How do I contest a ticket for an unsafe lane change?

If you have received a ticket for an unsafe lane change violation, you will receive points on your driving record, as well as fines and possibly an insurance rate hike. This is a moving violation; however, you have two alternatives to pleading guilty:

• Fight the ticket

• Attend driving school, if available, and have the points removed

Unsafe lane change violations often occur because of several actions:

• Changing lanes without signaling or signaling too briefly

• Swerving to avoid foreign objects in the road

• Changing lanes often and too swiftly

In most cases, an officer determines this violation based on their own observations. There are few objective ways to prove this charge. Therefore, you have several options to fight this ticket:

• Challenge the officer’s observations. You may be able to create a reasonable doubt in the court’s mind, or produce witnesses to prove your innocence.

• Challenge the legality of the traffic stop. Did the officer follow procedure? Does the ticket correctly reflect the situation, the car, your name and address, and other vital facts?

• Prove that your actions were justified, often if a foreign object was in the road and would have caused an accident.

These are options that may require a level of expertise that most drivers do not possess. However, consulting with a traffic ticket attorney may provide the information and representation you require to fight this ticket and its penalties.