When you’re driving in heavy traffic or trying to navigate your way through an unfamiliar area, it’s easy to make an “improper turn.”
Improper turns can involve failing to give adequate signals when you change lanes (such as when you shift from the right-hand lane to the left in order to avoid a delivery vehicle that’s in your way) or failing to signal when turning. It can also involve improperly moving from one lane to another while making a turn (for example, turning right from a center lane when only the right-hand lane is allowed to turn).
Sometimes, a driver is simply impatient — especially if traffic in their own lane is moving particularly slowly for some reason. It can be tempting to quickly shift into the open lane right next to you and keep moving. Other times, drivers are simply caught up in the flow of traffic or confused about what they should do because the markings on the road aren’t entirely clear.
Improper turn tickets are sometimes tacked on to other charges, like the failure to yield to a pedestrian or the failure to stop at a red light — which means you’re essentially being charged twice (and penalized twice) for the same traffic mistake.
Improper passing or changing a lane unsafely can add three more points to your license and cost you hundreds more in raised insurance fees and fines, so it’s always smart to fight the charges when you can. In many cases, the decision to issue a ticket is somewhat arbitrary or excessive. Find out how an experienced advocate can help with your situation.