Did the rules "relax" a bit?

[TurboChrisB]

I'm noticing more and more lately.....

Cars with forward facing red or blue lights (never used to see this....now I see it a couple times a week)

Tinted windshields (at least one a day and I'm not even looking for em)

Tinted rear license plate covers

Tinted brake lights

LOUD / straight piped cars (too many to count on a daily basis)

Etc etc.

Hell, back in the 80's, I'd been ticketed or pulled over for, too high, too low, driving with fog lights on, tinted windows, loud / modified exhaust, tires past the fenders / no flaps. Had a buddy about 15 years ago put one of those tinted rear plexi plate covers on and got written up for it in less than a week.

But I'm guessing it's just no where near as much a risk these day. Or I don't imagine I'd see it this much.

Is it me or has stuff become more lax in citing for these correctable violations?

I do remember my brother (ret. RSD) and i talking about 10 years ago about how loud harleys and tinted windows were becoming more "allowed". His theory was the more common stuff becomes, the more it's overlooked.

[702dog]

It’s the same excuse most of the cops use- Leave it so I have an excuse to pull them over in the future and go after the real crime inside the vehicle.

I don’t agree with the mindset, but whatever.

[SDDAVE56]

Some Cops don't want the hassle. Some Cops are too busy. Some Cops are too lazy. Some Cops don't give a crap.

[mej16489]

I miss the days when those things were heavily enforced. In my time they were the gateway to DUIs and Felony drug cases... For some reason the license plate covers are the ones that get on my nerves the most. I don't have a clue why...

The most likely answer is that in highly populated areas law enforcement is stretched thin enough that LEOs are shagging from call to call constantly. Designated traffic enforcement is likely thin as well and seems to only concentrate on speeding...

[Devilock04]

Originally Posted by SDDAVE56

Some Cops don't want the hassle. Some Cops are too busy. Some Cops are too lazy. Some Cops don't give a crap.

Some departments are actively limiting stops for “minor infractions”, tying the officer’s hands…

https://www.foxnews.com/us/lapd-chie...-traffic-stops

[SDDAVE56]

Originally Posted by Devilock04

Some departments are actively limiting stops for “minor infractions”, tying the officer’s hands…

https://www.foxnews.com/us/lapd-chie...-traffic-stops

Yup.

[TurboChrisB]

Originally Posted by SDDAVE56

Some Cops don't want the hassle. Some Cops are too busy. Some Cops are too lazy. Some Cops don't give a crap.

Well, that would be a "new breed" of cop then....

Originally Posted by Devilock04

Some departments are actively limiting stops for “minor infractions”, tying the officer’s hands…

https://www.foxnews.com/us/lapd-chie...-traffic-stops

Not the case in OC, at least not that I've ever heard.

[p7m8jg]

Just don't drive through a small town with nothing better to do......

[TurboChrisB]

Originally Posted by p7m8jg

Just don't drive through a small town with nothing better to do......

Ha! As I mentioned earlier....my brother is RSD, Ret. About 5 or 6 years ago we drove up to an event in Portland. On the drive home we decided to drive PCH all the way as he'd never driven it up there. LOTS of small towns. It was getting late and we decided to drive until about midnight.

Between about 9 and 12 we got pulled over FOUR times. EVERY small town we drove through we got pulled over. It was funny at first. By the 4th time it wasn't as funny.

Being in a black, lowered 25 year old car probably didn't help. Looking for drunks I guess.

[stormvet]

You really haven’t been keeping up with current events, there are a multitude of reasons these type of infractions are not heavily enforced in many areas of the country anymore. The lack of officers patrolling the streets do to defunding and politics is just one of many. In many places like the Bay Area traffic rules of any sort are rarely followed. Say your Oakland PD you see hundreds of cars with tinted windows and other infractions, you know if you pull one over for it chances are it’s gonna go sideways. Your gonna most likely have to call for back up, pulling more officers from an already extremely short on staff watch. And then after it goes sideways and use of force is used, you will be Monday morning quarterbackied to death over the reason you pulled the car over and the resulting use of force.Places like the Bay Area need to triple their police force just to stand a chance, as it is now it’s all about reacting to major problems and just trying to keep your head above water.

[mej16489]

I've never seen anyone with forward facing red or blue lights...until last night. Forward facing reds.

[SharedShots]

It's more about policies than anything else. Say you live on a street that's used as the local drag in the middle of the night. That can go on for years until some resident makes a call and suddenly there are a few enforcement events targeting that concern. Also, a properly worded complain does a lot more than just a general one. I'm not saying to do this but: say you want to complain about forward facing red and blue lights. Just complaining about it won't get much traction. Say you saw the lights and in heavy fast-moving traffic had to move over onto the shoulder (not lie but if it really happened) as did a few other cars and that's a little more focused. Say there was a limited shoulder, dirt and dust got spewed up and could easily confuse or cause others behind you not to see and more focus.

Take just about any job, doesn't matter what it is, some things just aren't a priority until the boss or company policy makes it a priority. I'm sure some people think it's just the LE deciding not to pay attention to something and for some instances that's true but mostly, it's policy or politically driven right down to what some council member or even some prominent resident wants.

If it bothers you when someone runs around with those blue and red forward-facing light, make a complaint. If you have a license plate, all the better. That doesn't mean after that there will be some enforcement but as with lots of things, when the threshold for complaint tolerance is reached, someone says "Okay, let's be aware of these things (insert list) and apply some focus here".

This works for almost everything. Complain about your coffee not being hot enough and the next time be careful before chugging.






.

[PartyBarge]

Originally Posted by Devilock04

Some departments are actively limiting stops for “minor infractions”, tying the officer’s hands…

https://www.foxnews.com/us/lapd-chie...-traffic-stops

This

[BufrdTJstc]

Traffic stops are generally frowned upon these days... and Its not worth the hassle, you get a complaint and then you have to answer for it administratively. Its the politics of the day...

[sfpcservice]

I see this with some frequency also and had the same question. Back in high school kids would get instantly pulled over for ground effect lights. Now we have guys with red and blue forward facing flashing lights they got off Facebook marketplace.

Also notice an increase in blatant stop sign running and red light running, particularly with cars in the left turn lane.

[Tikka3x]

Speed limit is supposed to be 65 in and around LA/OC. f I drive 65 even in the slow lane I'd get run over. I never see CHP pulling anyone over for doing 75/80. Tinted windows? Forget about it. They don't care. Not even the city cops.

[bobboberson]

I work in a fairly rural area that is very popular with Jeeps. I make stops on jeeps with aftermarket red rings on the headlights all of the time. That and uncovered OHV light bars drives me nuts and If I have the free time, then me and the driver are going to have a conversation. I rarely cite for it and most divers seem genuinely surprised to find out it's illegal.

[terry4130]

Another is beadlocks. Seems like everyone is running those without fear.


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[PartyBarge]

Originally Posted by terry4130

Another is beadlocks. Seems like everyone is running those without fear.


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I'm in that industry - the real only fear is the usual leak you see when the ring isn't installed right or the ring bolts aren't torqued right. Otherwise they are pretty safe and popular nowadays. Balancing them isn't impossible, but you can end up with a brick of weights to make them go down the road smoothly.

[terry4130]

Originally Posted by PartyBarge

I'm in that industry - the real only fear is the usual leak you see when the ring isn't installed right or the ring bolts aren't torqued right. Otherwise they are pretty safe and popular nowadays. Balancing them isn't impossible, but you can end up with a brick of weights to make them go down the road smoothly.

I’m not questioning their safety. My next set of wheels will be beadlocks. My last set was supposed to be, but shutdowns killed my budget back then. I was just saying 15-20 years ago you never saw it so frequently. Most everyone I talked to then was expecting to get pulled over running them. Now, it’s not even a thought.


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[Dutch3]

How about the lifted trucks/4x4s with wide tires extending 6-8 inches out of the fender wells? No flares, no mudflaps, etc.

30 years ago, that would get you cited in a heartbeat. Now, nobody seems to care. I have even seen new trucks at dealerships with aftermarket tires/wheels on them that violate this. I asked the salesman, "How can you sell this? It is illegal" His reply, 'Because people will buy it'.

[PartyBarge]

Originally Posted by Dutch3

How about the lifted trucks/4x4s with wide tires extending 6-8 inches out of the fender wells? No flares, no mudflaps, etc.

30 years ago, that would get you cited in a heartbeat. Now, nobody seems to care. I have even seen new trucks at dealerships with aftermarket tires/wheels on them that violate this. I asked the salesman, "How can you sell this? It is illegal" His reply, 'Because people will buy it'.

I'm in that world - most customers of ours are law enforcement. They love their rigs so I'm guessing don't target fellow enthusiasts.

[terry4130]

Originally Posted by Dutch3

How about the lifted trucks/4x4s with wide tires extending 6-8 inches out of the fender wells? No flares, no mudflaps, etc.

30 years ago, that would get you cited in a heartbeat. Now, nobody seems to care. I have even seen new trucks at dealerships with aftermarket tires/wheels on them that violate this. I asked the salesman, "How can you sell this? It is illegal" His reply, 'Because people will buy it'.

Nobody cared 25 years ago. Plenty of prerunners back then driving around. Since buying a Jeep, I have learned this is a big thing in one of the east coast states like New Jersey or something.


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[Dutch3]

Originally Posted by terry4130

Nobody cared 25 years ago. Plenty of prerunners back then driving around. Since buying a Jeep, I have learned this is a big thing in one of the east coast states like New Jersey or something.


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It was a huge thing in So Cal in the 1980s. Big tires required flares or mudflaps. CHP was hot on those cites. I may or may have not received a couple of them myself.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

I am far less concerned with equipment violations and far more concerned about:

Blatant street racing

Intersection takeovers

At least 1-2 vehicles blowing the red light at practically every intersection, day and night

[BufrdTJstc]

Originally Posted by Bobby Ricigliano

I am far less concerned with equipment violations and far more concerned about:

Blatant street racing

Intersection takeovers

At least 1-2 vehicles blowing the red light at practically every intersection, day and night

All good points you bring up, there is just not much admin support to enforce street takeovers etc. Traffic violations are just that and if you get into a pursuit etc and it goes bad, your going to be held accountable... In other words someone is going to say "It's only a traffic violation"