Police stopped a Bayville man earlier this month for not having a bell on his bicycle, and then arrested him when he walked away from them.They originally stopped him because they said he was doing something suspicious, and police said his failure to have a bell on his bike was the probable cause they needed to stop him and question him.
No one wants to be pulled over, but officers clearly use these little-known laws to make the community safer.
"No one wants to get a ticket and get pulled over,” said Gloucester’s Det. Detective Nicholas Schock, who is also president of the New Jersey Police Traffic Officers Association. But, "when you look at things that people are pulled over for, there are safety concerns."
Law enforcement also admits that little-used laws are also a way to stop people in public and question them about whether they're breaking a more serious law.
In 2017, 856 people were written a summons by police for not having a bell on their bicycle. 119,427 drivers received a ticket for license plate frame or display of fictitious plates or license plate frames that cover up any part of the plates and 85,067 people received a ticket for obstructing the views on their car windows which include having a cracked windshields, or hanging parking tags or other things from their rear-view mirror.
Nearly 20 years ago, the state's Attorney General announces that three out of four drivers stopped on the Turnpike are minorities, confirming what others had believed was the case. The department has worked to end that practice.
How probable cause can be used incorrectly
Whether an officer decides to use one of these laws to stop an individual is at the officer's discretion. As a result, there have been concerns for decades about why and when officers decide to enforce certain laws, and when they do not.Reginald Garrett, who pulled over more than 13,000 cars as a state trooper in Maryland and Virginia, said officers in New Jersey have pulled him over because of his race.
After being stopped in Watchung, and later in New Providence, for having tinted windows, which he had a waiver for in Delaware, and a Delaware license plate, he was held for more than 30 minutes at one stop and 49 minutes at the other.
"I'm an African-American male, but I'm a former state trooper, so I know the law, and I know that a lot of times probable cause can just be an excuse. If they were stopping people with true primary violations instead of profiling, they could be getting decent law abiding arrests as they should."
What you should do if you're stopped
If you are stopped, you have rights. For example, a police officer can't keep you waiting for a lengthy period of time during a traffic stop. Instead, they must use "reasonable diligence," and take only the amount of time it takes to check your plates and issue the ticket.But experts say whether you're walking, biking or driving you should follow the officers' directions. If you believe the officer did something inappropriate, there are ways to file a complaint.
But the best way for this not to become a problem is to not be stopped in the first place. Here are some of the main reasons that police choose to stop people:
Windshields
According to the state's traffic code, your windshield must be unobstructed and equipped with cleaners. This leaves a broad interpretation for officers to decide if a pull over is valid.This question was the center of the Holland Tunnel gun case. Port Authority police saw a crack in John Cramsey's windshield and used that infraction to pull over his truck. They found five loaded handguns, a shotgun, an assault rifle, body armor and three bags of marijuana and a pipe in the truck. A year ago, Cramsey, a former Pennsylvania gun range owner, was sentenced to serve at least one year in prison and a maximum of five years.
Tinted Windows
When former Port Authority Commissioner Caren Turner's daughter was pulled over in March, it was for tinted windows. State statue says drivers can not legally have any amount of tinting on the front-door windows or the front window, not even if the car is traveling through from out of state. Any amount of tinting is allowed on the back windshield and backdoors on the drivers' and passengers' side, Schock noted.
However, the state does grant waivers that allows tinting on front windows for medical reasons.
TailgatingRemember the two second rule? It's a rule of thumb for drivers to put at least that amount of time between themselves and the vehicle in front of them. According to New Jersey law, you need to be within 100 feet of another car on a highway. If you violate this and an officer is nearby, don't be surprised if you see flashing lights behind you. In April, a state trooper pulled over a vehicle for tailgating and conducted a weed search in to driver's crotch. Later, the tailgating ticket was dismissed, and motorist Jack Levine, who was then 22, filed a $900,000 lawsuit against the two troopers who made the stop and other unnamed troopers. Safety Zones
Driving through a safety zone, which are typically labeled as a construction site, is also prohibited in New Jersey. This was one of many reason former Hillside Mayor and current Union County Freeholder Angela Garretson was given over five summons by Hillside police. After many appeals, the tickets were later dismissed as well.
Warming up your car
Letting your car sit for an excessive amount of time on the side of the road with your ignition on is also prohibited according to a state statue. People typically do this in the winter to warm up their cars, but it can get you a summons.
In 2016, approximately 276 tickets were written for the offense. Only 4 were found not guilty.
I want to see 'The Garden State'
If your license plate holder covers the words "New Jersey," "Garden State" or any other word on your plate, this too could get you pulled over in New Jersey. According to state statutes, motorists are prohibited from putting any license plate frame on that to obscures any of the markings on the plate.
In 2017, nearly 120,000 summons were issued for obscuring license plates, according to the state Judiciary. That said, State Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, R-Monmouth, has proposed a bill that would prevent police officers from ticketing motorist with a dealers' license plate holder on their vehicle, since the motorist likely didn't install the holder. The bill is still pending.
The Hillside mayor who was in a feud with her police department was also issued a ticket for improper passing. That ticket was also later dismissed.
Cyclers have rules, too
You don't just need a bell on your bike, there are a handful of laws that can get you stopped while you're peddling, but we'll count them as reasons eight and nine.You need a white light on the front of your bike if you're riding at night, and a red light on the back of it. That bell not only needs to be on your bike, but people must be able to hear it from 100 feet away.
You also may want to rethink practicing that new trick. New Jersey law also states that bikers keep their hands on the handle bars and feet on the peddles.
And helmets? You only have to wear one if you're a bicycle passengers or cycling under 17.
Taylor Tiamoyo NJ.COM
No one wants to be pulled over, but officers clearly use these little-known laws to make the community safer.
"No one wants to get a ticket and get pulled over,” said Gloucester’s Det. Detective Nicholas Schock, who is also president of the New Jersey Police Traffic Officers Association. But, "when you look at things that people are pulled over for, there are safety concerns."
Law enforcement also admits that little-used laws are also a way to stop people in public and question them about whether they're breaking a more serious law.
In 2017, 856 people were written a summons by police for not having a bell on their bicycle. 119,427 drivers received a ticket for license plate frame or display of fictitious plates or license plate frames that cover up any part of the plates and 85,067 people received a ticket for obstructing the views on their car windows which include having a cracked windshields, or hanging parking tags or other things from their rear-view mirror.
Nearly 20 years ago, the state's Attorney General announces that three out of four drivers stopped on the Turnpike are minorities, confirming what others had believed was the case. The department has worked to end that practice.
How probable cause can be used incorrectly
Whether an officer decides to use one of these laws to stop an individual is at the officer's discretion. As a result, there have been concerns for decades about why and when officers decide to enforce certain laws, and when they do not.Reginald Garrett, who pulled over more than 13,000 cars as a state trooper in Maryland and Virginia, said officers in New Jersey have pulled him over because of his race.
After being stopped in Watchung, and later in New Providence, for having tinted windows, which he had a waiver for in Delaware, and a Delaware license plate, he was held for more than 30 minutes at one stop and 49 minutes at the other.
"I'm an African-American male, but I'm a former state trooper, so I know the law, and I know that a lot of times probable cause can just be an excuse. If they were stopping people with true primary violations instead of profiling, they could be getting decent law abiding arrests as they should."
What you should do if you're stopped
If you are stopped, you have rights. For example, a police officer can't keep you waiting for a lengthy period of time during a traffic stop. Instead, they must use "reasonable diligence," and take only the amount of time it takes to check your plates and issue the ticket.But experts say whether you're walking, biking or driving you should follow the officers' directions. If you believe the officer did something inappropriate, there are ways to file a complaint.
But the best way for this not to become a problem is to not be stopped in the first place. Here are some of the main reasons that police choose to stop people:
Windshields
According to the state's traffic code, your windshield must be unobstructed and equipped with cleaners. This leaves a broad interpretation for officers to decide if a pull over is valid.This question was the center of the Holland Tunnel gun case. Port Authority police saw a crack in John Cramsey's windshield and used that infraction to pull over his truck. They found five loaded handguns, a shotgun, an assault rifle, body armor and three bags of marijuana and a pipe in the truck. A year ago, Cramsey, a former Pennsylvania gun range owner, was sentenced to serve at least one year in prison and a maximum of five years.
Tinted Windows
When former Port Authority Commissioner Caren Turner's daughter was pulled over in March, it was for tinted windows. State statue says drivers can not legally have any amount of tinting on the front-door windows or the front window, not even if the car is traveling through from out of state. Any amount of tinting is allowed on the back windshield and backdoors on the drivers' and passengers' side, Schock noted.
However, the state does grant waivers that allows tinting on front windows for medical reasons.
TailgatingRemember the two second rule? It's a rule of thumb for drivers to put at least that amount of time between themselves and the vehicle in front of them. According to New Jersey law, you need to be within 100 feet of another car on a highway. If you violate this and an officer is nearby, don't be surprised if you see flashing lights behind you. In April, a state trooper pulled over a vehicle for tailgating and conducted a weed search in to driver's crotch. Later, the tailgating ticket was dismissed, and motorist Jack Levine, who was then 22, filed a $900,000 lawsuit against the two troopers who made the stop and other unnamed troopers. Safety Zones
Driving through a safety zone, which are typically labeled as a construction site, is also prohibited in New Jersey. This was one of many reason former Hillside Mayor and current Union County Freeholder Angela Garretson was given over five summons by Hillside police. After many appeals, the tickets were later dismissed as well.
Warming up your car
Letting your car sit for an excessive amount of time on the side of the road with your ignition on is also prohibited according to a state statue. People typically do this in the winter to warm up their cars, but it can get you a summons.
In 2016, approximately 276 tickets were written for the offense. Only 4 were found not guilty.
I want to see 'The Garden State'
If your license plate holder covers the words "New Jersey," "Garden State" or any other word on your plate, this too could get you pulled over in New Jersey. According to state statutes, motorists are prohibited from putting any license plate frame on that to obscures any of the markings on the plate.
In 2017, nearly 120,000 summons were issued for obscuring license plates, according to the state Judiciary. That said, State Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, R-Monmouth, has proposed a bill that would prevent police officers from ticketing motorist with a dealers' license plate holder on their vehicle, since the motorist likely didn't install the holder. The bill is still pending.
The Hillside mayor who was in a feud with her police department was also issued a ticket for improper passing. That ticket was also later dismissed.
Cyclers have rules, too
You don't just need a bell on your bike, there are a handful of laws that can get you stopped while you're peddling, but we'll count them as reasons eight and nine.You need a white light on the front of your bike if you're riding at night, and a red light on the back of it. That bell not only needs to be on your bike, but people must be able to hear it from 100 feet away.
You also may want to rethink practicing that new trick. New Jersey law also states that bikers keep their hands on the handle bars and feet on the peddles.
And helmets? You only have to wear one if you're a bicycle passengers or cycling under 17.
Taylor Tiamoyo NJ.COM