Yeah it says on the ticket I was going 30 in a 35. I gotta make some phone calls. All I know is this is such bs. What do the Leo's on here have to say. I was riding safely, How could he tell the helmet was a non dot...That is a good question. It's not like I broke a law and then he noticed it...

 

More likely that he pulled you because of the helmet as opposed to going slow....unless you were in fact impeding traffic.

just curious...why would this chnage your view on whether or not to wear a lid?....or are you saying that you oppose being told to?

I agree that folks should choose for themselves, and I always wear a helmet...and its always a DOT.

 

I thought the only way they could get you for the DOT thing was if they pulled you over for something else... And is going 30 in a 35 really a violation? I mean... I know TECHNICALLY it is a violation of the limit, but... That just seems ODD.

Did he ask you to remove the helmet so he could inspect it or did he just go by the fact that he could not see a DOT sticker? I pulled all my DOT stickers off of ALL my helmets...

 

Describe the "novelty" helmet you say you were wearing, please.....

 

The LEO who was teaching classroom portion of the MSF course I took cited some testing done on novelty helmets and indicated that many of them are potentially more dangerous than no helmet due to the way some of them fracture. He also said in off road situations (Glamis, Pismo) a LEO would ticket you for wearing one even though no helmet is required. I've told this story before and had the source of info doubted due to the possiblity of alternate agenda, but I don't feel as such since he was advocating NO helmet over a novelty helmet.

 

if you look at my avatar you will see why I think you got what you had coming to you.You knew the helment you were wearingdid not meet the requirments of your state & you choose to wear it anyway. So why are you bitching about getting dinged for it????[sm=bustedsign.gif]There are many many light & great looking half helments that are DOT approved, the law on DOT in your state was written to protect you. In those states where no helment is required, then do what you want.

PS "So I was on my way to court to get my probation dismissed," why were you on probation.? I assume it was for load pipes you touched on. I have probabaly some of the loudest around..... but I choose very carefully where to open them up, apparently you have been making some bad choices lately have't you.

 

Here in New Mexico, a helmet ticket is an equipment violation. If his probable cause for pulling you over was for doing 30 in a 35 I would fight the ticket on the grounds that he had no probable cause to pull you over in the first place. If you're found guilty, appeal it to the next higher court. 9 times out of 10 if a ticket is appealed from municipal court here the D.A. will dismiss it as he doesn't want to deal with it!

P.S. As a retired LEO, my opinion on the ticket is that it's a B.S. ticket!

 

Anubisss its because no skid lids or novelty helmets are DOT approved anywhere in the United States. It's not hard to spot one if you know the slightest bit about motorcycle helmets. The Officer doesn't need probable cause to stop you, only reasonable suspicion that the helmet you were wearing was non-DOT. Once he stopped you and verified it was non-dot then he had the probable cause to write you a ticket.

I agree with you it's pretty chump to write someone that ticket, in 13 years I have never written anyone a ticket for thier helmet, only for not wearing one at all. I am not going to judge the officer that wrote the ticket to you, maybe he has handled to many accidents where he has seen people who wear novelty helmets with thier brains all over the road and thought he was doing you a favor.

In my state that ticket is not considered a moving violation and no points are assessed to your drving record if you just pay the ticket.

 

How is going 5 miles an hour UNDER the limit any kind of violation? Are we all supposed to stay AT the posted limit? "Pull over sir. I see you were only going 44 here. Can't you see it says 45? You're busted. Come along with me now." WTF???

 

Lemme see.....You were on your way to COURT..........a Place of LAW.....but for the ride there, you knowingly chose to ride ILLEGALLY.......and when you get Caught, you holler. It would appear that the helmet issue is not the First poor choice you have made !

It probably caught the Officer's attention, that you were driving below the speed limit, and made him wonder what you were trying to hide, by being OVERLY attentive to the traffic laws. Then, he just looked for a reason to stop you, and the absence of the DOT sticker on the back of your helmet, gave him that reason.