| Ok bottom line is....yes there is a new law that says you must have your HEADLIGHTS (not just fog lamps) on when your windshield wipers are being used. I have even noticed some cars are built in with this - if you do just the intermittent one-time across the windshield thing, your lights will turn on and off as you do it. Now, there is also a time period when we are supposed to issue only warnings for this violation, and not a ticket. I am really not sure what this time frame is but I will look into it. Personally, think I would most likely give just a warning anyway unless there was no insurance, no DL, etc. Also, dont expect a written warning - we just dont do em. If you are getting a warning, it is verbal - if you got a piece of paper, you got a citation.
Officers have discretion on writing tickets for minor traffic ordinance violations. Some officers will only cite for traffic violations if there is something more to go along with it. Other will cite the driver for every infraction he sees. Most of us are somewhere in the middle - we look at the totality of the circumstance and decide from there.  |