Can You Get A Ticket For Dodging Potholes?
In my usual morning routine of spending more time on the internet than I should, I came across this article from WTVR CBS 6 in Richmond, Virginia. It was about an Ohio woman getting a ticket for dodging potholes. The ticket ended up costing her somewhere between $150 to $250. That got me thinking can you get a ticket here for dodging potholes while you are driving?
I reached out to the Faribault Police Department and asked them just that, 'Can you get a ticket for dodging potholes?'. The response I got was "Legally, you could." Faribault's police officers would "use discretion", while at the same time considering the "overall violation."
But how much am I shelling out if I were to get ticketed for a driving violation while dodging the potholes? Depending on the charge, a citation would likely be about $130. The Faribault Police Department would like to remind motorists who are on a cratered roadway "to slow down and drive with due care so if they are avoiding potholes they are not putting other drivers at risk."
Without mentioning why I asked the question they sent along the exact same story I had read earlier, just from a different news outlet.
Bottom line here? Slow down, drive with care, and if it is safe to do so you can avoid the clunks and bumps without fear of a ticket.