when they have officer discretion to do otherwise but will not.

When I was in the Army and stationed at Ft. Eustis, VA, they would DUI checkpoint all the major roads coming into base just about every weekend. I got called by some guys in my platoon who were drunk off base and did not want to drive on base and get a DUI. I was sober and went to pick them up and there was too many to put in the cab so about three people were put in the bed of the pickup. Got pulled over at a DUI checkpoint and while I was sober, I got a ticket for the dudes in the back and the dudes in the back got a public intoxication ticket. They made me leave the three dudes in the back at the checkpoint and I had to make a second trip back to get them. It was a goat fuck of a night.

The following Monday, the 1st SGT found out about it and I thought we would all be in trouble but he actually looked at it from the viewpoint everybody was looking to avoid the DUI and he got JAG involved with a few phone calls made to the VA State Police and eventually everybody's tickets from that night got dropped.

Ridiculous. The guys were being responsible and called for a ride. Geesh, what a douche.

 

[Tommyd]

You don’t seem to get it, do you? You don’t necessarily have to see mud or debris coming from a vehicle, to run into it and have an issue. Hell, 45 years ago I was riding in a rural area after 9 at night, when I hit mud in a curve that was left by a farm tractor during the day. Not another soul on the road, save for my brother riding slightly behind/beside me. Caused me to lay it down, exploding the tank, and giving me 3rd degree burns. Like the story Rusty PW told about. No difference at all.

It’s just part of the risk we take when riding a motorcycle. There is never goi g to be perfect road conditions. It’s just how it is. All I’m saying is the OP didn’t do anything wrong in my opinion. What was he supposed to do really? Sticking the mud out of his tires is insanity. Sometimes you just have to pull into a road with mud on your tires.

not to mention he has an extremely conservative wheel offset and tire poke.

 

[Jteakus]

I just noticed the picture of your truck in your first post. I don't see anything wrong with your rig. That is some HARD policing.

 

[Jteakus]

Do you have a picture of the rear of your truck? From the pic you posted it should look like nothing more than residue from driving in the rain.

 

[bucolic]

It’s just part of the risk we take when riding a motorcycle. There is never goi g to be perfect road conditions. It’s just how it is. All I’m saying is the OP didn’t do anything wrong in my opinion. What was he supposed to do really? Sticking the mud out of his tires is insanity. Sometimes you just have to pull into a road with mud on your tires.

not to mention he has an extremely conservative wheel offset and tire poke.

I have mixed feelings on this whole "blowing grass in the road" that seems to constantly pop up.

Sometimes it sounds as if this is the most dangerous thing for a motorcycle rider when I feel it's the least of the worries.

I rode motorcycles for 50 years until I decided to give it up due to safety concerns but grass clippings weren't one of them. My age and concern about getting crippled up took the fun out of it.

I will say I have heard this enough that I make sure to not blow clippings into the road.

Yes, as one member posted, a wipeout of multiple motorcycles from grass clippings is no fun and the person who did this has some culpability. However, in the end, we and we alone are responsible for our own safety by riding as if danger lurks around every corner...which it does.

Had they turned that corner and a branch had fallen from a tree the results would have been the same. Deer or other wildlife in the road, debris from an unsecured load (I had a scary close call by running over a chunk of 2x6 in the highway once that almost took me out. Whoever let it fall on the roadway has some fault but I was following the car in front of me too close. Had I been back more I would have seen it and been able to avoid it so I take the blame for that one). Loose gravel, tar snakes, wet line markings, greasy roadways after a rain, deer, pedestrians, and add in the smaller profile of a motorcycle resulting in it being less visible and it's a dangerous hobby.

You can't ride a motorcycle and depend on others to look out for you. You're going to have a bad day eventually if that is your mindset.

Ride as if you are invisible and as if danger lurks around every corner. It takes some of the fun out of it for sure, in my case it took all the fun out of it so I hung up my helmet and bought a Jeep.

 

[PuddleJumper]

Do you have a picture of the rear of your truck? From the pic you posted it should look like nothing more than residue from driving in the rain.

I don’t, I don’t normally take rear shots. Kinda wish I did. I could still see the brake lights come on and the plate was only partially covered.

 

[Tommyd]

I have mixed feelings on this whole "blowing grass in the road" that seems to constantly pop up.

Sometimes it sounds as if this is the most dangerous thing for a motorcycle rider when I feel it's the least of the worries.

I rode motorcycles for 50 years until I decided to give it up due to safety concerns but grass clippings weren't one of them. My age and concern about getting crippled up took the fun out of it.

I will say I have heard this enough that I make sure to not blow clippings into the road.

Yes, as one member posted, a wipeout of multiple motorcycles from grass clippings is no fun and the person who did this has some culpability. However, in the end, we and we alone are responsible for our own safety by riding as if danger lurks around every corner...which it does.

Had they turned that corner and a branch had fallen from a tree the results would have been the same. Deer or other wildlife in the road, debris from an unsecured load (I had a scary close call by running over a chunk of 2x6 in the highway once that almost took me out. Whoever let it fall on the roadway has some fault but I was following the car in front of me too close. Had I been back more I would have seen it and been able to avoid it so I take the blame for that one). Loose gravel, tar snakes, wet line markings, greasy roadways after a rain, deer, pedestrians, and add in the smaller profile of a motorcycle resulting in it being less visible and it's a dangerous hobby.

You can't ride a motorcycle and depend on others to look out for you. You're going to have a bad day eventually if that is your mindset.

Ride as if you are invisible and as if danger lurks around every corner. It takes some of the fun out of it for sure, in my case it took all the fun out of it so I hung up my helmet and bought a Jeep.

Well said

 

[Zachanadandy]

You don’t seem to get it, do you? You don’t necessarily have to see mud or debris coming from a vehicle, to run into it and have an issue. Hell, 45 years ago I was riding in a rural area after 9 at night, when I hit mud in a curve that was left by a farm tractor during the day. Not another soul on the road, save for my brother riding slightly behind/beside me. Caused me to lay it down, exploding the tank, and giving me 3rd degree burns. Like the story Rusty PW told about. No difference at all.

Mud in a curve (or debris or stalled vehicles or ...) is especially dangerous. I agree with the other posters on the idea that you can't always clean off your vehicle though. Our property is 15 miles out a county maintained dirt road and it is right off the highway. No surface streets, car washes, or even sticks for cleaning things off (it's the desert). Fortunately it is dry most of the year but when it's not there will be mud on the highway and even when it's dry there's likely sand. Fortunately it's a very straight stretch so I've never seen anyone go down from it. Do the best you can to be courteous of others but there's a point where it's unavoidable.

 

[Gatorac]

I'm gonna go off topic here and not talk about motorcycle safety. I refrained from considering the "pre-runner" lights on my JT because I thought it wasn't appropriate on my Jeep. I just measured and it appears that I would be required to have them. I live in the land of the free here in Florida and the cops seem to have more important things to do than bust my stones over this apparent violation. Thanks for the PSA on having proper lighting. Sorry the VHP decided to make an example of your truck.

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