Officer Rickey Antoine

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Mark from Phoenix Az. asks- Officer Antoine, I was on vacation visiting with my family while driving in Houston a week ago and I saw a vehicle with big, I mean large, huge, gigantic spokes on the wheels sticking out from the vehicle. I’ve seen spokes that I thought were ridiculous before but given the size of the spokes on this car, this guy has the trophy. It seems like other motorists were afraid to drive past the monster spokes on this car and I didn’t blame them one bit. Are these types of spokes illegal in Texas?

 

Answer- Good question Mark. You have painted a picture in my mind from the description about the size of the spokes on this vehicle. Mark, I’m not quite sure why any motorist would want such an item on their vehicle. It is obvious they do desire huge spokes on their wheels, and you don’t have to drive to Houston to see them. There are motorists right here in southeast Texas that love the big spokes that extend outward. There is no certain law in the Texas Transportation Code that regulates spokes on wheels, so we must look at the law about the maximum width of a vehicle, which is 8 feet. So if a police officer measures the vehicle from the tip of the spoke, to the other side of the vehicle tip of the spoke, and if that measures anything greater than 8 feet, then the driver of said vehicle is in violation of vehicle width. I know it may look strange or even unsafe, but if the vehicle measures less than 8 feet, there’s nothing law enforcement can do about the look of a vehicle. Refer to Texas Transportation Code 621.201(b)

 

Shaw from Port Arthur asks- Officer Antoine, thanks for this column, I love it and I’m a much safer driver because of Ask A Cop. Officer Antoine, I have always been told to give people their flowers while they are living. So I find you to be an absolute treasure for our community of drivers, and we all should be grateful for your service. With that said, I know we are in the age of cameras and catching everything on film so to speak. I was wondering what your thoughts are about dashboard cameras that we citizens can install in our vehicles.

 

Answer- Good question Shaw. Thanks so much for the flowers. It’s compliments like yours that keep me going, Shaw, I think you bring up something (dash cameras) that is very popular in other countries and the western states of this country, but it hasn’t bloomed yet in Texas. Dashboard cameras are able to aid law enforcement officers with actual footage of what actually happened prior to, during and even after an event. Dashboard cameras have been able to capture natural disasters like tornadoes, hail, lightning strikes and hurricane force winds….Shaw with that said, I don’t think that a dashboard camera is a bad thing because it doesn’t require the driver to do anything that would distract them while driving, as long as they turn it on and start recording at the beginning of their journey. We are in the age now where everyone wants to SEE what happened rather than be TOLD what happened. Cameras are EVERYWHERE on cell phones, homes, elevators, businesses, churches, in some cities at the intersections and many police officers have body cams on their uniform shirt. Dashboard cameras can only HELP you not hurt.

 

Vicki Nederland asks- Officer Antoine, one day my husband and I were at a red light behind a vehicle that was first at the red light. They failed to go when the light turned green and it appeared that when the light turned yellow, the car hurried up and sped off while my husband followed behind him. I told my husband that he just ran a red light, and he believes it wasn’t his fault because the car in front of him stayed so long and didn’t observe the green light. Officer Antoine, was my husband at fault for running a red light, or is he correct that it was permissible to go through because of the waste of time the car ahead of us at the greenlight? Thank you for all you do

 

Answer- Good question Vicki! This probably is an issue many drivers have to contend with on a daily basis, especially now with cellphones being in practically every vehicle. I’m aware it is frustrating when someone is not acknowledging or observing the light has changed to green. But Vicki, if someone is delayed in obeying the green traffic signal and they happen to go through their light while it’s yellow, you cannot proceed behind them unless you can make the yellow caution light as well. But normally, if you missed your turn, you would need to wait again for the traffic signal to turn green. So Vicki, your husband was wrong.

 

Join Me, Officer Antoine and the CREW Stephen “Buzzard Boots” Mosley, Lelo “mouth of Hwy 69/73” I Washington & Tejas “Lil Man”Morning Star for Ask A Cop live, on KSAP 96.9 FM The Breeze radio station, every Tuesday for at least 2 hours from 1to 3 p.m. and beyond. Tune in and listen as Officer Antoine discusses in detail the newly released “Ask A Cop” article that’s printed in The News. You can also tune in via internet at www.ksapthebreeze.org. Feel free to call in and ask your question live to Officer Antoine at (409) 982-0247. Feel free to email your questions torickey.antoine@portarthurtx.gov, or call 409-983-8673 and leave a voice mail question, or mail them to: Ofc. Rickey Antoine, 645 4th Street, Port Arthur, Texas, 77640. If you happen to see me in public you can always free and comfortable to approach and “Ask A Cop.”