My Railroad Crossing Violation - DISMISSED!
Topic 27218 | Page 2
Glad everything worked out and you’re in the clear.
Glad this worked out for you Rob.
Good deal. Glad you beat it.
Congrats Rob I believe justice has been served.
With the uncertainty of what future holds if this ticket sticks I spent time researching a ton looking for any way to get it dismissed. I came across this 
. I needed to be able to prove that I couldn't stop in time so I went to my states CDL manual. I came across these 2 pages. 
according to the manual it would take me a minimum of 319 feet to come to a stop at 45 mph. I've always heard stopping distance is 1 second for every 10 mph and add 1 second for safety. The manual says safe following distance is 1 second for every 10 feet of vehicle and 1 second over 40 mph. That made me happy to know it says following distance is more than what I've heard elsewhere. Next I wanted to see exactly how far from rail arm 319 feet is so I used google maps for a rough idea.
I was just passed this area so I definitely was in the dilemma zone. I drove past this crossing after work for a week hoping I could time how long it flashes before the arm comes down. Industry standard is minimum of 3 seconds but was it closer to 3, or 10 seconds?? Unfortunately I didnt have a train come through.
I snapped a picture of what the minimum stopping distance looks like
This is what view is when you're nearly on the tracks
it's very crowded and difficult to get a good view down the track without coming to a stop. This was all the damage that was done
. The deputy didnt take any pictures so I made sure that I did. In the end I made a mistake, all this could have been avoided had I handled a RR crossing the way we're supposed to. I'm thankful it's resolved and I learned from it and can help others avoid the same mistake.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
EPU:
Electric Auxiliary Power Units
Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices
I just checked and the court had updated their website. I just paid the $60 in court costs so its officially dismissed! Huge weight off my shoulders. I made mistakes in this instance but I'm glad it wont be on my MVR and I dont lose my CDL. I learned quite a bit about it and the basics of our legal system, hopefully it will be my only time dealing with it.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
MVR:
Motor Vehicle Record
An MVR is a report of your driving history, as reported from your state Department of Motor Vehicles. Information on this report may include Drivers License information, point history, violations, convictions, and license status on your driving record.
Man that's great! A good example of why we should always fight any ticket, even ones where we clearly have some fault. Congrats.
I just checked and the court had updated their website. I just paid the $60 in court costs so its officially dismissed! Huge weight off my shoulders. I made mistakes in this instance but I'm glad it wont be on my MVR and I dont lose my CDL. I learned quite a bit about it and the basics of our legal system, hopefully it will be my only time dealing with it.
Merry Christmas!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
MVR:
Motor Vehicle Record
An MVR is a report of your driving history, as reported from your state Department of Motor Vehicles. Information on this report may include Drivers License information, point history, violations, convictions, and license status on your driving record.
I just checked and the court had updated their website. I just paid the $60 in court costs so its officially dismissed! Huge weight off my shoulders. I made mistakes in this instance but I'm glad it wont be on my MVR and I dont lose my CDL. I learned quite a bit about it and the basics of our legal system, hopefully it will be my only time dealing with it.
Merry Christmas!
And happy birthday (today)! I'm not one to celebrate my bday but I think this one is great. Now I'm 30 =( I'm getting old!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
MVR:
Motor Vehicle Record
An MVR is a report of your driving history, as reported from your state Department of Motor Vehicles. Information on this report may include Drivers License information, point history, violations, convictions, and license status on your driving record.
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Rob,
CONGRATULATIONS! Very happy this load has been lifted and you can enjoy the Holidays without it hanging out there. Excellent advise all the way through.