Is it illegal to ride with helmet shield up?

[professorman]

Is it illegal to be in motion any at all on the motorcycle with the helmet shield up?
Sometimes when I am at a stoplight, I usually open the helmet shield, and then when I move off, sometimes I ride off first, and then put it down.

A cop at my university told me that they can give me a reckless driving ticket for riding with the shield up. Sometimes when I am on campus, and riding slowly, I keep the shield up. Is this illegal as she said?

I live in Virginia.

[ZukiFred]

Depends on the state laws. When I lived in New Hampshire if you had some sort of eye protection like glasses, saftey glasses or sunglasses then you could have your shield up because NH only requires eye protection. Here in South Carolina it wouldn't be a problem because they don't even require eye protection of any kind..

Just did some checking and yes eye protection is required in virginia, so unless you have some sort of other eye protection on under your helmet they can write you a ticket.

http://home.ama-cycle.org/amaccess/laws/result.asp?state=VA

[macgyver]

I think the best place to get an answer from would be here ~~~~> http://www.onlinetrafficschoolguide.com/askexpert.html they will reply to your question in email form. I think whoever told you that is full of but hopefully you can find an answer. If it is considered as wreckless driving I highly doubt they enforce it but you never know. Also on the home page of that site it says something about wreckless driving now carries a maditory jail time so be carefull. I do the exact same thing and I don't even worry about it. Possibly if you are wearing sunglasses you can get away with it. Does your state have a helmet law??

[hellcamp]

Wow I've been doing this all the time in NC, especially in city riding. It can get frikkin hot under that lid. The thought that this could be illegal didn't even cross my mind. Come to think of it, I've nodded at cops, pulled up next to them etc. plenty of times with my visor up. No tickets or warnings yet. Blast, I've just jinxed myself

[Black_peter]

I think it is the "eye protection" thing..
or BS

[professorman]

It can get frikkin hot under that lid.

Come to think of it, thats the main reason I pull up the lid. It gets pretty hot under there when I am stopped, and I use the first instance of riding off slowly to cool me a little before I put it back down.

I see on the website that ZukiFred listed says that eye prtection is "Required by law unless equipped with windscreen"

Does this mean that I am relateively safe unless a cop tries to give me a hard time?

It is the campus cops that told me that, I do not know if they would try to give me a ticket for it.

[macgyver]

I see on the website that ZukiFred listed says that eye prtection is "Required by law unless equipped with windscreen"

Does this mean that I am relateively safe unless a cop tries to give me a hard time?

It is the campus cops that told me that, I do not know if they would try to give me a ticket for it.
_________________

Yea it would seem that way. We have the same law here in PA but I passed many a cop with the visor up and even not wearing a helmet or eye protection in my young stupid days without any static from the fuzz.

[professorman]

wow, that website is good. I didnt know that it is illegal in Virginia for two motorcycles to be in the same lane. Do you think this includes pulling up to a traffic light beside another rider to talk to them in the same lane? without actually riding two motorcycles in the same lane?

[Black_peter]

in my young stupid days without any static from the fuzz.

Static from the fuzz??

Gee Huggy Bear, is that a new hat??

[iwannadie]

i think it would be a hard ticket to give though. if your visor is up you can argue it was up just enough to let air in but still covered your eyes. the cop would have to come up with alot of proof your eyes werent protected even when the visor was up a bit.

take it to court and say the visor was up part way and your eyes were protected youd prolly get out of it.

[macgyver]

Static from the fuzz??

Gee Huggy Bear, is that a new hat??

i am in a cheeky mood and I had to say that...plus the time was right!

[Kat-A-Tonic]

Due to a quirk in the law in Ontario, it's illegal to drive a car on public streets without working windshield wipers. However, the law does not require an automible to have a windshield while driving on public roads. Talk about loopy.

BTW, AFAIK (how that for acronyms) Ontario does not legistate helmet windscreens or visors while riding a motorcycle.

[KatanaSoldier]

It would be a very bored and lame cop that would hassle someone for waiting a few seconds before putting their visor down. I could see if they had no eye protection at all when required but if I got a ticket for that, I would see him in court! You could always use the my visor was fogging excuse and I was trying to vent it to clear it argument. Heck, that is usually the truth. If the cop was not sensible enough to let you off with a verbal warning, I am sure a judge would use some common sense!

[Junior]

It is the campus cops that told me that

They aren't real cops. They only think they are real cops. Don't listen to them.

[professorman]

They aren't real cops. They only think they are real cops. Don't listen to them.

haha. I know. They are the "super cops".