CaliDriver
Junior Member
What is the name of your state? CA
I was in the rightmost lane which is a "Right Turn Only" lane at a major intersection. The right turn only lane at this intersection is unusually long (about 1/10 mile or 528 feet or 176 yards). At the intersection there are 6 lanes in direction I was approaching (2 left only lanes, 3 lanes for traffic going straight and 1 lane for right turn).
The crosswalk lines are very much inside the intersection than usual (on this side I was driving at) Here is the map of the intersection.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=de+anza+and+stevens+creek,+cupertino,+ca&sll=37.321608,-122.027174&sspn=0.001655,0.003181&ie=UTF8&ll=37.322726,-122.032071&spn=0.000414,0.000795&t=k&z=20
The green arrow is pointing to the direction from where I took the right turn (the 2 left turn arrows and one right turn arrow are clearly marked with bike lane between the straight (lanes and right only lanes)
The driving speed on here is 35mph-45mph. I was driving quite slowly as I approached the intersection in right only turn lane. There were big and small cars to my left backed up at the red signal as I approached the intersection. This makes it hard to view if any vehicle or pedestrian is coming from the left (so you have to be very slow anyways to observe if the intersection is clear for crossing). I had 4 or 5 cars right behind me. As I got closer I did see a pedestrian on the cross walk and stopped. I might have stopped on the inside line of crosswalk or crossed it by inches. I was obviously yielding to the pedestrian who waved at me happily as she walked by. After than I took a right turn and saw a cop starting his bike & turn around in the parking space (about 100 feet after I took the turn). He was facing oncoming traffic and started turning around his bike as I drove past him and after a while he signaled me to stop.
He told me that he stopped me because I stopped into the crosswalk while pedestrian was crossing the road. After that he gave me a ticket and claimed that he has to right red light violation for me. I asked him why is that a red light violation and not why couldn't he cite me for failure to stop at crosswalk. He said this was the only code he could cite me for. He said he admitted I stopped when I saw the pedestrian (who he told me was in the second lane when I stopped). He said if there was no pedestrian he would not have cited me. The ticket says I violated VC-21453A-I (which is essentially failure to stop within intersection limits when light is red). He wrote my appx speed was 20mph.
I have two questions:
1. Why couldn't he give a ticket for CV-21950 which more accurately describes the offense if there is one.
2. How do I fight this ticket. I was preparing to stop. The pedestrian was not in sight for me I was in right only lane. People usually make a stop of yield traffic almost in the middle of cross walk since it is hard to see what is coming from the left. I did stop and might have technically crossed the inside line only by inches.
3. The bail amount is whopping $500.00 !! Help.What is the name of your state?
I was in the rightmost lane which is a "Right Turn Only" lane at a major intersection. The right turn only lane at this intersection is unusually long (about 1/10 mile or 528 feet or 176 yards). At the intersection there are 6 lanes in direction I was approaching (2 left only lanes, 3 lanes for traffic going straight and 1 lane for right turn).
The crosswalk lines are very much inside the intersection than usual (on this side I was driving at) Here is the map of the intersection.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=de+anza+and+stevens+creek,+cupertino,+ca&sll=37.321608,-122.027174&sspn=0.001655,0.003181&ie=UTF8&ll=37.322726,-122.032071&spn=0.000414,0.000795&t=k&z=20
The green arrow is pointing to the direction from where I took the right turn (the 2 left turn arrows and one right turn arrow are clearly marked with bike lane between the straight (lanes and right only lanes)
The driving speed on here is 35mph-45mph. I was driving quite slowly as I approached the intersection in right only turn lane. There were big and small cars to my left backed up at the red signal as I approached the intersection. This makes it hard to view if any vehicle or pedestrian is coming from the left (so you have to be very slow anyways to observe if the intersection is clear for crossing). I had 4 or 5 cars right behind me. As I got closer I did see a pedestrian on the cross walk and stopped. I might have stopped on the inside line of crosswalk or crossed it by inches. I was obviously yielding to the pedestrian who waved at me happily as she walked by. After than I took a right turn and saw a cop starting his bike & turn around in the parking space (about 100 feet after I took the turn). He was facing oncoming traffic and started turning around his bike as I drove past him and after a while he signaled me to stop.
He told me that he stopped me because I stopped into the crosswalk while pedestrian was crossing the road. After that he gave me a ticket and claimed that he has to right red light violation for me. I asked him why is that a red light violation and not why couldn't he cite me for failure to stop at crosswalk. He said this was the only code he could cite me for. He said he admitted I stopped when I saw the pedestrian (who he told me was in the second lane when I stopped). He said if there was no pedestrian he would not have cited me. The ticket says I violated VC-21453A-I (which is essentially failure to stop within intersection limits when light is red). He wrote my appx speed was 20mph.
I have two questions:
1. Why couldn't he give a ticket for CV-21950 which more accurately describes the offense if there is one.
2. How do I fight this ticket. I was preparing to stop. The pedestrian was not in sight for me I was in right only lane. People usually make a stop of yield traffic almost in the middle of cross walk since it is hard to see what is coming from the left. I did stop and might have technically crossed the inside line only by inches.
3. The bail amount is whopping $500.00 !! Help.What is the name of your state?