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ISP Crackdown has begun

4K views 169 replies 54 participants last post by  Caparzo12 
#1 ·
Everyone who rides needs to be aware of this. Yesterday when I left my hotel and headed towards the state fairgrounds for the flat track races in Springfield (I was driving, not riding) their was what appeared to be an accident investigation or motorist/rider pulled over a couple blocks ahead of me on Sangamon Avenue. Traffic was slowed because of the lane being blocked and as we got closer it turned out to be a State Police set up and they were pulling over all of the bikes, no matter what kind and were requiring the riders to produce insurance papers and their licenses. The main thing they were checking for were M class endorsements on licenses. I spoke to a state trooper I know at the fairgrounds later and he told me that anyone without an M endorsement or proof of insurance was busted and not allowed to ride any further. They also issued warnings for excessively loud pipes, although they did not ticket for that. He also told me that in a study of motorcycle accidents statewide for the last few years, riders without the M endorsement are extremely over represented in accidents. He said that to avoid chase scenarios, the ISP has decided to do these random safety checks and that one could pop up at any and all large motorcycle gatherings in the state at any time.
Be forewarned...make sure your insurance is up to date and that you have an M endorsement.
 
#14 ·
I may sound like a dick, but......if you do not have a M license or insurance what the hell right do you have to be on the road with a bike?
If I go to the doctor I expect him to have graduated from med school.
If I buy take a flight I have no problem if the pilots are subject to random drug tests before a flight. Some rules are actually good and keep folks honest.
If these troopers were pulling over all bikers and searching them for drugs or something I would understand but in order to be a responsible adult you should have a M and insurance. I remember years and years ago taking my msf class. There must have been around 30% of the people in the class who said they have been riding for years and are now finally getting around to take the test and get a license and insurance. :nono:
To be fair the check point should have stopped cars also to check for the same thing. I do understand the anger for singling bikers out but 2 wheels or 4 you should have a license and insurance.

Under200
 
#16 · (Edited)
There are several programs that set up checkpoints for cars just to check for seatbelt compliance. They do sobriety checks and license and insurance checks on cars & trucks too. The thing with targeting motorcycles has grown out of the high representation of unlicensed and uninsured riders being involved in accidents. So, this is not being done to motorcyclists alone...The ISP has been saying for years that a crackdown was coming and the thing that has also become a problem is riders who flee. These checkpoints are hard to flee from because thay have cars set up to block and stop anyone trying to avoid the stops.
I don't like these stops any more than anyone else, but they work and get the message out that if you aren't in complance with the law, you may not easily avoid being caught.

EDIT: These kind of checkpoints have been challenged in court all over the country and in federal court all the way up to the Supreme Court...they have been up held in every case that I know of.
 
#20 ·
Yeah what's to complain about? Get your license and insurance and go ride. That's what I did....it's not difficult. And if you can't afford the insurance then sorry but you shouldn't be riding a bike that could cause damages that you can't pay to fix later.
 
#22 ·
Gotta say. im not a fan of police singling out one group of people but to be honest. if you have the money for a bike how hard is it to go to the DMV and get a M class endorsment or better yet take the free msf course and get an endorsement and skill refresher/improvement.

as for insurance, as much as it isnt cheap to insure some bikes (esspecially sport bikes) id rather state police pull over people during these roadside checks to check for insurance. people shouldnt be riding without insurance anyways. not like the law hasnt been on the books already. it aint cheap and it sucks but its good to have

becareful out there eveyone
 
#25 ·
I guess I did not look like a squid so they just waved me through?? I think they were just targeting suspicious people.


It does not bother me one bit because I am completely legal. The only thing that did bother me was the frickin' heat while we were sitting in their line of vehicles, stop, go, stop, go, etc. It was very exhausting
 
#52 ·
Just stay legal and with someone. If you get lit up, make sure that someone stops with you. It's not a problem as long as you are following the rules. :thumbsup
 
#27 ·
I think it is great - Get the punters off the road for the rest of us - Although, I did ride for YEARS on the street without an M Class
 
#28 ·
Notice that since the COTUS is a living document and is subject to modern interpretation, the 4th amendment against illegal search means less and less. Driving may not be a right, but it's not an excuse for wide spread searches either.
 
#61 ·
Do explain because they are not searching anything. Remember you dl is not owned by you it is property of the state and must be given to a LEO when asked at anytime. So explain how doing a safety check is in fact violating anything.

Boo hoo if 10 mins of your day is wasted I am all for road side checks on a weekly basis hell every day would be nice
 
#30 ·
Loudes, hate to tell ya there not violating the 4th amendment in the least. theres a loop hole for everything in todays legal system. if i remember correctly, as long as there not singleing out a small select group of people or a single person, and the department can show proof that the road side saftey check is set up to find thoes violating a law that can do compromise the saftey of the public, then the roadside check is indead legal and not violating the 4th amendment search and seizure policy.

in this case staticis have shown (as state by the OP) that thoes without an m class happen to be the ones getting into the most motorcycle accidents then a roadside check at the begenning of the season to search for M Class license inorder to protect the drivers and the motorcycle community can be justified. gotta love uncle sams loop holes

and no i am not a lawyer i just remember this crap from Constitutional law class
 
#31 ·
in this case staticis have shown (as state by the OP) that thoes without an m class happen to be the ones getting into the most motorcycle accidents then a roadside check at the begenning of the season to search for M Class license inorder to protect the drivers and the motorcycle community can be justified. gotta love uncle sams loop holes
Can you provide this statistic? I've been looking for something like this.

-Eric
 
#36 ·
Indiana State Police told me something similar about targeting motorcycles, and pulling them over for the smallest infractions to basically check out their papers since the death rate last year was so high.

I asked him if they were targeting distracted cage drivers as well, and he had no answer or explanation. I ended up with a warning for speeding.
 
#38 ·
I agree with most who have commented. If you have your M and insurance than you have nothing to worry about. Sure waiting at a checkpoint sucks but I'm sure it has weeded out some who should not be on the road too.

Now if only they targeted the soccer moms on cell phones and the like....
 
#44 ·
lol wow i just simply tried to state that as long as the department can prove its for the saftey of the public and isnt singling out a small select few then it will be considered legal. DAMN didnt mean to spark a fire. dont mind if i crack out the pop corn do ya:popcorn: .....
 
#46 ·
I'm all about reduced police presence, but I agree, there are WAY too many squids out there without licenses. If these squids read the papers or surf the forums, maybe they'll sign up for the MSF or get themselves legal and save themselves (and possible someone else, too).

Like stated, I'm not for increased law presence, but there are somethings that need increased enforcement. I just wish the departments really had safety in mind and didn't think about what will yield the most revenue for the city/department.

For instance, why not beef up stoplight cameras instead of making these new speed cameras?

Why aren't they pulling over these bitches driving Navigators while texting? Texting while driving should be illegal!!!!!
 
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