Lost control of a vehicle in difficult weather conditions, got a ticket...

[arekzjawin]

Lost control of a vehicle in difficult weather conditions, got a ticket for improper right hand turn.

Person driving under 20km/h was making a right hand turn. Slowed down and proceeded to make a turn. During the maneuver the person lost control of the vehicle resulting in the vehicle going over the center line. The vehicle stopped on the opposite shoulder.
The snow on the road and no salt had a direct impact on the event.
The ticket given was "right turn - not safely" 141 (2)

If the person pleads not guilty, what impact will weather condition have if used as a line of defense?

Thanks

[geoff-9]

did you hit another vehicle causing an accident. or is it just damage to your car.

its standard practice for police to give you a ticket after an accident if your at fault. take it to court, its expected.

[imnothng]

Drive according to conditions. I don't think the court sees weather as an excuse. They may take leniency in the case, but they won't throw it out.

[GreyGhost]

The driver didn't make the corner, obviously 20 km/h was too fast for conditions. Weather was obviously a factor but not one that matters, the driver was lucky they didn't get careless or some other worse charge. If the person wants to win in court they need to come up with a much better case (realistically they need to hope the cop doesn't show).

[ATTS]

Did you fishtail around the corner, just not make it in your lane and slide across straight into the other lane? Hit any cars, curbs, trees, etc?

[GayManLoveIsOK]

wait, you didn't hit anything, and still got a ticket...lol...i took out a HUGE hydro pole next to a highway while on a service road in crap weather, did 70K worth of damage, cop just said "that sucks", organized my car towed and that was it...you didn't even hit anything...were you suppose to stop before making the right hand turn?

[mxs]

Under 20 km/h, that is very sloooow (try to do 20 in your car, it's almost impossible ... LOL). It's so slow that the only way you'd lost control in those conditions is if you were on a 25 deg. slope and ice at the same time going downhill ......

How do you know, the speed was 20?

[caboose483]

Lost control of a vehicle in difficult weather conditions, got a ticket for improper right hand turn.

Person driving under 20km/h was making a right hand turn. Slowed down and proceeded to make a turn. During the maneuver the person lost control of the vehicle resulting in the vehicle going over the center line. The vehicle stopped on the opposite shoulder.
The snow on the road and no salt had a direct impact on the event.
The ticket given was "right turn - not safely" 141 (2)

If the person pleads not guilty, what impact will weather condition have if used as a line of defense?

Thanks

Seems fishy.

[Brian P]

Either:
- Someone is still on summer tires (driver's fault)
OR
- Speed was higher than stated (driver's fault)
OR
- Driver doesn't know how to drive (driver's fault)
OR
- There's something else we're not being told.

[k-man69]

Your fault. Drive according to weather conditions.

If you lost control making a right turn doing only 20 km/hr, either you were still going too fast for conditions or need to take a defensive/skid control class.

[ZX600]

Oh my goodness, bunch of Mario Andretti’s in here.

If there is ice under the snow, you can be going at 20 (which seems according to conditions) and veer off the road.

I have gone across a red light (very slowly) due to the slippery conditions while a cop is waiting on the other side and they just asked me if I was ok, no ticket. I was driving according to conditions, i wasn't doing anything unsafe.

Your best bet was to take pictures of the spot, while the snow was still there, bring a print out of the forecast for the day with the snow precipitation on that area, if possible any freezing rain warnings for the day etc.

Good luck

[Dresden]

Either:
- Someone is still on summer tires (driver's fault)
OR
- Speed was higher than stated (driver's fault)
OR
- Driver doesn't know how to drive (driver's fault)
OR
- There's something else we're not being told.

Quoted for truth.


Op:

[invictus43]

Oh my goodness, bunch of Mario Andretti’s in here.

If there is ice under the snow, you can be going at 20 (which seems according to conditions) and veer off the road.

I have gone across a red light (very slowly) due to the slippery conditions while a cop is waiting on the other side and they just asked me if I was ok, no ticket. I was driving according to conditions, i wasn't doing anything unsafe.

Your best bet was to take pictures of the spot, while the snow was still there, bring a print out of the forecast for the day with the snow precipitation on that area, if possible any freezing rain warnings for the day etc.

Good luck

Yeah..I tend to agree. Easy to make blanket statements..but there are times when road conditions are quite variable and what has been fine for the last 30kms may not be the case where you are at that moment. I'm pretty sure I know how to drive and there have been times when I've been surprised by road condition changes for no apparent reason.

Having said that..I suspect the person driving WAS going faster than stated...

[caboose483]

Oh my goodness, bunch of Mario Andretti’s in here.

If there is ice under the snow, you can be going at 20 (which seems according to conditions) and veer off the road.

I have gone across a red light (very slowly) due to the slippery conditions while a cop is waiting on the other side and they just asked me if I was ok, no ticket. I was driving according to conditions, i wasn't doing anything unsafe.

Obviously you were not.

[skapan]

Could have been worse - what if there was someone coming the other way? No matter what, the driver is responsible for the safe operation of the motor vehicle.

[Baggsy]

Why'd they stop?

[Tripletrouble]

Years ago I was driving under similar circumstances on a side street. Approached a stop sign on a down hill section of road and slid up to and right through the sign. There was a cop parked up the street who flagged me down and gave me aticket. I was furious and spoke to a cop friend and he said ask these questions in court.
Do you have your notes of that day with you?
answer:Yes
How many tickets did you give out at that stop sign that morning?
answer: xx ( really cant remember but it was several)
At what time did you phone in for a plow or salt truck to remedy this dangerous condition?
Answer: I didn't phone in
The cop was dressed down for writing tickets and making no attempt to serve or protect the public, my case and all others from that morning were thrown out.

[ZX600]

Obviously you were not.

See I don't understand how people that have some kind of intelligence can not realise that you can be driving very carefully, continually testing your braking capability at very slow speed as I was and suddenly have a few meters of black ice where you can slide no matter how carefully you are driving.

If that hasn't happen to you, then I suspect you don't get out often

[Baggsy]

See I don't understand how people that have some kind of intelligence can not realise that you can be driving very carefully, continually testing your braking capability at very slow speed as I was and suddenly have a few meters of black ice where you can slide no matter how carefully you are driving.

If that hasn't happen to you, then I suspect you don't get out often

Whenever something similar happened to me, my speed was greater than what I thought it was.

It's remotely possible that someone had gone on the same trajectory at much higher speed earlier and glazed the trail, so to speak.

Usually when I slip at low speed it's inches or maybe a foot or two, but not a few metres.

[OpenGambit]

or in the Op's case, at least across 2 lanes of traffic, possibly more.