In Rhode Island, a driver must use due care when making a roadway lane change. Often times, when a police officer responds to an accident in which someone has been sideswiped by another car, the officer will issue a laned roadway violation ticket. The specific language of the law governing this offense reads as follows:
Ҥ 31-15-11 Laned roadways.
Whenever any roadway has been divided into two (2) or more clearly marked lanes for traffic, the following rules in addition to all others consistent with them shall apply:
(1) A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from the lane until the driver has first ascertained that the movement can be made with safety.
(2) Upon a roadway which is divided into three (3) lanes, a vehicle shall not be driven in the center lane except when overtaking and passing another vehicle where the roadway is clearly visible and the center lane is clear of traffic within a safe distance, or in preparation for a left turn or where the center lane is at the time allocated exclusively to traffic moving in the direction the vehicle is proceeding and is sign-posted to give notice of the allocation.
(3) Official signs may be erected directing slow-moving traffic to use a designated lane or designating those lanes to be used by traffic moving in a particular direction regardless of the center of the roadway, and drivers of vehicles shall obey the directions of the sign.”
(4) Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
It is important to know what the government must prove in order to find you in violation of this statute. In most cases, the government, when the police did not witness the offense firsthand, will need an independent disinterested witness to corroborate the facts. This is where having a skilled attorney can be the difference between having to pay a fine and getting your ticket dismissed.
Have You Or A Loved-One Been Cited With A Rhode Island Laned Roadway Violation?
If you have been cited with a Rhode Island laned roadway violation, it is critical that you hire a skilled attorney. Lawyer Noah Kilroy uses his experience as a city prosecutor to build a defense for his clients. Contact us today.
