ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road every week, helping Orlando-area residents become better drivers by being better educated.
[ASK TROOPER STEVE: Click here to submit your traffic question]
Here’s the latest question: Can you get a ticket if you stop on or past the white stop bar?
“This isn’t Monopoly. There is no money to collect when passing go,” Trooper Steve said. "But you might have to pay for the ticket when you do pass the traffic stop bar."
The stop bar, a thick white line on the road, is the barrier for entering a intersection and is used to determine whether or not you are in the intersection.
“Under the law, if your front tires cross over the stop bar when the traffic signal displays a red traffic light, then you have run the red light,” Trooper Steve said. “You must keep in mind that these red light traffic cameras are calibrated to the stop bar and will flash if you pass it or even if you get too close.”
Trooper Steve added, however, that in all his years on the road, he’s never seen an officer issue a ticket merely for touching the stop bar with their tires.
“Always keep in mind that the bar is there for you to keep a distance from other moving cars and to protect pedestrians,” he said. “So, pay attention.”