Traffic ticket for stickers on rear window

[BlackSpruce]

A Saturday Sticker Shock! I had no idea that the three decals,
ADK – 46-Rs – ATIS, in the very corner of my truck rear window were a traffic violation but I found out today that I have to remove them and the instruction came with a $40 fine!

Hikers beware: being proud and/or supportive can be costly.

Christine

 

[Lawn Sale]

What state and who issued the ticket?

 

[BlackSpruce]

Adirondack - New York State Police

PS: in same town a few days ago a student with a decal bearing the name of his university on the rear window learned same as I when stopped by State Trooper.

 

[una_dogger]

No freakin' way.

$40 bucks is a small price to pay, I say, keep 'em on 46ers!

This law is obviously bullcrap and will go away!

If collective pride doesn't make the point, perhaps all the out of State/out of USers who visit the Daks region (and the revenue they bring) will make it.

 

[BlackSpruce]

Another misconception is having your lights on during the day if your wipers are in use, well that's not quite right! Lights should be on if it's not very bright or there is even light fog! At least that particular recommendation was priceless... today. That was downtown Elisabethtown at 2:35PM coming out of the Grand Union parking lot. It wasn't raining then but it is now heavely.

 

[Remix]

Just curious, what law (section number or part) did the citation reference.
I am wondering if this is a cut and dried thing (such as no stickers within so many inches)-- I have a few and I don't need the hassle.

FYI, I know someone from NYC who got a ticket for having their WMNF sticker interfere with reading their VIN tag on the dashboard. But this occurred when they were handing out citations for no bell on bikes, IIRC.

 

[jeenyus]

i know they can pull you over for too much stuff hanging from your rear-view mirror because it 'impedes' your vision so it may be something like that

 

[teejay]

Obstructed vision

Christine,

Something similar happened to my daughter. She was a bit late for work and was doing 71 in a 55 mph zone. When the cop pulled her over, he told her why and went back to his car. When he came back to her car with the ticket, he complimented her for her honesty and politeness, and presented her with a ticket for "Obstructed Vision." Wished her a nice day and told her to watch her speed. The cop was obligated to write a ticket based on the infraction, but could also use his judgement as to the infraction charged. Oh yeah, she had a car freshener hanging from the rear-view mirror. And she paid the ticket, gladly.

The ticket you got is for a non-moving violation, which doesn't carry any points. If you were stopped for not having your headlights on, which is probably a moving violation, the cop was doing you a favor.

The few stickers on my car are on refrigerator magnets and stuck to the rear of the trunk lid.

teejay

 

[ADKdremn]

Kind of hard to believe, but like teejay said, he could have been doing you a favor, if you were pulled over for another violation.
Last winter I got pulled over for speeding on my way home from the ADK's by a rather nice state trooper, I even got a chuckle out of him. He explained I was going a little too fast to be let go with a warning so he gave me a ticket for failure to obey a traffic device, which in his words...."that big white sign with big black numbers on it."
The ticket was still costly, but much less so than a speeding ticket and I didn't get any points.

 

[Maddy]

I have a smallish snowflake and small black bear hanging from my rear vies mirror. Also a decal from my Outward Bound school way up top on the rear window. It is made of clear material but the lettering is very obvious. I have been stopped and told to slow down but the police have never said a word to me about these items.
I can recall one winter, years ago, when the Woodstock VT police were stopping people who were drinking coffee while driving up route 4.
That didn't not last too long. Must have been bad for business downtown. All the skiers getting off 89 had to wait to get to Bridgewater to buy a cup of java.
I wonder how many people they do pull over for this and if they are all from out of state.

 

[1ADAM12]

Kind of hard to believe, but like teejay said, he could have been doing you a favor, if you were pulled over for another violation.
Last winter I got pulled over for speeding on my way home from the ADK's by a rather nice state trooper, I even got a chuckle out of him. He explained I was going a little too fast to be let go with a warning so he gave me a ticket for failure to obey a traffic device, which in his words...."that big white sign with big black numbers on it."
The ticket was still costly, but much less so than a speeding ticket and I didn't get any points.

Did you ever pay that Andy?

Christine,

I am sorry to hear about that!

Adam

 

[Lawn Sale]

Huh, I did not know this and was just in NY last Sunday buying a VW TDI with my brother.

Here is the law:

Vehicle and Traffic Law: § 375. Equipment.
(b)(i) The use or placing of posters or stickers on windshields or rear windows of motor vehicles other than those authorized by the commissioner, is hereby prohibited.

12-a. (a) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any sign or other nontransparent material other than a certificate or paper required to be displayed by law upon the front windshield or the sidewings or side windows on either side forward of or adjacent to the operator's seat.

16. The owner and operator of any motor vehicle operated in violation of the provisions of subdivisions eleven and twelve shall be guilty of a traffic infraction.

That sucks, I wonder if any other states have something similar, as I am in clear violation.

I wonder how this applies to university stickers in the rear window, again I am guilty.

It looks like it's OK in Maine and NH:

Title 29-A: MOTOR VEHICLES HEADING: Chapter 19: OPERATION HEADING: Subchapter 1: RULES OF THE ROAD HEADING: §2082. Windows

1. Obstructions. A person may not operate a vehicle with a sign, poster, opaque or semitransparent material or substance on the front windshield, side wing or side or rear window that obstructs the operator's clear view of the way or an intersecting way.
[ 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF) .]
2. Objects. A person may not operate a motor vehicle with an object placed or hung in or on the vehicle, other than the required or provided equipment of the vehicle, in a manner that obstructs or interferes with the view of the operator through the windshield or prevents the operator from having a clear and full view of the road and conditions of traffic.
[ 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF) .]

TITLE XXI
MOTOR VEHICLES
CHAPTER 265
RULES OF THE ROAD
Special Rules 265:95 Obstruction to Driver's View or Riding Mechanism. –
III. No person shall drive upon any way any vehicle with any sign, poster, sticker or other nontransparent material upon or adjacent to the front windshield, side wings, or side or rear windows of such vehicle which shall obstruct the driver's clear view of the way or any intersecting way, unless authorized by the director so to do.
IV. Any person who violates the provisions of paragraph I, II, or III of this section shall be subject to a fine of $75.

 

[kmorgan]

You gotta be kidding?

 

[Maddy]

3 possibilities come to mind
1-Have they just graduated a new class of enthusiastic
state police from the Academy?
2-They need $$$$
3-Could they really be that bored? Perhaps the crime rate
is so low the are looking for ways to pass the time.

I cannot phantom the NYC cops taking the time to do this.
It boggles my mind.
I cannot imagine the tourist being very happy about this especially when the economy is the way it is.

 

[Lawn Sale]

I have to wonder if non-NY people are exempt. The reason I ask is that in the military your vehicle has to conform to the state in which it's registered, not in the one in which you're in.

 

[Grumpy]

You gotta be kidding?

My reaction to the original post, exactly.

Edit:

I am aware, generally, that hanging stuff from rear view mirrors is commonly considered a no-no by state motor vehicle codes. But stickers on the rear window of a pickup truck? What happens if the pickup truck bed is filled with a camper that covers the rear window of the cab? Or what about a van or SUV when the rear windshield becomes completely obscured by ice, snow, rain or dirt?

G.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Receiving a ticket doesn't automatically mean you have to pay it.

Go to traffic court. Twice I've felt tickets were totally unjustified, and have gone to court. The first time the officer didn't show (automatic dismissal) and the second time we worked out an agreement - no fine/harm/no foul.

No guarantees, but it's about your only recourse (except going online for a sympathetic bitch session )

 

[Tony]

uh... we seem to be getting pretty far afield from VFTT territory here...

 

[Grumpy]

uh... we seem to be getting pretty far afield from VFTT territory here...

Not really. I hike for recreation in the area where these traffic tickets and warnings were issued. Knowing about traffic laws and enforcement practices that may affect my pleasure trips has some real importance to me.

G.

 

[RoySwkr]

uh... we seem to be getting pretty far afield from VFTT territory here...

Not really, the WMNF parking sticker must be displayed on your windshield and I'll bet it's not authorized by the NY commissioner

But if you're careful to put it outside the forward view area the cop will probably ignore it