Using Center Lane To Merge - Disobey Sign 182(2)

There are always those tickets you get when you know you were doing something wrong, and yet your still mad you know you got caught. Well in this case getting this ticket almost made me sick to my stomach. I'm currently going back to school and am working a part time pizza delivery job to help support my family while doing so. I'm told this particular cop has it out for delivery drivers and tickets them all the time in fact he ticked someone else I know just last week. Anyway I will take a picture and post it later on today but here is how it went down.

My work is in a small strip mall with two exits onto what I would call a 4 lane rd with a center lane, Directly across from the mall there is no other buisness and to the right on the other side of the road there is a resturant. While facing the road upon exit there are no visable signs facing the driveway inteded to let a driver know that you are not to use the center lane to merge with traffc. It was 9:30 pm barely any traffic as everyone had already left town for may run weekend. I proceeded to pull out towards the center lane as there to head eastbound, there was no westbound traffic and only one van heading eastbound in the the incorrect driving lane being the passing lane. No biggie I slowly pulled into the center as he was passing me and then immediately pulled to the Eastbound lane. Well on goes the cherries I was told later he was sitting in the resturant parking lot across the street. He first asked asked me if I had commericail insurance as he asks all the delivery drivers when he gives them tickets and then tells me why I should have it. This makes me thinki he was watching for one of us to make this mistake. Then he tells me I made illegal use of the center lane by using it to merge and that there are signs all up and down the road that prohibit this. But there was none facing the exit and after of been given the ticket I looked and the closest one from our entry and exit point is indeed facing the traffic just before you turn into the driveway but is blocked by a telephone pole. Not sure what to do, but I definately feel I have to fight it for it is 2 points and I don't want that going on my abstract. I just saved $1000 a year I don't want to pay it again.

Are there actual signs posted, or are they just lane markings painted on the road? If there are no signs that explicitly prohibit you from turning in to the centre lane and merging, then you should be able to fight this one. Alternatively, you could try to plea-bargain to a municipal by-law infraction at trial. Step 1 would be choosing to fight the ticket and arranging for a trial date. Then you can file a disclosure request to see what the officer wrote in his notes.

Whether the officer "has it out for delivery drivers" doesn't help your case.

There are signs along the road but there were no signs visable from where I was leaving the parking lot. Plus the closest sign to the parking lot entrance the one could have seen on the way in is blocked with a new telephone pole in front of it. Thirdly the yellow lines marking the center lane are very dull if visable at all making it almost impossible to distinguise the middle lane during the day let alone at 9:30 pm when it is dark. Especially from the position where the officer was watching from. I ment to take pictures yesterday but I will do it today and post them! I'm not sure if this helps my case but the signs have two arrows curved left and right and says center lane only below, and when I did merge I did not accelerate to match the speed of traffic to merge I simply pulled into the centerlane an allowed the only car on the road to pass me before completely moving into my lane. Not sure if that is really considered usning the center lane to merge into traffic my idea of that would be acceleration to traffic speed and pulling in!

Here are the photos from the scene of the crime! lol hope they are clear at the size I had to make them!

Interesting situation. We have fought hundreds of tickets like this and you should be able to beat this one. I suggest it would be helpful to read signs regulation.....Good luck.

Traffic Law wrote:Interesting situation. We have fought hundreds of tickets like this and you should be able to beat this one. I suggest it would be helpful to read signs regulation.....Good luck.

Would it be the section in regards to the signs being displayed every 60 meters that this situation applies too?