audiringpwr

yesterday night at about 1220am in saratoga i was pulled over by police and given a bicycle lane violation for entering before the dotted white lines.

i entered the bike lane maybe a half car length before or at most a whole car length.

does anyone know the cost of a 21290(a) vc bicycle lane violation? and has anyone ever contested a violation like this in court?

lastly do you think i should fight this in court or just pay the fine?

Cup-a-Chow

But I thought that you could enter a bike lane to make a right hand turn within 25' of the intended turn? Either way it's a BS ticket, sorry to hear you got that... It is Saratoga though. LOL. I'd fight it b/c it's such a BS ticket and it looks like it's a moving violation which would cost a point.

Good luck.

dan farmer

Below is Section 21209, excerpted from the Vehicle code on the DMV website (like Mr. Chow said). Looks easy to win. Check out ticketassassin.com (and pay him his $25) to get legal wording for your Trial by Written Declaration.

In short the law is written in feet, not in regard to where the dotted line starts. Go back to the scene of the crime and measure stuff. Take photos. Read about trial by written declaration on ticketassassin.com. Do the paperwork. Win. Be mildly pissed that you had to deal with this cr@p because of a small-minded cop. Move on. Enjoy life.

-df


21209. (a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle in a bicycle lane established on a roadway pursuant to Section 21207 except as follows:

(1) To park where parking is permitted.

(2) To enter or leave the roadway.

(3) To prepare for a turn within a distance of 200 feet from the intersection.

(b) This section does not prohibit the use of a motorized bicycle in a bicycle lane, pursuant to Section 21207.5, at a speed no greater than is reasonable or prudent, having due regard for visibility, traffic conditions, and the condition of the roadway surface of the bicycle lane, and in a manner which does not endanger the safety of bicyclists.

audiringpwr

200 feet back.

Cup-a-Chow

In your initial post you said you got a ticket for entering before the dotted lines... and you were at most a car length away from the turn. Now if that was TWENTY feet then you're good. If it was TWO HUNDRED feet, then you might actually have a problem... Entering before the lines, and the lines are 200', then I guess the cop is right. Which is it? I really hope you just meant 20'!!!