Philadelphia Illegal Turns Traffic Ticket Lawyer
Call: (215)-799-9990
It’s getting late and you’re tired from a long day at the office. You have to be up early the next morning to start another day at the office, and want to make sure you get home as quickly as possible to get enough shut eye before another grueling day. As you are dreaming of the softness and comfort of your pillow, you realize you missed your street turn about a half a mile back.
Frustrated from your mistake, you drive to the nearest intersection, look up at the “No U-Turn sign” and press your foot on the pedal. Swiftly turning your car in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, just as your luck would have it, you see the flashing lights in the rearview mirror.
Failing to adhere to posted signs is a common mistake in Philadelphia. Between the city traffic, unfamiliarity with roads, and often poorly hung or obstructed signs, it’s quite easy to accidentally make an illegal turn. Nevertheless, you are deemed to be responsible for this mistake once you are stopped and ticketed by a police officer.
Moving violations, including Illegal Turns, can result in points on your record, fines, increased insurance premiums, and potential Suspension of License. The Traffic Lawyers with The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. can help you fight these tickets, and thereby minimize their impact on your license and your wallet.
Illegal U-Turns
You can receive a ticket for making an illegal U-turn in one of two ways:
- Where there is a sign indicating a U-turn is impermissible at that location
- When you make a U-turn that will create an unsafe situation for you and others
Potential circumstances which may create an unsafe situation include: a U-turn that interferes with traffic, a U-turn taken on a street’s curve, a U-turn on a hill where other drivers may be unable to see you, and potentially a U-turn through a bicycle lane. It is worth noting that there exists some ambiguity as to the law in this final criterion, however, this turn should be avoided if for no other reason than the potential for extreme injury to cyclists. The fact that you are likely to be ticketed – regardless of whether the ticket will hold up in court – is reason to avoid making a U-turn through a bike lane. The penalty for an illegal U-turn is 3 points on your license.
Illegal Left Turns
We all know this rule. If you are making a left turn, you do not have the right of way. You must wait for opposing traffic forces to lessen to the point to which you can safely make the turn.
Even if it seems that another driver with the right of way has yielded to you, it still makes sense to allow them to pass, as any incident which may transpire as a result of you attempting a turn will be your fault.
Failure to yield to a driver with the right of way while you are making a left turn will result in 3 points on your license.
Failure to Use Turn Signals
It is the law in Pennsylvania that in order to merge into another lane that you do so safely, and indicate your movement via the use of a turn signal. The law provides guidelines which must be followed relative to the rate of speed when changing lanes:
- From a parked position, you must use your turn signal, indicating that you will be entering the traffic stream.
- If going under 35 mph, you must use your turn signal at least 100 feet prior to changing lanes or making a turn.
- If going over 35 mph, you must use your turn signal at least 300 feet prior to changing lanes or making a turn.
There is no point penalty for failure to use a turn signal, but there is a significant fine attached.
Why Do I Need a Lawyer?
A lawyer will be able to argue the facts of the case, either pointing to a lack of signage or police officer error. Raising questions regarding the facts may be enough to beat the ticket or at least form a good basis on which to reach a plea deal with a prosecutor.
If you have received a ticket for any of the above turns, or any other traffic related offense, call The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. today to schedule a Free Consultation with one of our Traffic Attorneys.