Welcome to the Sarthe Highway Patrol Community Rule page!
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SHP Highway Simulator Traffic Laws:
Section 1
1.1 Speeding:
Driving over 70 MPH OR 112 km/h. Enforcement is at Trooper discretion, meaning you may be cited for any amount over the limit, even 1 MPH.
1.2 Reckless Driving / Reckless Operation:
Includes, but is not limited to, losing control of your vehicle; loss of traction of any kind (drifting, sliding, etc.); lane sharing; driving and/or passing on the shoulder; driving in reverse; and any behavior that endangers other motorists. Reckless can also be charged even if you’re off the primary roadway; the entire track is treated like public property.
1.3 WRONG SIDE OF ROAD:
WHEN A CIVILIAN IS CONSISTENTLY USING THE THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY WHICH IS THE INCORRECT LANE OF TRAVEL.
1.4 IMPEDING TRAFFIC/MINIMUM SPEED VIOLATION:
IT IS CONSIDERED ILLEGAL ON THE MAIN STRAIGHT WHEN YOU ARE GOING UNDER 40MPH IN THE "PRIMARY LANE" WHICH IS THE LANE THAT IS NOT THE SHOULDER. ON THE 2 OTHER STRAIGHTAWAYS, THE ONLY TYPE OF BLOCKING ROADWAY/IMPEDING TRAFFIC THAT IS CONSIDERED ILLEGAL IS IF YOU ARE ACTUALLY BLOCKING TRAFFIC and/or are hindering the movement of others.
1.5 FAILURE TO YIELD:
FAILURE TO YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC (I.E. PULLING OUT IN FRONT OF SOMEONE).
1.6 TAILGATING:
Following too closely behind another vehicle. A quick way to tell you’re too close is if, on the small course map, your blip overlaps or sits inside the blip of the vehicle in front of you.
1.7 VEHICULAR ASSAULT:
VEHICULAR ASSAULT IS WHEN A CIVILIAN NEGLIGENTLY MAKES CONTACT WITH ANOTHER PERSON. THIS MAY BE RESOLVED BY A SIMPLE APOLOGY, TRAFFIC TICKET, OR BOTH. IF A CIVLIAN PRESSES CHARGES DUE TO A TRAFFIC COLLISION, WE CAN ALSO CHARGE THIS IF DEEMED NECESSARY THROUGH OBTAINING VIDEO EVIDENCE. IF THE AT-FAULT PARTY LEAVES THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT, WE CAN ALSO ISSUE A WARRANT FOR FELONY HIT & RUN. SEE BELOW IN THE FELONIES SECTION.
1.8 FAILURE TO MAINTAIN LANE:
THIS IS A SEPARATE CHARGE FOR WHEN SOMEONE ACCIDENTALLY OR INTENTIONALLY GOES OUT OF THEIR LANE OR CROSSES A SOLID CENTER-LINE.
1.9 FAILURE TO USE A TURN SIGNAL:
FAILURE TO USE PROPER TURN SIGNALS WHEN PASSING OR TURNING ONTO OR OFF THE ROADWAY.
1.10 TRESPASSING:
Issued to anyone who enters inside the barriers at either chicane. Considered restricted access.
1.11 FAILURE TO YIELD TO AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE:
THIS CHARGE CAN BE APPLIED TO PEOPLE THAT REFUSE TO PULL OVER FOR ANY EMERGENCY VEHICLE. THE CIVILIAN MUST MOVE TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO PROPERLY YIELD TO THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE. THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE MUST HAVE THEIR HEADLIGHTS FLASHING CONSTANTLY AND ALSO MUST HAVE HAZARD LIGHTS ON OR ELSE THIS CHARGE MAY BE INVALID. THIS DOES NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR FELONY EVADING.
1.12 EXCESSIVE USE OF HORN:
THIS CHARGE CAN BE APPLIED TO PEOPLE THAT ARE USING THEIR HORN FOR LITTLE TO NO REASON AT ALL OTHER THAN A REASONABLE GREETING.
1.13 DISREGARDING ROAD BLOCK:
This charge may be applied to any civilian who drives around a roadblock in an attempt to ignore a situation where a road or lane must be shut down. For a road closure to count as a legal roadblock, the Trooper’s vehicle must be positioned perpendicular to the closed roadway and parked at an angle of at least 45° relative to the direction of travel. If only one lane is being shut down, the Trooper’s vehicle must be parked at an angle of no more than 45° and placed in the lane being used to reroute traffic around the closure.
1.14.DRIVING TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS:
WHEN RAINING, OR WHEN THE TRACK IS WET, EVEN IF YOU ARE DRIVING UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT, YOU MUST HAVE THE PROPER EQUIPMENT ON YOUR VEHICLE IN ORDER FOR YOU TO properly maintain control OF YOUR VEHICLE AT SPEED LIMIT. IF YOU ARE LOSING CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE AT OR BELOW SPEED LIMIT THEN YOU ARE CONSIDERED TO BE "DRIVING TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS". IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU USE PROPER TIRES FOR MAINTAINING GOOD TRACTION AT OR BELOW SPEED LIMIT. IT IS ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT YOU USE TRACTION CONTROL AS WELL.
OVERTAKING RULES:
Speeding is not permitted while overtaking, 70 MPH / 112 km/h applies at all times. On the entire track, overtake on the left only, and only when clear. You may pass only in dotted-line zones, or in areas where no line is present. Some sections have a solid line with brief interruptions at the roundabouts used on the real-life road; treat those interruptions as a continuation of the solid line and do not use them for overtaking.
SHP Felony Charges:
Section 2
2.1 Felony Evading:
A civilian can be charged with Felony Evading if, for 5 seconds or more after a Trooper has made reasonable contact (“10-11 contact”) to initiate a traffic stop and you fail to pull over; if you pull away after initially stopping (unless you’re moving to get out of the roadway for safety); or if you warp to the pits (this is also a kickable offense). More situations may apply, but these are the primary reasons this charge is used.
2.2 Assaulting an Officer:
You may be charged with this if, for any reason, your vehicle makes physical contact with an SHP Trooper’s vehicle; if the contact was accidental, immediately apologize, and the likelihood of this being charged will drop significantly.
2.3 *Hit and Run:
This can be charged if you hit another vehicle (Law Enforcement or Civilian) and leave the scene of the accident. If witnessed by an SHP Trooper, it is up to the discretion of the Trooper, otherwise, this can be reported along with video evidence and can be charged via a Felony Warrant.
2.4 *Motor Vehicle Contest:
Otherwise known as racing, this will land you in some hot water quick! To apply it, at least two vehicles must be lined up side-by-side with a clear race start (e.g., three honks, a countdown in chat, or any other start signal), followed by racing. This can also be charged if you instigate a race, such as initiating the three honks, or if you drive side-by-side for an extended period in a way that clearly looks like a race is being set up; in those cases, only the instigator will be charged.
2.5 Obstruction of Justice:
Civilians are prohibited from physically obstructing, hindering, or interfering with an SHP Trooper performing patrol duties, whether that’s something minor like running radar or something major like conducting a traffic stop or pursuit. This includes actions like blocking a Trooper’s path, physically preventing a traffic stop or physically interfering with a traffic stop. Intent is not required to apply this charge; however, minor or clearly accidental interference will typically be handled with discretion and may result in a warning instead of a charge.
2.6 Giving false information:
This charge may be applied when a civilian provides false or misleading information to an SHP Trooper, especially when it appears they are knowingly doing so. This includes intentionally making false reports/complaints, providing false statements during a stop or investigation, or attempting to “contest” an obviously valid citation in a way that’s clearly meant to delay, distract, or hinder patrol operations. Trooper discretion applies, honest mistakes are usually handled with a correction or warning, but deliberate dishonesty may result in this felony charge. This is the rarest felony charge issued at less than 5 per year.
* = Can be charged as witnessed from the SHP "helicopter unit". See more on that below.
*Felony Evading (More information)- If you leave a traffic stop before a ticket or contact has been issued, you will be cited for Felony Evading but only once the Trooper has started typing the ticket. If you leave the track once you are pulled over or if SHP Troopers are chasing you, you not only will be cited for Felony Evading but will also be given a Kick Warning for "Pit-Warping"(See below). If, during a pursuit, you come to a stop long enough where a Trooper can start typing a ticket, you will be considered as "Stopped", however, you must be at a full stop OR not being able to escape a "block" in order for this to apply.
*“10-11 contact” explained- 10-11 contact is when an SHP Trooper has either made visual contact behind you with flashing headlights or if you have passed a sort -of road block by a marked SHP Trooper with flashing lights, thus justifies a reasonable expectation that you are knowingly evading the police.
TICKET STRUCTURE
Traffic Tickets:
3/3 Traffic Tickets = Change car, vehicle is impounded. Each time you are given a ticket, the count goes up by +1 ticket no matter if you are given multiple charges per ticket, unless given a warning. Traffic tickets stay with the car and not the user.
Felony Tickets:
Each felony ticket you receive = change car, vehicle impounded, unless given a warning. 4/4 Felony tickets and you are no longer able to continue in the lobby (kick).
*All Tickets, Felonies, Vehicle Impounds and Kick Warnings reset at the end of each session day, once we have concluded for the day/night.
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Kickable offenses
*Disregarding Rules:
The host of any official Sarthe Highway Patrol, Highway Simulator lobby reserves the right to remove (kick) any participant at any time, typically after a warning, for “Disregarding Rules.” This applies when someone repeatedly or excessively violates the rules, such as excessive speeding, excessive reckless driving, hot-lapping, or otherwise ignoring the lobby’s standards with no regard for the room or its rules. This kind of behavior can quickly ruin a session, and it’s the host’s responsibility to keep the lobby running smoothly and enjoyable for everyone. We appreciate your understanding.
Fail RP:
If you have reset on track, hit a wall, car or other object at high speed or are severely hit too many times, you may be at risk of being kicked from the lobby due to fail rp. If this happens, you will be told to "STOP OR KICK". At that point, if you do anything other than stop your vehicle as soon as possible on the side of the road, you may be kicked for Fail RP.
Pit-Warping:
Warping to the pits while being pursued by law enforcement is grounds for removal. Whether you physically drive into the pits or warp there, you may be kicked. Before entering the pits, always check your surroundings and make sure you are not being actively pursued. This rule applies to both warping and driving into the pits during a pursuit.
Auto-Driving:
It is grounds for removal in an SHP Highway Simulator lobby for any civilian to use auto-drive. This rule exists because we cannot have a civilian vehicle moving around the track unattended. As a civilian, you are responsible for your vehicle at all times. If you need to type in chat, come to a full and complete stop, set the handbrake, and then enter the pause menu before typing.
Cop Baiting:
Police Impersonation:
While in an official Highway Simulator lobby, civilians may not drive any vehicle that resembles a government or emergency service vehicle, including law enforcement, fire, or EMS. Civilian vehicles must not display any logos, markings, numbers, or wording that describes, depicts, or resembles a government agency, such as 911, Police, Highway Patrol, Fire, or Rescue. This also includes the use of safety car lights, decal lights, or similar equipment, even if the vehicle is wearing a safety car or pace car livery. Impersonating may also be charged if a civilian flashes headlights to actively pull other civilians over, issues any kind of ticket that resembles what is used in the lobby, or otherwise presents themselves as an authority. This rule exists to keep the environment as realistic as possible and to protect civilians from anyone attempting to impersonate law enforcement as a false authority.
Disrespect:
Our organization is a privately owned community. Just like a private business can remove someone for being rude or disrespectful, the same standard applies in our lobbies. The host of any official Sarthe Highway Patrol Highway Simulator lobby reserves the right to remove any participant at any time, with or without warning, for disrespectful behavior. Treat others the way you want to be treated, and let’s keep the lobbies fun and drama-free.
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Warrants
If at any time you were seen by an SHP Trooper that was pre-occupied and was not able to make contact with you at the time, a warrant could be placed on your vehicle descrption and username.
Traffic Warrants: Issued for any traffic violation and would result in the adding of +1 ticket to your vehicle; applies to only the vehicle.
Felony Warrants: Issued for any Felony Violation and would result in the adding of +1 felony ticket to your username; applies to the username and not the vehicle.
Please keep in mind of the "Pit-Warping" kickable offense (see below) if you decide to evade a traffic warrant by warping to the pits.
Warrants may also be served by the SHP Warrant Task Force, which is a division of the SHP specifically dedicated to tracking down and serving warrants.
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Information about SHP Troopers:
SHP Troopers use a variety of vehicles to patrol our lobbies. The Sarthe Highway Patrol has been in operation for more than ten years, and because our Troopers volunteer their time for the community, it is not reasonable to restrict them to using only Safety Cars for patrol. Troopers may use marked patrol vehicles, unmarked or undercover vehicles, and lightly marked “ghost units,” which have markings that may be difficult to see under normal conditions.
In addition, SHP Troopers are trained to visually detect speed since GT7 does not provide traditional speed detection devices; to support this, we also use timed radar operations to confirm and enforce speeding violations. Troopers certified in timed radar operations are members of our SHP H.E.A.T division, which stands for Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic.
Helicopter Operations:
Since GT7 does not allow helicopters in game, we may use the Spectate option to monitor civilians when needed. Don’t worry, there are Trooper regulations that govern who can use Spectate, how long it may be used, and what it may be used for. In general, it is primarily used to identify civilians who are excessively speeding and or committing Felony Vehicle Contest (racing).
Because GT7 also does not provide a radar device for speed enforcement, SHP may use Spectate to obtain an exact speed reading on a civilian vehicle, but only when the target vehicle is within visual range of the Trooper conducting the speed operation. If GT7 provided a proper radar system, this would not be necessary. Separately, for lobby regulating purposes, the host reserves the right to spectate the lobby for any reason to keep the room calm, fair, and well maintained.
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Reporting a Hit and Run Violation:
You may report a hit and run through our Discord server by submitting a ticket in the >>>#911-report-ticket<<< channel, or by notifying us in in game chat, though in game reporting is not advised for obvious reasons. To charge the violation, you must provide sufficient video evidence that clearly shows the suspect’s username and or the vehicle involved so it can be traced to the known user of that vehicle. Outcomes may vary if your video also shows you committing a violation that contributed to the crash. If we determine the suspect was at fault and left the scene, a warrant will be placed on the user’s username rather than the vehicle description, because felony warrants attach to the user, not the vehicle.
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