A lot of people's conduct in Oregon is regulated by a series of laws created by the state legislature. While people are aware of major felonies, misdemeanor charges can be more obscure -- especially new laws. One area of people's lives that is particularly regulated is driving. There are traffic rules dictating, who can drive, how fast people can drive and what people can do while driving l in Oregon law books. If people break these rules -- either intentionally or unintentionally -- they can be hit with a traffic violation.
Many people are unaware that a new law has created an additional traffic violation for Oregon drivers. Under this law, Oregon drivers are forbidden from smoking in their cars if a child under the age of 18 is with them in the car. If police catch a person smoking and driving with a child in the car, that person can face up to a $500 fine. This is a significant penalty for many Oregon residents.
However, Oregon residents should know that police cannot stop them just for smoking with a child in the car. This offense is a secondary offense which means that people can only face this violation if police pulled them over on some other reason -- like speeding.
Traffic citations can be a huge problem for many Oregon residents. But, just because the penalties are relatively minor, doesn't mean that people shouldn't understand their legal rights following a traffic stop. In some cases, police may have overstepped their boundaries when it comes to traffic stops. This can even lead to more serious misdemeanor charges in some cases. People need to protect themselves against poor treatment. Depending on the facts in each case, people may even be able to get the charges dropped.
Source: TDN, "Oregon motorists now face up to $500 fine for smoking with kids in car," Justin Pittman, Jan. 23, 2014
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