PA Green when started left turn but red when finished my turn
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA
I approached the left turn light & it already had a green arrow light. I started to turn left but the oncoming highway traffic in the opposing lanes were not slowing down, so I waited in the intersection until it was safe to complete my left hand & by then it was dead red. Of course that was all the cop saw. I tried to explain I started turning left when light was green but he just couldn't contemplate that I had not fully turned w/ the green arrow for safety reasons.
He said traffic in other lane would have had a red light & they may well have had a red light but I wasn't about to get hit by cars doing 55 mph. I assume they saw their lanes left turn light's green arrow change to yellow & had no intentions of stopping because they knew the traffic going straight ahead would turn green any second. This was during afternoon rush hour on Dec. 14th. Everyone's in a rush to get home & add X-Mas stuff to be done. The next light has the local Wal-Mart.
Note - there were no cars stopped at the light in the opposing lanes, so no need for the oncoming cars to slow down or stop for other cars in their lanes.
Had I went & completed my turn normally when I had the green arrow, I know oncoming traffic would have had to jam on their breaks to stop, if that was even possible (I'm not quite so sure).
Sure I could've floored it to make the light w/o them hitting me but I don't drive that way. I try to be safe. This is my very first traffic ticket ever & I have been driving for over 25 years.
Cop says he let me off by writing citation for Statute 3111 Subsection A w/ $109.50 fine & no points.
How do I verify the no points part? And second, if I fight this, can the Magistrate give me 3 points for turning left on a red light?
I'd rather not get the 3 points & will pay the fine IF the Magistrate can impose 3 points back into the citation if I lose which can be the case since light was red when I finished my turn.
But if Magistrate can't tack the 3 points back on to the citation, I'd like to plead my case to them. But if they can impose 3 points, I'd rather just suck it up & pay the fine, even though, I know what I did was the safest way to go about turning at that specific time.
Thank You Very Much!
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA
I approached the left turn light & it already had a green arrow light. I started to turn left but the oncoming highway traffic in the opposing lanes were not slowing down, so I waited in the intersection until it was safe to complete my left hand & by then it was dead red. Of course that was all the cop saw. I tried to explain I started turning left when light was green but he just couldn't contemplate that I had not fully turned w/ the green arrow for safety reasons.
He said traffic in other lane would have had a red light & they may well have had a red light but I wasn't about to get hit by cars doing 55 mph. I assume they saw their lanes left turn light's green arrow change to yellow & had no intentions of stopping because they knew the traffic going straight ahead would turn green any second. This was during afternoon rush hour on Dec. 14th. Everyone's in a rush to get home & add X-Mas stuff to be done. The next light has the local Wal-Mart.
Note - there were no cars stopped at the light in the opposing lanes, so no need for the oncoming cars to slow down or stop for other cars in their lanes.
Had I went & completed my turn normally when I had the green arrow, I know oncoming traffic would have had to jam on their breaks to stop, if that was even possible (I'm not quite so sure).
Sure I could've floored it to make the light w/o them hitting me but I don't drive that way. I try to be safe. This is my very first traffic ticket ever & I have been driving for over 25 years.
Cop says he let me off by writing citation for Statute 3111 Subsection A w/ $109.50 fine & no points.
How do I verify the no points part? And second, if I fight this, can the Magistrate give me 3 points for turning left on a red light?
I'd rather not get the 3 points & will pay the fine IF the Magistrate can impose 3 points back into the citation if I lose which can be the case since light was red when I finished my turn.
But if Magistrate can't tack the 3 points back on to the citation, I'd like to plead my case to them. But if they can impose 3 points, I'd rather just suck it up & pay the fine, even though, I know what I did was the safest way to go about turning at that specific time.
Thank You Very Much!
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