Austin folks: "Unsafe lane change" ticket. What the heck constitutes one

[efhmc]

and do you have any info on getting someone to fight this very subjective and ridiculous ticket? (Someone near and dear got this baby. I haven't gotten her the new Texas Dem sticker she wanted yet or I would blame it on a Dem hating repuke cop.)

[GOPisEvil]

1. That's a new one.

I would assume it was an unsignaled lane change, one made at excessive speed or weaving through traffic.

If it's subjective, I'd fight it.

[efhmc]

4. Signaled (they would have said, if not), not weaving, not sure about the

rest. Any thoughts on someone to fight this?

[johncoby2]

2. They probably changed lanes. Unsafely. like duh?

[efhmc]

5. Nice use of semantics. So what is your legal description?

[madinmaryland]

3. I got a warning for that once!

It was after I ran over a guard rail on the highway! No ticket though.

[efhmc]

6. She had been waiting at a stop light and then changed lanes? This

really seems like a crock to me.

[madinmaryland]

7. Must have been quota time of the month for the cop.

Sounds like a crock to me too.

[efhmc]

8. She wants to fight it but has a very unhappy feeling about the people

she has found in the phone book who do this type of thing. Don't blame her.

[tammywammy]

11. Let me see if I have this straight.

She was stopped at a light. It turned green, she changed lanes. Got a ticket. Is that right?

The only thing I could think of, is you're not allowed to change lanes 100 ft or after an intersection (including during the intersection). (And yes, that amazing memory of mind is bringing this up from drivers ed.)

Has she looked into just doing the deferred adjudication? It'll be off her record after a few months.

[efhmc]

13. Did not change lanes in the intersection. I just mentioned the light to

show that she was not driving fast.

[acmejack]

12. It may have been too close to the light.

You are not permitted to change lanes within some (100 feet?)specified distance of a traffic light.

[efhmc]

14. I'll ask but I don't think so and if so it is stupid and will probably be

dismissed on that merit.

[tammywammy]

15. But that's not really stupid

If she did change lanes too close to an intersection, that's very dangerous. I've been practically run out of my lane and off the road because people don't look when they change lanes like that.

[fudge stripe cookays]

17. If she did it in the middle of the intersection, that may be the thing.

I know in some places, you have to change lanes on straightaways. You can't do it while going through an intersection.

Just a thought.
FSC

[Dora]

21. I took driver's ed in AZ in 1985...

But we were taught that it was unsafe (and illegal) to change lanes while in an intersection.

[silverlib]

9. There is a female lawyer in Austin

who dresses rather flamboyantly. She once had an ad posted on a bulletin board outside of Municipal Court. I watched her in operation about five years ago and swore she is who I would hire if I ever wanted to fight a ticket. I was on the Municipal jury and she pulled off a mistrial and the charges against the gal were dropped.

This sounds like some of Austin's most arrogant. There are a lot of great police officers in this town, but there are some sorry ones that certainly sour the barrel. I would have a hard time picturing an unsafe lane change that didn't result in an accident, unless someone was run off the road. What would make it unsafe?

[efhmc]

10. Exactly. Wish you had her name. Thanks anyway.

[Flying Dream Blues]

18. Janet Stockard?? She wears hats...and advertises.....

[silverlib]

19. Bingo!

That's her. Thanks.

[Lithos]

16. Unsafe lane change

On Edit: IANAL (I am not a lawyer)

Covers several points.

- Failing to use a turn signal
- Having a large speed differential with the other lane (Your speed did not match that of the other lane)
- Changing directly in front or behind another car (forced tailgating).

And I think a few more...

L-

[melissinha]

20. Well... some details are missing

We really can't say wihout knowing every single detail....

Don't want to seem insensitive, but I am glad to hear that this type of thing is being noted by Austin police. I have found that at least 60% of drivers do not signal lane changes here in Austin and its just plain annoying and dangerous. I think there is a serious problem with driver's education here in Austin... I have never seen such insensitive selfish driving as I have here and I have lived in Chicago!

That is perhaps the one thing about Austin that really bugs me. But without knowing the details, I would never assume to judge your friend.

[Lithos]

22. I learned to drive in Austin

And I know what you mean. We used to joke that when the oil bust happened, (take your pick) and everyone was leaving Houston, they gave us all of their bad (speed demon) drivers. Add to that the mix of students and the laid back nature of Austin, an incomplete road grid of a town that grew way too fast and you have problems.

L-