Would you signal a right turn here or not?

Personally, I would signal. You are turning off the road you are on, onto another road. Although, one should also be able to assume that if you're in the right turn lane, that you're turning right. However, I've seen my share of maneuvers that shouldn't have been done, also. I signal, it's kind of an extra reassurance that I did indeed intend to be in that lane to make a right hand turn.

 

Agreed.

Not only would I signal, but I'm sure the law would say you have to. Being in the right lane, or turning onto a road that's not a 90 degree angle, doesn't change that.

 

tell the judge you were using your turn signal.. it kept clipping off on you... or.. you were using it but apparently your turn signal light was out.. as you "found out later that day.. and replaced it"....


shrug... your turn signal should have been on.

 

I do not think that you will have a prayer if the officer shows up. The law states that you must indicate a turn (that means a turn signal) for any changes in lane or direction. Granted, if you were in the right turn lane, common sense indicates that you were turning, but that is not the same as your putting on your signal.

As for whether I would or would not, I would think that I would. I tend to over do it to be sure that people know, plus I am paranoid about getting a ticket. I would probably even use a signal if I were going straight, as that roads seems to veer more going straight that it does for a right turn.

But the easy answer here is yes, you should have signaled. I would not tell the judge that everyone else does it there too, lest you be asked sarcastically, 'if everyone else jumps off a bridge...'

 

Absolutely signal.

Here in Pennsylvania, most every time when people contest a ticket in traffic court, before you actually go into to see the judge, the cop asks you about admitting to a lesser charge. No points, less fine, etc. Which is pretty much what most people want anyway. If they give you that type of offer, you may want to take it.

 

I am sorry your honor and in the future I will signal to let my fellow drivers know what I intend.


If there is a curve in the road and you have to turn or crash, no need to signal.
If you have choices (looks like you had 3: way left, mild left, and mild right) you should signal.

 

Looks like a signal is required - you should fall on the mercy of the cop and/or Judge. Are you contesting the ticket or could you just not write a check and mail it in?

 

Agreed

 

You definitely need to use the turn signal.
There are traffic lights and sign at that intersection.

 

You're 0 for 2 lately, Eoin..

 

But, not without a ticket! LOL
As a former NYer(Long Island)where most drivers signal(as of 6 years ago), I am always appalled at NC drivers who never signal! When I see a driver signaling here, they must be out of towners! I like to stay on the safe side and signal. How hard is it to flick the signal on, unless you're texting or holding a cell phone! DUH

 

If it were a right turn ONLY lane, you might have a chance, since you would also get a ticket for NOT turning. i.e., going straight.

I think you're sunk, Eoin. Fall on the mercy of the court.

 

If I didn't "need" to fight this ticket, I would just pay it and be on my own good behavior. If I "needed" to fight this ticket, meaning there's a big impact to my insurance, or my driving privileges, I would pay for a really good lawyer.

A previous version of me who would fight this would try the following:
Videotape foward while driving from a block before to a block past where this happened. (Signal this time, but no sound or pic of turn indicator in the video OR show a continuous right turn signal since it won't shut off automatically after this "turn") If you can show both hands on the steering wheel in the video, even better. Hopefully, a bus will be in the left lane(like in the Google/walk in the street icon) blocking the sign showing a right turn, but posted on the left side of the left lane. Also hopefully, you have a green signal, so the video is smooth and even, just like that right turn where you don't actually turn the steering wheel to the right.

Once you get a video shot you like, put only that on a separate tape/DVD/mpeg/whatever and bring in your own player and screen, or whatever you have or can borrow which is really easy to see. I would then present as evidence to the judge showing the "right" turn. The judge will likely ask the officer and yourself "Where is the right turn?" If you can, let the officer answer. If you can't, calmly answer, "There it is, Would you like to see that again?"

If I were a judge and saw that as evidence, the ticket would get thrown out of court, since your steering wheel never actually turns right, and even a video would show no actual right turn, just a continuation on a slightly curved road.

BTW, I'm not a judge or a lawyer, go get a good lawyer or just pay the ticket.

You never know, we had a major road speed trap's speed limit increased from 25mph to 40 mph after a defendant asked for the design specs of the road. The judge was ticked off because he drove that same road to get to court every day, threw out ALL tickets on that section of road for inadequate studies on the speed limit and ordered a study be done. The study concluded that the 25mph road was safely designed for 40 mph and it was changed to 40mph.

Looking again at the straight arrow/straight arrow with right turn on Google, I could see a challenge to the design study in that both lanes actually turn left and the right lane also goes straight. Simple geometry should show that the angle to go what's currently "straight" is actually more to the left, than what's currently "right" is to the right; hence most people don't signal right here because they are not actually steering a right turn. <--- (Don't say THAT in court, though)