Not like in the old days but I still got away with it... so far. There is a road I travel to and from work. There are 4 lanes. The right most lane at the light goes straight and either must merge or turn right into a mall. Owning a relatively quick Lexux GS 350 AWD, if the lane is backing up to the previous light I will pull up into the right lane and take off from there. I'm never the slow poke and never have traffic pile up behind me. Some people might not like my move but it is totally legal and lots of other people do it. The road is marked straight and turn. The top right to bottom left road is where I was with my car in the circled spot. Today was one such day. The lead car in the left lane is a generic Chevy sedan with dark tinted windows. I pull up beside it about 10 seconds before the light changed. I cut a good light and pull him (assumed, could have been a woman) a fender from the light. I heard a tire squeal but know for a fact my car cannot spin a tire in a straight line on dry pavement. He backed off when it spun and I easily pulled over with a blinker and never broke 35 MPH. He caught up to me and was so tailgated me hard. I could not see anything but the little strip of his hood below the windshield. He was so close on my tail that he set off my blind spot monitor. Since he was so close on my tail, I could see there were lights in his windshield above the rear view mirror. He continues on my rear like he was on a trailer until he turned off, blowing by me to race to a left turn lane for a subdivision. I couldn't get a look at this license plate. It was then I confirmed my suspicions that he was some sort of official vehicle. He had strobes in his grill. I don't know what agency he was with but I'll probably get a ticket in the next few days on trumped up charges. LOL Ever had anything like this?
Ummmmm nope. I usually get my ticket right then and there. I passed a unmarked car way back in the day doing about 60 in a 35. When I got pulled over a mile up the road cop said I get the fastest speeder of the day award. My prize was a 100.00 ticket.
It’s against Georgia law for any unmarked car to initiate a traffic stop. More severe cases (robbery, manhunt, etc) are allowed, but no crap like SC used to do (red B4C Camaros with pissing calvin stickers, foe example). It kinda changes the dynamic between motorist and enforcement. You know you can pull a move like that and the cops can’t do anything about it. Patrick
Back in the summer of 1966, I drove thru a village (30 mph zone) doing 60 mph, past two OPP cops who were too busy yapping to bother to chase me!
The solid white line indicates a lane change is prohibited. Drivers are required to provide a continuous signal to other drivers from front or rear sufficient time to be alerted to an intended lane change or turn. According to your image and post, you are violating several laws. The purpose and intent of the right lane beyond the intersection is to provide a "safe right turn only" for proceeding traffic beyond the intersection, (it does not provide merge). You proceeding across the intersection and then changing from the "right turn only" lane and crossing the white line is a violation. Once you crossed the intersection, you were in the "right turn only" lane. I am no saint when driving and am fully willing to take any citation I earn. (mostly driving above the posted on the interstate). And if the statement of the car behind you is accurate, that was a dick move on the part of that driver, cop or not.
The cop must of got a call to be somewhere else, was your lucky day! I hope you played the lottery that day just incase you had some luck left.
It's a messed up traffic pattern. Shows a straight arrow at the light then without signage it becomes a turn only lane. I'd fight it in court.
The traffic control devices in the way of lines are "self explanatory" once the base rules of application are known (and expected to be known by licensed operators). In the case of your image, the traffic in the right lane at the beginning of the intersection is to move straight ahead or turn right. Once traffic (going straight through) is on the other side of the intersection, it is in a "right turn only lane", and expected to turn right. The purpose of the lined "right turn only lane" is to allow vehicles turning right to be able to do so at a safe speed without impeding following traffic (as in the case of a regular lane of traffic and trying to make right turn with traffic behind wanting to proceed straight). It is to help prevent rear end type accidents. Signage is not required in this instance and the right lane is marked clearly along the route with a solid line as well as being able to see the "right turn" arrow in the lane from the intersection. Yes, you likely would be able to fight it in court and prevail. However, the charges would not be "trumped up".
The right most lane indicates straight ahead. It is only after you cross the intersection that the lane becomes turn only. That's a screwed up traffic pattern any way you look at it. Poorly thought out and poorly striped/signed.
You have a point. You should take the pics and file a request for evaluation/correction with the city council. (And I drove that bit of road back at the GN Nats in October, but no cop) http://www.bgky.org/publicworks/planning-design/traffic
I got pulled over and ticketed around 2000 by MA State Police driving a bright red Z28. Then I was asked why it took me so long to pull over???? I barely even saw the blue lights and don't even remember where the lights were mounted. That's one lucky cop getting to drive that Camaro and a bit unfair to the tax payers.
In South Carolina they were regularly purchased as part of the fleet-B4C Camaros, fox body 5.0 notchbacks, boringmobile Tauruses with non cop wheels and colors, etc, but I think the legislature restricted them from traffic enforcement a few years ago. Patrick
True. They auction most seized vehicles off, but some municipalities use selected ones for undercover or unmarked patrol. Imagine a drug dealer having his car seized for drugs, gets out of the revolving door, then pulled over by his old car.
Oh yes i'm certain it was a drug seizure car.. At least from the pic's iv'e seen the fox body Mustangs were marked and i'm sure the Camaro's were. "Just what exactly is a B4C option Camaro by the way?" I know Law enforcement has to do what they need to do as far as evening the odds and blending in order to catch the criminal activity's but a bright red unmarked Z28 just bugs me. It hit me funny too as he was wearing the big State Police issue hat when he came out of the Camaro
B4C is the package that put all the Z28 running gear in a Camaro that otherwise looked like a low option v6. I’ve seen them in use, unmarked, running with traffic (and hiding while running radar). I think they’ve quit now, but around Charleston they once were common. https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0517-281305/2000-chevrolet-camaro-b4c/ Post 25 here: https://themustangsource.com/forums/f657/cop-drives-unmarked-mustang-526405/index2/ Patrick
Had one of those undercover 5.0 mustangs run me down. Passed him going the opposite direction doing 70 in a 40. He spun it around and caught up with me in less than 1/2 mile. Got the ticket in the parking lot of the factory I worked in
