U Turns in Residential Districts Are Legal
The Original California Ticket Dismissal Team Is Here To Help You Beat Your Traffic Ticket!
If you have been given a ticket for performing a u-turn in a residential district did you know you may be able to fight it? In fact, tickets that are issued for performing u-turns in residential districts are commonplace, if not one of the most common in California, and they can be good tickets to fight with many means of doing so available. So let’s look into a ticket for performing a u-turn in residential districts and how to beat it.
What is VC 22103 “Illegal U-turn in a Residential District”?
It is not uncommon that you could be driving down the road when you realize you have forgotten something or have gone the wrong way. On realizing you decide to make a u-turn, it is a relatively standard maneuver, that when performed at low speed can be a safe maneuver. That said the law recognizes that there can be perils to performing a u-turn and as such there are instances where performing a u-turn is deemed to be illegal.
As per the California vehicle code, it is illegal to make a u-turn in a residential area under certain circumstances; CVC 22103 states
‘No person in a residence district shall make a U-turn when any other vehicle is approaching from either direction within 200 feet, except at an intersection when the approaching vehicle is controlled by an official traffic control device’
The purpose of the CVC 22103 is to attempt to make traffic on the roads safer in neighborhoods where there may be pedestrians or children present. It is to further ensure that if motorists are to undertake a u-turn they do it in specific areas, in particular when there are no other vehicles in close proximity.
The cost of a VC 22103 ticket
The cost of receiving a VC 22103 is $238 dollars plus one DMV point. It is not however the price of the ticket where the expenditure ends. Even just one DMV point can add an extra $750.00 to your insurance premium over 3 years. What is more, it is important to remember that in California a driver may face suspension or risk having their license revoked if they accumulate 4 points within a 12 month period, 6 points within 24 months, or 8 points within 36 points. While one point may not seem like a lot in isolation it can easily accumulate to put your license or insurance premiums in a precarious situation.
How to fight a VC 22103
The good news is there are circumstances where u-turns in residential districts are legal and you will have a viable defense to the ticket. By successfully defending any ticket issued against yourself you will no longer be liable for the fine incurred and neither will you run the risk of added points being added to your driver record. Here are some of the defences available to a VC 22103.
Were you in a residential area?
If you were not in a residence district then you may have made a legal u-turn. A residential district is defined as an area in which there are at least 16 houses or businesses with a quarter-mile or 13 houses or businesses on one side of the road. Another way to identify a residential district is to be mindful of the speed limit. A residential area will have a speed limit of 25 mile per hour. It’s quite simple really, take a good look around you, if buildings are primarily homes it is likely to be a residential district. The exact definition of a residence district can be found under Vehicle Code 515.
200 feet away?
One of the key elements is to look out for other vehicles within 200 feet, regardless of whether you are in a residential district or not. It will not be sufficient to say that you couldn’t see another vehicle because it was obstructed from view. If you cannot see the whole of the road within 200 feet then you shouldn’t be making the u-turn as a speeding vehicle or a vehicle in a blind spot could pose a risk.
Was there a traffic control device?
U-turns in a residential district are legal, even when there are other vehicles within 200 feet, when there is a traffic sign, traffic light, or traffic signal protecting you from approaching vehicles. Essentially therefore if you are in a residential area at an intersection with cars stopped on red you can legally perform a u-turn. Once the light turns green you will no longer be able to legally perform the u-turn.
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Photograph Your Ticket & License
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Provide Info Using Guided Questions
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Sign & Send Your Defense to Court
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We Help With Many Traffic Ticket Types
TicketBust produces results in fighting all kinds of tickets. Unfortunately, this list does not include exhibition of speed citations. Your best bet in fighting one of these infractions, is to contact an attorney. An attorney can negotiate on your behalf to try and reduce fines, or even to reduce the charges to a lesser infraction which could possibly qualify for traffic school.
We do however, contest infractions revolving around speeding, red lights, red light cameras, cell phones, signs (primarily stop signs), carpool violations, U-turns, out of lane violations, and commercial violations. If you receive a citation and have questions, contact us today.
