STOP SIGN VIOLATIONS MISSOURI

In Missouri, stop sign violations are serious traffic offences which come with a wide range of penalties including fines, license suspension, and even jail term. According to Missouri Laws Section 300.270, a driver approaching a stop sign at the entrance to, or within an intersection violates stop sign laws if he or she fails to stop at a clearly marked stop line or before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, except when directed to proceed by a police officer or traffic control signal.  Where there is no limit line or crosswalk, the traffic laws require a driver to stop at the entrance to the intersecting roadway or railroad grade crossing. Stopping farther back can also be considered a traffic violation.

In what is referred to as left-on-red rule, Missouri traffic laws prohibit turning left at a red light. A driver intending to turn left is required to wait for the light to turn green so as to be able to turn left at a red light. Such driver shall yield the right-of-way to approaching pedestrians and vehicles.  Violating this rule is considered a stop sign violation.  However, a driver is allowed to turn right after stopping at a red light on condition that he or she yields the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic passing through the intersection.

A defendant can only be convicted of violating a stop sign if he or she didn’t come to a complete stop at the nearest of a limit line, a crosswalk, or the entrance to the intersection, or railroad crossing.

However, under certain circumstances, Missouri law allows motorcyclists and bicyclists to legally go through a red light.

Penalties for stop sign violations Missouri

Stop sign violations are considered Class C misdemeanors in Missouri punishable by a fine of $30.50 and court costs of $66.50 for a total of $97. A person found guilty of a stop sign violation that caused physical injury to another person is assessed a penalty of up to $200 and/or a license suspension for a period of thirty days. Depending on the severity of the injuries sustained to the other person, the penalty could rise to $500 and loss of driving privileges for a period of 90 days. However, in instances where a stop sign violation causes death of a person, the offender shall be assessed a fine of up to $1000 and/or loss of driving privileges for a period of six months. In addition to monetary fines, a conviction for violating stop sign in Missouri will add from 1 to 4 demerit points to the offender’s license. The number of demerit points assigned to a driving record will depend on the jurisdiction that issues the traffic violation ticket. Those issued in state jurisdictions have more points than those in municipal jurisdictions.

In some instances, a stop sign violation in Missouri could be elevated to charges of “careless and imprudent driving” which has stiffer penalties.

Possible defenses for stop sign violations in Missouri

• The light remained red for an amount of time that could be reasonably deemed too long maybe due to malfunction.
• The stop sign was obscured or illegible maybe due to being twisted the wrong way or was hidden by other objects.
• There was no vehicle or person approaching so as to create a hazard when the driver entered the intersection on a red light (this applies to motorcyclists and bicyclists).

Traffic tickets due to stop sign violations may come with unpleasant consequences and therefore it is advisable to hire an outstanding traffic lawyer to put up solid defense against the ticket. A good lawyer will negotiate with the courts to remove points from your driver’s license.

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