Where to find driving law online?

[SEmerson]

Where can I find driving laws online?





I just got a ticket that really ticks me off and I need to see where I stand. I was waiting at a red light to make a right turn. It was 3 lanes each way. All the traffic clears except on motercycle comeing up to the intersection. He is in the far lane. So I make my right turn into the closest lane. As I start the turn I see he is changing lanes as he enters the intersection. And with no blinker just flooting over. At this point it is too late to stop I am half way in the turn. I hit the pedel and move as close to the curb as I can. This is in town so speed is not really a factor. I am just staying close and speeding up for curtisy for this idiot. By the time I get strait he is in my lane. He is not in danger of hitting me but he has crossed 2 lanes in a intersection with no blinker. And the best part is he is a bike cop. So of course I get pulled over and get a ticket for not yielding the right of way #214536. Now what I am wondering is by law would I have to wait till all lanes are clear? That seem like overkill becouse you are not supose to change lanes in a intersection. Had he followed that law we would of had a lane clear between us. Now I need to know just how that law reads. In hind sight I know why he changed lanes like he did. Him and a buddy where hiding in the bushes at the corner looking for speeders. So he was returning to the hiding spot to watch for more victoms.



I really feel that a strong warning to be more carefull and watch for idiots would of been strong enough.



Any thoughts?

 

[Whitmore]

Emmerson, no matter how hard you fight it the police will always be right the best thing you can do is to not get spun up over it and just hand deliver the payment for your fine in pennies than you can walk away and just laugh over the whole deal.



For to many years I wasted time and effort fighting useless battles that even if I won them I still lost and sometimes I would have been better off losing the first time before I argued



Now I know this aint right but sometimes you just have to shake your head and say WTF



JMO... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..... Kevin

 

[SEmerson]

I know what your saying. I say the same thing. This on just ticked me off. And my insurance is due in a few months on 2 trucks. I real hope thay dont see it.

 

[illflem]

I always thought it was against the law to change lanes in an intersection.

 

[NVR FNSH]

do a search on 'california vehicle code' and then you'll be able to look up the section he cited you for. sounds like the cop could be cited for failure to use a signal - not sure what section it is. Find the sections on turn signal use & changing lanes thru an intersection. Question the cop if he used his indicator or if he changed lanes while in the intersection and I bet you'll get the ticket dismissed.



I have to disagree with whitmore - I've beaten 2 registration tickets but lost on all 7 moving violation tickets I've received. Granted, I was guilty on every one of them but... ... .



Brian

 

[Chris N5CWM]

Above the law

From what I understand it is unlawful

to change lanes in an intersection.

Sounds to me like the cop had a bad day

and was hoping you would pull out in

front of him so he could write ya up. You

did, so he changed lanes to make it

look even worse as if you pulled out in

front of him! What a crock.



I always see Local town, Sheriff etc

speeding 15-20 over with no flashing

lights/sirens. One lives in my

neighborhood. He must have been

doing 80 in a 55, I watched him turn

into my neighborhood, then pull into

his driveway! :-{}



They recently lowered the speed limit

on this particular stretch of 5 lane

(two lanes eastbound, center turn lane,

tow lanes westbound) from 65 to 55

MPH so now my 15 mile drive is 10 MPH

slower! :-{}

 

[Spaceace]

just a side note

If you pay the ticket it is a conviction... ... Waiting as long as possible might get you into an insurance policy renewal without committing fraud . They can't see a ticket which you have not paid/ or been to court over.

Pay the court costs . . ask for time extensions..... buys you some time and is much cheaper than an increased premium. Plus, you always have a 50% chance of beating the cop in court. (i know feels like 99% cop 1% you)



Fight to the death and good luck.

 

[SEmerson]

Yep I just doubt I could win in court. And know it will take atleast 2 trips to the court to fight it. What a waist of my time to prove myself right. I looked for the law at the one posted web site but no luck. He had stated that I needed to yeild to all lanes. I think he didnt want me to question about his lane change.

 

[DieselDoghouse]

Sorry about your situation. For all the great cops out there doing serious job there are a few... Yes in almost all states it is illegal to chang lanes in the marked boundaries of an intersection - for you and me (we can't plead the silent response excuse-you didn't say he already had the bike lit up when committed the unsignalled lane changes). Question how to help you has really only one obvious answer. You need someone who KNOWS the law better than your biker friend THINKS he does - we call them lawyers. Best of luck!!

 

[Joe G.]

SEmerson,



Try http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/pubs.htm Also you might want to look at the home page www.dmv.ca.gov Lots of stuff on that site and you can download PDF files with almost anything.

 

[tcourse]

Take it to Court. Arm yourself with pictures of the intersection

from your point of view at the time, and draw a picture for the judge showing how he changed lanes. Cops do now always win in court. Some judges see the same cops in court frequently for stupid citations.

Be careful to be respectful when you speak about the cop, he's still an officer of the court.

 

[Koa Man]

Originally posted by Whitmore

the best thing you can do is to not get spun up over it and just hand deliver the payment for your fine in pennies[/B]

Anyone can actually refuse pennies for payment in amounts over 25 cents, as they are not considered legal tender in amounts over that.

 

[illflem]

How about nickels then?

 

[Koa Man]

Nickels will work. They may require that it be rolled.

 

[THerman]

I agree with those that say fight it. The documentation will really help you, and remember, you are making that cop show up in court. If he doesn't show, which happens a bit here, you will win.



Good luck.

 

[mimprevento]

Ticket

You would be surprised how many non speeding "rules of the road" tickets are dismissed especially if there was no accident- in large volume jurisdictions it can be reduced or dismissed on terms(no other tickets for six months, or driver school) because there is such a high volume- go in dressed well with pictures and a sincere version of events and chances are you will prevail- I see it every day.

 

[milehiscott]

Emerson,

One thing to consider as you decide how hard to fight this: While it is unlawful to change lanes in the intersection, unless it is witnessed by a police officer, there is nothing that can be done about that infraction. In other words, no witness, no crime.

I don't know about CA, but usually the way the law is written, if you have a red light you must yield the right of way, PERIOD. It is the responsibility of the one with the red light to get out of the way of the person with the green light, no matter what.

Even though he broke laws in his lane change, you have the responsiblity to get out of his way. At this point it becomes subjective.

I'd still recomend talking to a local lawyer who knows how the traffic judges tend to see such things.



Good luck.



Scott

 

[SEmerson]

I have been unable to find if I would have needed to yield to all 3 lanes. I was always under the impression that I only need to yield to the lane I was turning into. And that lane would of been clear for me to turn into. Had he stayed in his lane.

 

[Joe G.]

I think Scott is right. If you have a red light you just don't have the right of way. You probably could get out of it with the right attitude. It's a moving violation so sitting thru a few sessions of traffic school might be in order.

 

[Whitmore]

this is interesting

but I cant vouch for its validity??? today at work a guy was talking of how he read a deal on the internet about a guy that has had many speeding tickets and still nothing is on his record that shows any violation at all. What the guy has been doing is writing a check for more than what the ticket was for , this way the state has to write a check for a few bucks back to him and then the guy never cashes it!!!!! that way the state cant close the books on that case. Now like I say I can not vouch for this but I do know that it would be worth a try... ... ..... whats to loose????????????????????????????/





just a thought ... . Kevin