You likely know to stop at a red light when driving on New York roads or any others throughout the country. You also likely know that you must come to a halt whenever you see a sign with the word stop on it. However, there is a chance that you may violate either the spirit or the letter of a red light or stop sign law.
You must come to a complete stop at a stop sign
It isn’t uncommon for drivers to come to what is known as a rolling stop when approaching a stop sign. Unfortunately, if a police officer sees you do this, he or she may initiate a traffic stop. At that point, you may be given a traffic ticket, and that could result in a fine or points on your license.
A light could go red just as you cross an intersection
Generally speaking, you should plan on stopping at a traffic light if it turns from green to yellow. This is an indication that the light is going to turn red in the near future, and you could get a ticket if you don’t go through an intersection before this happens. In some cases, you could receive a ticket either after being caught by a police officer or because a traffic camera took a picture of your vehicle.
You can’t turn when a directional arrow is red
Some traffic lights will have separate signals for those who are attempting to make a left turn. If the left turn arrow is red, you can’t proceed even if the main traffic light turns green. Conversely, you may be able to make a left turn if the signal is green even if the main traffic light is red.
If you receive one or more traffic tickets related to running a stop sign or a red light, it may be possible to obtain legal assistance. An attorney may convince a judge to either drop the ticket or reduce the charge against you.