WI - Spin out and get a ticket

[StlouisX50]

State Patrol: Spin Out in Winter Weather, and You'll Get a Ticket

By [replacer_a] and [replacer_a]


Story Created: Dec 9, 2008
Story Updated: Dec 9, 2008

The Wisconsin State Patrol says that slick roads aren't an excuse for losing control on the highways.
The law enforcement agency says it will be giving out tickets if your car slides off the road.
"You're definitely going to get a tow bill ticket," said Wisconsin State Patrol Captain Varla Bishop.
"It depends on the circumstances. You may receive a citation, but the tow trucks are busy this morning, and you're not going to get your vehicle pulled out right away. You're going to be waiting a bit for that."
Another member of the state patrol who works the beat on a daily basis realizes that your spinouts and other troubles on the road don't just affect yourself.
"By you going out there and spinning out you're putting everyone else in danger also, and that's not fair to them," said Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper Kristian Perales.
Perales tests the road when he starts his shift during slippery conditions.

"When there's nobody around, I will go a certain speed and hit my brakes to see what the car does." Perales believes stopping is most important thing to consider when it comes what speed to drive on the highway when it snows.
Conditions on the freeways and roads have been treacherous during the recent snows, and especially in this current batch of winter weather.
"During some of the black ice conditions we saw last week, 25 miles per hour was maximum speed on I-94," said Waukesha County Sheriff's Lieutenant Tom Moerman.
To avoid crashes, spinouts and other maladies on the road, Bishop gives suggestions.
"They've just got to slow down, give themselves some time," said Bishop.
"They've got to keep some distance between themselves and the vehicle in front of them in case traffic does come to a stop, and remember to either slow down or merge left for any maintenance vehicles, plows and squad cars that are out there.
"Just be real defensive in your driving and look down the road, and watch for brake lights that come on ahead."

[Maestro]

I been seeing a trend lately, more and more people are being issue tickets which in the past would never have occurred. It was not bad enough you got in an accident or had a mishap and it was going to cost you real $ to get it repair. Many people these days are choosing to pay the bill themselves to avoid the increase costs.

I thought the purpose of insurance was to cover costs which maybe outside your means to pay. Yes people in the past call in insurance for every little thing, however more and more people are choosing not to go that path to save the insurance costs. Well, that is not the case anymore with these tickets, they end up on your record, the insurance company sees them and then your rates go up even though it never cost them a penny for your mishap. Like spinning out on a road and needing a tow to pull you out. Many time you do not even have damage to your car.

I would like to find out if police are being instructed to issue tickets every time there is an accident. Even if you do not turn it into your insurance company, these tickets will cost you.

I heard small towns complaining that accidents are costing the town money because police have to respond sometime. Gee let see, you being paid anyway, either they are helping someone out or riding around on on their butt, so how is that costing more.

A friend got one of these tickets, driving too fast for conditions because he hit a deer crossing the road, the officer justify it because there was deer crossing sign and he should have slowed down since deer are known to cross at this point.

[lugnuts]

just another way to generate more revenue.


the weather is not an excuse? so an act of god is now our fault?

[StlouisX50]

Sure it is. Like my apartment complex says. They recommend you delay any function until they can put salt out to avoid accidents. However if you have to go to work, you are supposed to call in and lose money and risk losing your job I suppose.

[kw79]

With more state budget shortfalls I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of these ridiculous tickets.

Now I can see if snow is falling at a rate of 3" per hour and there happens to be 5 inches on the ground already and you are doing 60 in 40, then yeah, you should get one of these including several other tickets.

However, not everyone that spins out is driving recklessly.

[Maestro]

Saw a pile up this weekend, went to the mountains to hunt a tree, and on the way back it began to flurry, barely a dusting on the road, well right in front of me cars began to pile up. Black ice, you could see the road surface change all of sudden, from a dull gray to sheen look, car began to loose it, and most cars were not go too fast like 50 on 65 MPH road or following too close, but once you start sliding there is no stopping.

I was at least 500 feet behind the last car and it took the entire distance to slow down without sliding into the mess. I though I was going to join the pile, lucky for me I just took my foot off the gas and let the car coast and slowly pumped the brakes (I still not like ABS on the snow, I rely on the tried and true methods).

So if I did end up in the pile i could have gotten a ticket for too fast for conditions, reckless driving or following too close depending on what the officer felt was justified in his mind.

[jerry540i]

Police in Ontario started handing out "too fast for conditions" tickets last winter.

While some accidents can't be avoided (black ice, etc) far too often its idiots who have no idea how to drive in winter conditions.

J/

[AirMoore]

Police in Ontario started handing out "too fast for conditions" tickets last winter.

While some accidents can't be avoided (black ice, etc) far too often its idiots who have no idea how to drive in winter conditions.

J/

X2, for the Police in NY, but they have been doing that for awhile, for basically any accident. Its basically a cover-all ticket that could apply to virtually anything. (At least the vast majority of accidents...) because it (somewhat) invokes the idea of infinite regression in a sense.

[supercowpowers]

The wonderful thing about "Too fast for conditions" tickets is that they contribute to statistics like "1/3 of all accidents are caused by speeding" to justify enforcement blitzes in July...

[lugnuts]

The wonderful thing about "Too fast for conditions" tickets is that they contribute to statistics like "1/3 of all accidents are caused by speeding" to justify enforcement blitzes in July...

good catch I missed that angle the first time.