Legal Question in Traffic Law in Missouri
Traffic
Lets say I see someone pass illeaglly, run a stop sign, speed excessivly. If I get thier license plate can I report the offense and get them a ticket?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Traffic
If you are a licensed driver, you have at least a basic understanding of the traffic laws. It is not wrong ot report a crime being committed. If you have been driving for more than a year, you understand that not all traffic laws get fully obeyed all the time. (Even my highschool driver's ed teacher could be seen driving with just one hand on the whell through the parking lot)
If every violation of every traffic ordinance was prosecuted, the roads would be covered with pulled over drivers, and the courts would be even more clogged.
Many things are made a crime by their moral nature, i.e. murder, rape, etc. Most traffice ordinances are to protect the public safety. Therefore, you should ask yourself if what you're observing is a safety hazard, or a mere technical viiolation in isolation. If you feel it is, you should reportit. If it seems to be ongoing, such as what you describe, a person ignoring the rules and driving as if they are being chased by an axe murderer, you shoudl get to a cell phone ancall the vehicles location into the 911 operator as well as what you observed. If the activity has stopped and the operator feels you are are venting your frustration, nothing will happen. They are trained to aloow you to do this alittle to lessen the chance for road rage. If the activity is ongoing, they may dispatch an officer, who may cite the driver for they infractions they observe and possibly what you reported. The life you save may be mine or yours.
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