I just got pulled over for "turning too fast." His exact words were, "you have a quick car, so you think you can drive it like a go-kart? You took that turn too fast, maybe something around 35-40 mph." The officer, in general, was pretty nice and let me off with a warning so I didn't want to risk seeming like a dick and getting a ticket, so I didn't ask him what cvc I could have violated by turning too fast. However, I'm curious to know what he could have cited me for.

Quick setup of the scene. 12:30am, no cars on the road except in the parking lot on the side of the road. No pedestrians in sight, except for those in the 7-11 adjacent to the parking lot. Well lit road, can easily see all surroundings, clear weather and dry. Cruising at 40mph on the main road (which is the speed limit), down shift to third to engine brake a little into the turn without braking and then coast on the residential street until I hit 25mph. Continue cruising at 25, see a car pull up real quick on my tail and I think it's probably a cop, which it ended up being.


I'm asking purely out of my lack of knowledge of the CVC, and many of the CVC codes are open to interpretation. I know that a cop could give me a ticket for anything he felt like. However, I'm looking for what objectively he could have cited me for. Don't want to open a can of worms about cops, just looking for more information. The only thing I can think of is reckless driving, but no way is a 35mph engine braking turn willful disregard of persons or property.

 

I can't remember the code but it's basically that you went onto the residential street and like you said, coasted down to speed. Kind-of the opposite side of the "Unsafe Start" law, which is a lesser version of "Exhibition of Speed".

Be stoked you got off with only a warning. Check under the Prima Facie section.

Edit: Also falls under 21070 Public Offense: Unsafe Operation of Motor Vehicle.

 

Just searched for it on google as I forgot, but this is one I would refer to if I were the LEO.

Turning Movements and Required Signals

22107. No person shall turn a vehicle from a direct course or move right or left upon a roadway until such movement can be made with reasonable safety and then only after the giving of an appropriate signal in the manner provided in this chapter in the event any other vehicle may be affected by the movement.

 

This happened to me a few years ago too. I was going up westborough towards Skyline and made a quick left onto skyline asthe light turned yellow and stayed speed limit and then I took a quick right onto college drive on agreen light and then another quick turn onto a no light or stop sign left and out of nowhere I got pulled over. ..I wasn't powering out of the corners or anything crazy just didn't really slow down and late brake turned..so anyways the copsaid I was turning too fast and that I should slow down more and let me off with a warning... but didn't even check my license or registration either

Always wondered what the ticket would have said because I was never speeding, just didn't slow down to turn

 

in b4 classic "all cops are jerks" hubbub begins...

 

Seeing as OP was only given a warning, you may wanna hold off on the popcorn.

 

If you **** off the LEO, he can also add 23103cvc (Wreckless Driving) on top of the 22107cvc and 21070cvc. It's a good thing you kept quite

 

I don't want to sound like a smart-***, I'm truly just trying to be become more informed. So if I changed the scenario to, if I was turning onto another major road, with, let's say, a speed limit of 40, then my turn would be deemed safe? Is it only because I turned onto a residential street, thus I was speeding as I entered the street?

Also, if I'm reading it correctly, cvc 21070 states "and as a result of that violation proximately causes bodily injury or great bodily injury" which is not the case in this situation. I'm not sure how this cvc applies.

It says "until such movement can be made with reasonable safety." There was no one else on the road, except in the 7-11 parking lot. I would consider that a safe scenario to make the turn, no? Again, please correct me if I'm wrong. Also, my turn signal was on (I'm one of the few who 99% of the time use my turn signal even with no one else around, just too much of a habit).

Please leave this thread. There is no reason for your ignorant statements. The cop did absolutely nothing wrong. As I stated, he was pretty nice, in general. I'm just trying to become more informed on this topic from an LEO's position, as I take turns a little hotter than the average person daily.

Which is exactly why I kept my trap shut, once he said he was letting me off with a warning, lol. However, as I said in my first post, I don't think it was willful disregard of persons and property. The turn was clean, no tires squealing, and no one was anywhere near the intersection.

 

Not entirely true because by your own words he said to you

So in fact, he had no real reason to pull you over, you were not being unsafe, he just was on a power trip to give you grief and hold you for a short time, despite your legal right to travel in a safe manner.

As I have pointed out before, NO LEO is a good person. The badge corrupts them, you just run into varying degrees of said corruption and you lucked out and got stopped by one of the 'ok' ones.

 

I have several friends and relatives who are law enforcement officers from various departments and branches, and I take personal offense to this statement. Every single one of them is a good, kind-hearted and well-mannered individual.

Try to sound less like a snotty juvenile who got smacked on the wrist one too many times when you make absolute statements like that.

 

I take it you haven't encountered over bear on here before?

 

Seriously, quoted for ignorance. Just because you may (or may not) have had bad experiences with law enforcement, does not automatically make ALL of them bad.

Ive been pulled over many times and 99% of the time I am at fault, and out of that ive been ticketed less than 50% of the time.

We have friends/members on here who are LEO and im pretty sure they are not bad people.

I try to ignore most of what he says. I agree with some, dont with most. But lumping every LEO as all bad people, wow.

 

Dont think Buzz was talking to you, think his statement was in preparation for the overbear type statements.

 

putting popcorn into microwave................