He didn't say the car couldn't stop - there was no mention of any problems with the brakes. He chose to roll through the intersection after evaluating the safety of doing so. Please don't put words in others' mouths.
I already addressed those specific concerns. Wide, empty roads. Not a safety issue. Did you know that plenty of mechanics will take vehicles in far worse shape on the road, in traffic, because it's the only way to test them?
As much as I enjoyed being put on trial here, I would have preferred to actually talk about red light cameras instead. Maybe next time stick to the topic, rather than derailing a large part of a thread with self-righteous moral pedantry.
The car could safely stop at the intersection, but it would have stalled if he did so.
He made a human decision, a judgement call, to roll through the stoplight: one that would have been supported by a police officer, who could also apply common sense to the situation. The traffic camera and bureaucracy, unable to apply any decision-making or judgement or common sense, is in the wrong here.
Stopping safely wasn't a problem. The issue was getting going again, because it'd stall out at a complete stop. Considering I'd chosen a time when the roads were virtually empty, and a route that consisted entirely of four lane roads, I wasn't endangering anyone.
I'd also already blown through my tow insurance by having it towed several times to local shops who couldn't diagnose or correct the issue, so I'd have had to foot the bill for a long distance tow on something that three shops found no issue with, which was rather difficult being completely broke at the time.
Would it be allowed in the US to drive a vehicle on public roads that is not able to start on it's own? Because your explanation sounds awfully like "Very sorry, office – I'm kinda in a hurry because I want to get rid of this body in the back before it starts smelling".
>Would it be allowed in the US to drive a vehicle on public roads that is not able to start on it's own?
The stalling was infrequent, not constant. I'm sure a lot of things are technically illegal, but it would depend on the state.
>Because your explanation sounds awfully like "Very sorry, office – I'm kinda in a hurry because I want to get rid of this body in the back before it starts smelling".
What? I'm starting to regret even sharing this story. :)
If it makes you feel any better, it was a small town, so the mechanic and local cops were friends. Seeing as I would've literally been pulled over outside of the mechanic's garage, and that common sense was in my favor anyways, I'm sticking with the 98% probability of getting off.
Huh, I didn't interpret stalling while idling at a stop as a danger to others on the road. Especially when the car can be started again. The same principle applies if I accidently stall my manual vehicle.
To play devil's advocate it can be an issue if you're stalled out long enough that cars start moving around you on narrow roadways with oncoming traffic, but in my case that was completely mitigated by choosing the route and time carefully. Wide, empty roads are ideal.