Were you given a ticket in Los Angeles, CA, after merging without signaling or making an unsafe lane maneuver? Lane change citations are some of the most common tickets written in California. But they can be challenged.
A Los Angeles lane change ticket lawyer at Fight My Ticket can examine what you were cited for and help you fight your ticket. Text your ticket to (323) 435-6045 or submit a contact form to learn more.
Why Choose Fight My Ticket to Handle My Lane Change Ticket?
The underlying law for lane change violations requires the officer to establish specific elements, not just that you failed to use your blinker. At Fight My Ticket, we make sure your citation has that correct documentation, and we challenge it when the evidence is weak.
Drivers across Los Angeles, California, choose our firm because:
- Our traffic ticket lawyers in Los Angeles have spent more than three decades fighting moving violation citations throughout Southern California
- We understand the state’s various lane change statutes and which one actually applies to your stop
- We have a 90% dismissal rate in traffic ticket cases
- We serve all counties in California
- We can appear in court on your behalf for most infractions
- We offer a free consultation and flat-fee representation
A lane change ticket isn’t automatically a lost cause. Contact us to speak with a Los Angeles lane change ticket attorney to see what your options are.
What Officers Usually Cite in Unsafe Lane Change Cases
Most unsafe lane change tickets come down to a handful of scenarios:
- Changing lanes without signaling
- Signaling too late
- Cutting into a gap that wasn’t large enough for your vehicle
- Drifting across a lane line without first checking mirrors or blind spots
- Changing lanes abruptly enough that another driver had to brake or swerve to avoid you
Officers frequently write these tickets after witnessing a near-miss or a reactive brake check from another driver. These observations are not always accurate.
What Does California Law Require for a Lane Change Violation?
Most unsafe lane change tickets cite Vehicle Code Section 22107, which restricts drivers from moving a vehicle from a direct course or turning right or left on a roadway until the movement can be done with reasonable safety with proper signaling.
The signal requirement in 22107 is tied to whether another vehicle could be affected by failing to signal. However, under Vehicle Code Section 22108, you’re required to signal continuously for at least 100 feet before turning or changing lanes, regardless of whether any other driver is near you.
Vehicle Code Section 21658 addresses staying within your lane and not straddling lane lines, and Section 22109 penalizes sudden stops without warning other drivers.
Depending on what the officer actually observed, your citation might reference any one of these statutes. Each infraction presents different opportunities for challenges.
What Does a Lane Change Ticket Cost?
The base fine for a 22107 violation is a modest $35, but California’s penalty assessments can multiply that number to between $228 and $284. The number on your citation is almost never the actual cost of a traffic ticket in California. A conviction also adds one point to your DMV record, where it stays for about three years.
That point counts toward the negligent operator thresholds, meaning multiple tickets of this type (or others) can put your license at risk of suspension. Those thresholds are:
- 4 points within 12 months
- 6 points within 24 months
- 8 points within 36 months
A lane change violation combined with other one-point tickets in the same year, or one two-point violation like reckless driving mixed in, can easily rise to the 4-in-12 threshold.
If you reach the threshold, the DMV typically sends a warning letter first, followed by a probationary period, and eventually a suspension if the pattern continues. If you’re eligible and haven’t used the option in the last 18 months, traffic school can keep the point off your public record.
Can Unsafe Lane Changes Also Trigger Reckless Driving Citations?
A standard unsafe lane change is generally an infraction, not a crime. But certain conduct may cross the line from ordinary carelessness into willful or wanton disregard for the safety of others, which is the standard for reckless driving under Vehicle Code Section 23103.
Examples include:
- Cutting across multiple lanes at once, especially at highway speed
- Forcing another driver into an emergency brake or a swerve to avoid a collision
- Weaving aggressively through traffic or changing lanes repeatedly without regard for the vehicles around them
Reckless driving is a misdemeanor, not an infraction; it carries the possibility of actual jail time along with two points on your DMV record instead of one.
Defenses to Unsafe Lane Change Tickets
There are many defense opportunities for unsafe lane change violations.
If no other vehicle was affected by your movement, you may not have violated 22107 (even though you may still face consequences under the stricter 100-foot rule in 22108).
If you changed lanes to avoid a sudden hazard, like debris in the road or another driver swerving into you, that can be a valid defense.
If the officer’s account of reasonable safety is subjective or biased, with no other driver forced to brake or react, that could support a challenge.
If you were responding to an emergency vehicle and had to move quickly, that, too, could help your case.
The right defense depends on which statute you were cited under and what the officer observed. An experienced traffic ticket lawyer can help you identify the right strategies for your case.
Contact a Los Angeles Lane Change Ticket Lawyer for Help
A ticket for an unsafe lane change is usually based on an officer’s observations, not whether the maneuver was justified or actually unsafe. That’s why you should have an experienced attorney review your ticket and determine whether it can be challenged.
Fight My Ticket – Traffic Ticket Attorneys
8149 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 435-6045
