Heading home from work today on a state road in the company E350. I get to a red light with four cars in front of me. Light turns green and the car at the front is turning left and waiting for oncoming traffic to clear. Behind that car is a truck, a cop car and a car in front of me prepared to turn left.
No one is moving so I move to the right lane and slowly pass the cars. As I get to the intersection the car is nearly though and I continue to go around and merge in. The truck did not turn and was multiple car lengths behind me as I merged in at ~25 mph in a 45.
About a ½ mile down I get pulled over. The officer tells me that I went around in a right hand turn lane only. Untrue as there are no arrows or signs and I point that out to him.
He comes back with a ticket and I question him about that right hand only lane again. Now his story changes that I technically can use it but only if cars are making a left turn and there were NO cars making a left turn. A little while later he mentions the car clearing the intersection but it makes no difference as he and the truck were not signaling a left turn (I actually used a voice record feature on my phone).
So even though he and the truck were not moving as I went around it made no difference? ???
Ok so maybe I was in the wrong.
I get home and look up the infraction on the ticket.
IC 9-21-8-6
Overtaking and passing on the right; conditions
Sec. 6. (a) A person who drives a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions:
(1) When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn.
(2) Upon a roadway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width for two (2) or more lanes of vehicles moving lawfully in the direction being traveled by the overtaking vehicle.
(b) A person who drives a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions that permit overtaking upon the right in safety. Overtaking upon the right may not be made by driving off the roadway.
(1) There was a vehicle turning left...two actually.
(2) The lane continues on well AFTER the intersection and the white line eventually merges you back into one lane. Of course I was traveling in the same direction.
(b) It was daylight, no rain, no snow and roads dry. Never left the roadway (a semi can safely merge around). I was not cited for speeding, or failure to signal.
So am I wrong is assuming (2) voids his claim that all vehicles MUST be making a left turn?
Or is it a law that you must wait behind fools who choose not to take advantage of a passing lane?
There's also some minor incorrect information on the ticket and I didn't have to sign anything which may be an old law.
I decided to print out a Google image and love what showed up. A semi showing how much room there is to go around and continue on in a lane that goes past the intersection.
I'm 42 and haven't had so much as a parking ticket since I was 19. Not sure if I should just say screw it and pay it or go to court and fight it.
No one is moving so I move to the right lane and slowly pass the cars. As I get to the intersection the car is nearly though and I continue to go around and merge in. The truck did not turn and was multiple car lengths behind me as I merged in at ~25 mph in a 45.
About a ½ mile down I get pulled over. The officer tells me that I went around in a right hand turn lane only. Untrue as there are no arrows or signs and I point that out to him.
He comes back with a ticket and I question him about that right hand only lane again. Now his story changes that I technically can use it but only if cars are making a left turn and there were NO cars making a left turn. A little while later he mentions the car clearing the intersection but it makes no difference as he and the truck were not signaling a left turn (I actually used a voice record feature on my phone).
So even though he and the truck were not moving as I went around it made no difference? ???
Ok so maybe I was in the wrong.
I get home and look up the infraction on the ticket.
IC 9-21-8-6
Overtaking and passing on the right; conditions
Sec. 6. (a) A person who drives a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions:
(1) When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn.
(2) Upon a roadway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width for two (2) or more lanes of vehicles moving lawfully in the direction being traveled by the overtaking vehicle.
(b) A person who drives a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions that permit overtaking upon the right in safety. Overtaking upon the right may not be made by driving off the roadway.
(1) There was a vehicle turning left...two actually.
(2) The lane continues on well AFTER the intersection and the white line eventually merges you back into one lane. Of course I was traveling in the same direction.
(b) It was daylight, no rain, no snow and roads dry. Never left the roadway (a semi can safely merge around). I was not cited for speeding, or failure to signal.
So am I wrong is assuming (2) voids his claim that all vehicles MUST be making a left turn?
Or is it a law that you must wait behind fools who choose not to take advantage of a passing lane?
There's also some minor incorrect information on the ticket and I didn't have to sign anything which may be an old law.
I decided to print out a Google image and love what showed up. A semi showing how much room there is to go around and continue on in a lane that goes past the intersection.
I'm 42 and haven't had so much as a parking ticket since I was 19. Not sure if I should just say screw it and pay it or go to court and fight it.