No Right On Red? When To Hire An Attorney To Fight The Ticket
Making a right on red is forbidden in some cities, but totally acceptable in others. There is also the issue of signs. If there is a sign saying no right on red, then you may not turn on red, but without a sign it may be perfectly fine to make the turn. If you have received a ticket due to the murky issue of making a right on red, you may be in the right to fight it. Here are some circumstances in which you should fight a right-hand turn ticket.
There was no sign or city ordinance
In some cases, there was no sign or city ordinance. If you received a ticket from a police officer because they claim you should not have made a right on red, you can go to court and fight the ticket. At times, the officer may say that the turn was unsafe. If you were cited for an unsafe turn but you ordinarily make this turn or this is a normal right turn space for cars, you and your traffic attorney may be able to get the ticket dismissed and restore your driving record.
The ticket was due to a light change
If the light was changing from green to yellow, an officer can give you a ticket for turning against the light. Since a right-hand turn can be short and quick, it is easy to make a right hand turn safely, even as the light is turning to yellow. If you are confident that you made the turn and any lane changes quickly and safely, you are entitled to fight the ticket in traffic court. You and your traffic attorney may be able to find evidence via traffic cameras to prove your case.
The turn was necessary
Sometimes there are cases where you will need to make the right turn on red due to safety. If the road ahead is closed or being closed, you may need to turn to the right in order to avoid lane closure. If an emergency vehicle is attempting to get through, you may have to make the lane change in order to allow the vehicle through. If you get a ticket after one of these two events, you should fight it in court in order to clear your record. Clearing up the ticket will also keep your insurance safe from going up.
Contact professionals like Walsh Fewkes Sterba to learn more.
Share