Dear TLS, I was recently pulled over by a cop in Freehold for driving in the left lane on Rt. 9. Aside from the ridiculousness of this ticket, is there someone who can advise me on what exactly to tell the judge and how this kind of ticket works? There was nothing checked off in the offense list with prices, it was filled in in the “other offenses” box, and I can’t find anything online.
Furthermore, when I wanted to switch into the right lane, the cop (who pulled me over eventually) slowed down with me, so that I couldn’t switch! I didn’t want to speed up and pass him, because I was afraid he would slap me with a speeding ticket if I did!
Help please??
left lane is used for left turns or passing.
In New jersey the law is “keep right, pass left”.
This identical story happend to me in Woodbridge, I explaind to the prosecutor (in private) that the officer was being extremely petty and was fixated on nailing me. (btw any half talented officer can get anyone anytime for something). The pros. agreed and reduced it to a small infraction, after reminding me that he didn’t have to.
Good luck.
This is a basic traffic law that if you had actually read the drivers manual, you would know. You were most likely in the left lane, and cars in the right lane were passing you. Thus, you violated law by being in the left lane and not passing.
However, if the ticket does not actually specify a violation, you can most likely get it thrown out in court. So do not plead guilty, but show up and tell the judge you cannot pay a ticket that does not detail your offense.
Next to “other”, did he write an offense code, something like b232.15. If you provide that code, I can look it up online and tell you what you are charged with.
why when the Police put thier liver on the line for Us they are PoliceOffiers but when they give Us tickets(just doing thier job) thye are COPS
You weren’t supposed to be in the left lane in the first place, don’t blame the cop for not letting you move over.
The reason for the law happens to be YOUR safety. If something darts out into the road, or if you need to swerve, it’s much more difficult to swerve to the right because you have to look over your shoulder to move over safely. If you’re in one of the right lanes & you have to swerve to the left, it’s a much safer maneuver.
I know this because i got such a ticket in Howell in 1987. And you know what? I shut up, paid the ticket, & learned a valuble lesson. I didn’t start writing letters & questioning the law.
you must have done something to tick him of. (moderated) you never know, he may be having a bad day. . .
Someone in my family got such a ticked too on Route 9. It is pretty outrageous. Since the law is that the left lane is for passing, this is the way for the local towns to raise some cash! No advice on how to beat it, but drivers should be aware of this abuse of the law. I think it makes the driving more dangerous. I for one, since I know about the law am forever switching lanes, so that I can’t be accoused of riding just in the left lane. Dangerous and ridiculous.
I would suggest you pay a lawyer a few hundred dollars to fight it, so that at least you won’t get points on your license and pay higher insurance rates for a few years. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish.
yea ,everyone who gets a ticket is innocent ,being picked on , cops just filling a quota etc. OR how about YOU desrve it . not saying that they are sometimes wrong ,just that not the case 95% of the time
Go to court. come early. Make a deal with prosecutor. Offer to pay a fine but ask bloshon tachnunim for no points. You don’t need a lawyer. Couple of dollars to r meir baal haness. A tfila to the Rbs’o…and you’ll be fine…keep us posted. We all wish u best of luck…raboissai, let’s daven for him…btw..we need your name…u never know the Police Officer may not show upm case might be dinmissed…
to i love lakewood. if you had to change lanes in either direction you would have to look over your shoulder,and you are the type of drones that just do as they are told.
i dont get it: you were in the left lane, then noticed a cop, then wanted to switch into the right lane, GOT A TICKET FOR BEING IN THE LEFT LANE, and now are questioning why you got a ticket?
You clearly admitted to being in the left lane: “When I wanted to switch into the right lane”. –So what are you trying to fight?
whats next? = “when i wanted to slow down from 75 to 65, the cop pulled me over, so not fair!!” ??
listen you broke the law. MAN UP!
im 100% sure the cop was behind you for a while, and observed you driving in the left lane, with the right lane clearly available to you. Cops are not “out to get you”. calm down.
and if you are disputing the “ridiculousness of this ticket” write to your congressmen/women. seek to change the law. i personality hate the no-front-tint law. i violate that law with my every car, and so do my friends. heck, even cops violate that law- BUT if i get a ticket, im not going to argue. its the law. the officers job is to uphold the law, POLITICIANS MADE. I broke that law. i must pay, and move on with my life- not whine on a forum like a child.
The left lane is for passing only. It is not for traveling miles on end. I dont know the whole story but i would assume that the cop was behind you for several miles before he pulled you over. I would assume he observed you in the left lane for quite some time before pulling you over. Remember people, left lane is for passing and there is no passing on the shoulder.
I got a ticket on rt 9 once for having a tefielas haderech card hanging from the mirror. The cop said its obstructing the windshield. I think the guy was guilty of anti semitisim! Who gets a ticket for such a thing??!
The law to “keep right, pass left”, only applies to state freeways. If you can show me one sign from here to the GWB on Rt 9, or on Rt 1, or on RT 30 that goes from Philly to San Diego that says that, I’ll man up and apologize.
Yes, cops Do have quotas to fill.
The codes in NJ start with 39:
Don’t take a no pointer of unsafe 39:4-97.2 it will cost you first time $439.00. Geico & 21st century, etc still give you your original points-so you loose both ways. you can only use a 97.2 twice in 5 years. If you have already 4 points previously, it might pay to take a 97.2 if nothing else available. Ask for a 67 or 56 which is obstructing traffic also a non-pointer.
The officer would need to prove that you were in the left lane for an extended period of time without the intention of passing any vehicles.
All you need to do is have the officer come to court and prove that! And then you say all the stories you want how you were trying to pass some vehicles but also didnt want to speed….
to quote you: “You weren’t supposed to be in the left lane in the first place, don’t blame the cop for not letting you move over.”
How ridiculous of a statement to say you never drove in the left lane! How do you know this driver was not supposed to be in the left lane?! The law permits anyone to drive in the left lane at anytime as long as you do not stay there too long without getting back into the right lane.
The answer to your question is rather simple. When one puts their life on the line for another that is awesomeness! There are no two ways to look at it. The officer is doing what is best for the individual.
But when a cop gives a ticket there are many ways to view it. Was the ticket really warranted or was it a cop in a bad mood that got frustrated and wrote a ticket to the first car he saw? And trust me it works that way out there as i know first hand. I agree if one violates the law one should get a ticket! But even so if the officer does so out of frustration, boredom, hate… or any other reason then he is labeled a COP.
Stay Safe, Extra Safe!
number 18 …
see you saturday ?
The left lane is meant for passing NOT speeding. On numerous occasions there have been cars tailgating me, because apparently, I’m not going fast enough for them. If I am passing, or preparing to turn, I have every right to be in that lane. You are breaking the law by tailgating, which is a 5 POINT offense. When you become impatient, and squeeze into the right lane, cutting off that driver, and then squeeze back into the left lane cutting me off, again, you are breaking the law by passing on the right, which holds a 4 POINT penalty. In just a few measly minutes, you are giving the cops the opportunity to ticket you for at least 9 POINTS! (That’s not including any reckless driving or speeding tickets.)
well it didn’t take long for someone to throw out that word, honestly #13,why is it everytime you break the law people strt throwing around anti-semitism? Your NOT supposed to drive with ANYTHING hanging from your rear-view mirror, it is cosidered obstructing your view and for that you get a ticket.
number 18 …
see you saturday ?
N.J.S.A. 39:4-82 – “Failure to keep right” = 2 POINTS
to yitz
enough with the tired cries of anti semitisim already! read your drivers manual-
“39:3-74. Windshields must be unobstructed and equipped with cleaners
——————————————————————————–
Every motor vehicle having a windshield shall be equipped with at least one device in good working order for cleaning rain, snow or other moisture from the windshield so as to provide clear vision for the driver, and all such devices shall be so constructed and installed as to be operated or controlled by the driver.
No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any sign, poster, sticker or other non-transparent material upon the front windshield, wings, deflectors, side shields, corner lights adjoining windshield or front side windows of such vehicle other than a certificate or other article required to be so displayed by statute or by regulations of the commissioner.
No person shall drive any vehicle so constructed, equipped or loaded as to unduly interfere with the driver’s vision to the front and to the sides.”
you didnt follow the law and got a ticket for it. the officer was doing his job, regardelss of your creed or color. man up and take responsibilty for your actions!
This is the op. can s/o pls tell me if there are points involved or not for a left lane ticket?? Also, to the person who asked, he wrote in the “other offense” box that I was riding in the left lane!
Drivers in this town need to stop playing the anti-semitic card. It is time that people start to except responsibility in this town for their own actions and not turn everything into a religious, ethnic or racial issue.
yitz I am not a Jew but I got a ticket for hanging an item off my mirror too and I am sure he was anti-catholic! I hear you!!!! Cops need to stop profiling us mirror hangers.
what a pity that pd is busy with this stupidy when there are gangs all over the place and pd isn’t stoping them
look in out town alone every day i wake up to new gaffiti all over the fences etc….
#26
so we can ignore traffic rules ?
makes no sense
yes there are far more pressing issues ,howvever what has that got to do with motor vehicle laws?
i received a ticket like yours route 9 is really a two lane highway its an extreamly petty ticket police officers in lakewood were very surprised to see such a ticket i wonder if its the same cop
can s/o get a ticket for having the e-z pass tag on the front center windshield (behind the rear view mirror) how about the inspection sticker on the bottom front left windshield?
to # 13 you do
“14. PrettyBoyFloyd says:
JANUARY 9, 2012 AT 10:17 AM
The law to “keep right, pass left”, only applies to state freeways. If you can show me one sign from here to the GWB on Rt 9, or on Rt 1, or on RT 30 that goes from Philly to San Diego that says that, I’ll man up and apologize.
Yes, cops Do have quotas to fill.”
It does not only apply to state roads and they are not required to put signs, if you really paid attention in driving school and read the handbook you would know that. There’s a whole section about roadways without signs and how laws still apply. Example being residential roadways without signs the speed limit is 25mph if homes are close together and 35mph if its more rural and spread out. Motor vehicle laws apply on all roads in the state of NJ except privately owned roads like ones owned by business’s or private individuals. The federal government may ultimately own RT 9 but the state of NJ maintains it and the NJSP and local police can enforce motor vehicle law on it.
To #13 as a matter of fact I write that summons probably 5 out of every 10 tickets I write. It is in fact a Title 39 violation so just quit with the anti-semitism nonsense. It’s getting quite old. Do you know why I issue that summons so often? It’s because I want to give motorists a BREAK. I write that instead of slamming you with a speeding ticket for driving 50 mph down Williams Street when it’s a 25 mph zone. I think it still gets the point across that you broke motor vehicle laws and requires you to pay a fine and hopefully remove your head from (moderated).
#26, I never said that we should ignore traffic laws, I was just responding to a remark by #13,Yitz, that the office was anti-semitic.
its funny, no one is allowed to judge people or bring up race/color/creed/religion/etc when we are dealing with a common recurring issue
BUT YOU ARE ALLOWED TO BRING RELIGION/RACE/COLOR/CREED/etc WHEN ITS CONVENIENT FOR YOU?
dont tell me to see people for people, and then the next day cry “antisemitism” and bring religion into the equation when it has nothing to do with it.
When members of the public see Antisemitism in being held responsible for their violation of the traffic code, that becomes a problem to all of the law abiding members of the public that strive for justice.
Abide by the traffic laws, and you will have no issue. Continue to violate the traffic code and you will have more expense, anxiety, and a continued sense of being discriminated against.
Um, this is really interesting all these comments and everything, but can someone please ANSWER MY QUESTION THAT I ASKED IN THIS LETTER?????
Do you, or do you not, get points for driving in the left lane????
to number 5…. i totaly agree with you every day officers are putting thier livers on the line for us. thier livers are in danger every second thier on duty. thier livers can be shattered if god for bid they would get shot or attacked. think of thier familys livers, thier relatives livers. when they go out there every day and risk thier livers for us we have to remember that we have quite and peaceful livers and our livers arn’t filled with choas and crime. lets all thaks these officers and may they live safe and happy livers.
its a good law
I wish more policemen would issue this type of ticket. On the GSP people drive in the left or center lane at slow speeds and cause a problem for everyone. They have to weave around them. The signs all say Keep Right/Pass Left. If you are not passing someone, you must remain in the right lane except if you are making a left turn. It’s one of the biggest an unsafe violations out there. Also, all of the people who leave the handicapped sign hanging from your rear view mirror, that is an $85 ticket. My brother recently got one. It’s dangerous to obstruct your view. The laws are there for a reason. Obey them and drive safely.
Bill hobday. Yes . You do get points applied to your license. It is a moving violation. The only two moving violations that I can think of where points are not administered are Use of cellular phone or electronic device and unsafe driving, which Is a device used for court allowing a point violation to be plead down to no point but generally with a higher fine imposed. Most moving motor vehicle violations carry a 2 point license violation. Other violations such as passing a stopped school bus, tailgating or racin on a highway carry much higher points. Hope that answers your question
no you dont get points.
To the OP, please read my post. I clearly stated that yes, you do get points for driving in the left lane without intent to pass, or turn.
AKA – N.J.S.A. 39:4-82 – “Failure to keep right” = 2 POINTS
“No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any sign, poster, sticker or other non-transparent material upon the front windshield”
does that mean you cannot attch your easypas on your windshield?
thank you Bill for these words of wisdom
“Abide by the traffic laws, and you will have no issue. Continue to violate the traffic code and you will have more expense, anxiety, and a continued sense of being discriminated against.”
So True!!
ATT # 40: MAYO.
Here’s the corrected version of what I think you were trying to say.
YOU WROTE:
To number 5…. I totaly agree with you. Every day officers are putting thier lives on the line for us. Their lives are in danger every second they’re on duty. Their lives can be shattered if God forbid they would get shot or attacked. Think of their family’s lives, their relatives lives. When they go out there every day and risk their lives for us we have to remember that we have quiet and peaceful lives and ours aren’t filled with chaos and crime. Let’s all thank these officers and may they live safe and happy lives.
GRANTED. Your liver version was funnier. I counted 30 errors. Your point was good though. a GED might be in order.
thank you realist, im happy you got the point.