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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
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    Default Failure to Obey Traffic Sign "Right Lane Must Turn Right."

    My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: Long Beach, CA

    So my question is, did I do anything wrong and if the ticket does apply to me?
    I was driving off the 405 south freeway exiting Cherry Ave, Signal Hill. After exiting, I was in the far right lane on Cherry Ave. The car in front of me was going about 30 mph on a 40 mph street. In my head, I need to get on my left lane because the guy in front is going real slow. While this was happening, a squad car happened to be tailing me at the same time. I was heading to a friends house and my GPS was telling me to turn left on 4th street which was probably 2 miles down from the exit. So I wanted to get on my left lane anyway, so I started signalling. While trying to switch lanes, the cop car switches to my left lane as well right before me, so I'm thinking that was pretty suspicious, so I was going to switch anyway. However, if I did switch, the cop car would practically be on my tail. So I figured, maybe he'd give me more room, that didn't happen, so I slowed down more instead, but he was still in my way to switch, so I figured, I'd just stay in the right lane. So after passing the light, which appeared to be Crescent heights, I noticed that the slow car in front of me was turning right, keep in mind that since I didn't witch to the left lane, the cop switched back into my lane and started tailing me again. After I noticed that the car in front of me was signaling to turn right, my friend tells me that should switch lanes soon so I immediately signal to switch back into the left lane. That picture indicates where I switched, more or less. After this, the cop pulls me over after the intersection. He then tells me that I wasn't supposed to be in the right lane because it was turning right and I wasn't supposed to be in the right lane to begin with, and that I did an unsafe lane change. So he writes my ticket and I ask him, what was so unsafe about my lane change, I signaled and I didn't know the lane was turning right until I saw the car in front of me signaling to turn right, so in response to this, I switched onto the left lane. He said that there were signs indicating that I wasn't supposed to be in the right lane. After this, I checked, and the only signs I saw said "no stopping at anytime" and the "right lane must turn left" signs. On my ticket, he put on the violation, Failure to obey traffic sign "right lane must turn right."

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
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    38,867

    Default Re: Failure to Obey Traffic Sign "Right Lane Must Turn Right."

    although you state you switched lanes where shown, you also state this:

    . So after passing the light, which appeared to be Crescent heights,
    was the lane also a right turn only lane at Crescent Heights as well?

    edit:

    It appears the right lane at Crescent Heights is a right turn only lane and has a sign immediately prior to entering the intersection (at least. I didn't go back any further to check for more signs) http://maps.google.com/maps?q=2424+Cherry+avenue,+signal+hill,+california &ll=33.802444,-118.167607&spn=0.001761,0.002205&hnear=2424+Cherry +Ave,+Signal+Hill,+California+90755&gl=us&t=m&z=19 &layer=c&cbll=33.802301,-118.167604&panoid=8fdzMxOMS1st9BnGulzPcA&cbp=12,11 .33,,0,8.65


    So, if you crossed the intersection while in the right lane, it would appear the ticket is justified.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Silicon Valley
    Posts
    532

    Default Re: Failure to Obey Traffic Sign "Right Lane Must Turn Right."

    Under what section of the vehicle code were you cited?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    South-Central Cali
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    Default Re: Failure to Obey Traffic Sign "Right Lane Must Turn Right."

    Quote Quoting jk
    View Post
    So, if you crossed the intersection while in the right lane, it would appear the ticket is justified.
    Thanks very much for the GMaps link, jk. The cited code would seem to be VC 21461 (disobeying traffic control device). That device is the "right lane must turn right" sign, which is just before the intersection as jk observed.

    But the sign cannot be placed there when an existing lane turns into a right-turn only lane! It must be placed "150-300 feet" before the turn, usually at or near the point where the dashed white line turns solid.

    Quote Quoting CA MUTCD 2010, Section 2B.21 Mandatory Movement Lane Control Signs
    Standard: The RIGHT (LEFT) LANE MUST TURN RIGHT (LEFT) (R3-7) sign shall be used when a turning movement is required, except when a clearly marked additional lane is provided for the mandatory turn. ...

    Guidance: ... The R3-7 sign should be erected on the appropriate side of the road, 45 to 90 m (150 to 300 ft) in advance of the turn.

    Option: The THRU TRAFFIC MERGE LEFT (RIGHT) (W4-7) sign may be used in advance of the R3-7 sign.
    Here's the illustration from the MUTCD, exemplifying strongly recommended practice:


    On both sides, the rightmost lane becomes a mandatory right-turn lane (note the signs). On the left side though, you have an "additional" lane in the left turning lane, so no signs are required except pavement arrows (they assume that if a new lane appears and you change to it, you did so because you saw the arrows).

    Edit: As jk asked me to clarify below, a "thru traffic" warning sign is posted along be way (its irrelevant though). Note also that the 50 ft notation in the figure above refers to the minimum length of the solid white line and NOT to the "must turn right".

    -------

    The sign was not posted correctly. You should FIGHT this via a trial by declaration. Attach a bunch of photographs and the MUTCD explanation. If the judge reads it, he should find you not guilty. If you are eligible for traffic school though, be aware that you may not be if you fight and lose; it's up to the judge at that point whether to grant it.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
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    38,867

    Default Re: Failure to Obey Traffic Sign "Right Lane Must Turn Right."

    QQ, did you go back a bit to see if the sign was posted prior to that point? I hadn't.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    South-Central Cali
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    Default Re: Failure to Obey Traffic Sign "Right Lane Must Turn Right."

    Quote Quoting jk
    View Post
    QQ, did you go back a bit to see if the sign was posted prior to that point? I hadn't.
    I did (till just past the previous intersection) and only noticed the "thru traffic merge left" warning sign.

    Mike.s: if you decide to contest this, I highly, HIGHLY, recommend you take your own pictures and use them instead of Google Maps Street View. That way the judge is assured it's recent and authentic. You van use the satellite (overhead) view though to demonstrate that it's a through lane which turns into a right-only lane.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
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    11

    Default Re: Failure to Obey Traffic Sign "Right Lane Must Turn Right."

    Quote Quoting jk
    View Post
    although you state you switched lanes where shown, you also state this:

    was the lane also a right turn only lane at Crescent Heights as well?

    edit:

    It appears the right lane at Crescent Heights is a right turn only lane and has a sign immediately prior to entering the intersection (at least. I didn't go back any further to check for more signs) http://maps.google.com/maps?q=2424+Cherry+avenue,+signal+hill,+california &ll=33.802444,-118.167607&spn=0.001761,0.002205&hnear=2424+Cherry +Ave,+Signal+Hill,+California+90755&gl=us&t=m&z=19 &layer=c&cbll=33.802301,-118.167604&panoid=8fdzMxOMS1st9BnGulzPcA&cbp=12,11 .33,,0,8.65


    So, if you crossed the intersection while in the right lane, it would appear the ticket is justified.

    Hey jk, I should have posted this link as well, it's the picture of side I was coming from pass crescent hills,
    Coming from this way, there was no sign stating, "right turn must turn left" yet until Burnett.

    Quote Quoting themadnorwegian
    View Post
    Under what section of the vehicle code were you cited?
    214611(A)VC - Failure to obey traffic sign (right turn only)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    South-Central Cali
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    Default Re: Failure to Obey Traffic Sign "Right Lane Must Turn Right."

    Mark: please post exactly what the notes and location sections of your ticket say.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    11

    Default Re: Failure to Obey Traffic Sign "Right Lane Must Turn Right."

    Quote Quoting quirkyquark
    View Post
    Thanks very much for the GMaps link, jk. The cited code would seem to be VC 21461 (disobeying traffic control device). That device is the "right lane must turn right" sign, which is just before the intersection as jk observed.

    But the sign cannot be placed there when an existing lane turns into a right-turn only lane! It must be placed "150-300 feet" before the turn, usually at or near the point where the dashed white line turns solid.



    Here's the illustration from the MUTCD, exemplifying strongly recommended practice:


    On both sides, the rightmost lane becomes a mandatory right-turn lane (note the signs). On the left side though, you have an "additional" lane in the left turning lane, so no signs are required except pavement arrows (they assume that if a new lane appears and you change to it, you did so because you saw the arrows).

    Edit: As jk asked me to clarify below, a "thru traffic" warning sign is posted along be way (its irrelevant though). Note also that the 50 ft notation in the figure above refers to the minimum length of the solid white line and NOT to the "must turn right".

    -------

    The sign was not posted correctly. You should FIGHT this via a trial by declaration. Attach a bunch of photographs and the MUTCD explanation. If the judge reads it, he should find you not guilty. If you are eligible for traffic school though, be aware that you may not be if you fight and lose; it's up to the judge at that point whether to grant it.

    Thank you so much, and just to clarify, here is a closer picture of where that "right lane must turn right" sign was, which indicated by MUTCD should have been 50 before the right turn,

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    South-Central Cali
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    Default Re: Failure to Obey Traffic Sign "Right Lane Must Turn Right."

    Quote Quoting mark.s
    View Post
    Thank you so much, and just to clarify, here is a closer picture of where that "right lane must turn right" sign was, which indicated by MUTCD should have been 50 before the right turn [image]
    Thanks, Mark; I noticed. It should have been 150-300 ft before the turn per the MUTCD; the 50 ft. refer to the minimum length of the solid white line and has nothing to do with the sign. Still, it doesn't even meet the 50 ft. criterion, so there's no need to explain the difference to a judge unless necessary.

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