Accidentally drove into the wrong-way lane (in front of a cop) but didn't get pulled over...? (speed trap, left turn)
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I've seen a ton of drivers blow through red lights but the cop sitting at the light can't be bothered to go after the driver.
Depends on where you are but often cops don't give a crap unless it's targeted time of year (holidays) or late night and they're really trying to find drunk drivers. Or it's easy pickings like when Georgia first rolled out the no texting law. The vast majority of drivers that got tickets were stopped at lights and some of them probably didn't even know it was illegal right after the law went into effect.
I switched from a right turn lane to a through lane this morning when the light changed, in front of two cops. Neither one did anything. They're not going to mail me a ticket, nor will they mail you one. Just do your best to not make that mistake again. The scariest thing isn't a ticket. The scariest thing is if someone was coming the other way in that lane.
Very true... I was with a friend and I freaked out and was like "what do I do!" then my calmness kicked in and I reversed out and went into the right lane. The lights were super bright from the construction and the traffic cones gave an illusion that there wasn't a lane I could turn into... It was a pretty bad mistake, but I have to remind myself that 6 years of good driving isn't going to be meaningless because of one mistake. Still.... I felt really dumb and embarrassed, especially since the cop was RIGHT there....
The officer probably realized you were confused due to the ongoing construction. You probably weren't the first one he saw do that. I saw someone do the exact same thing last night. I'm approaching the intersection in the number two left turn lane when someone making a left turn turns into the number one left turn lane, going the wrong direction. Only there was no construction. He figured it out and swung a u turn. Lucky for him no police were around, even though the police station was 100 feet away.
Dang! Yeah I am not sure what happened. I was talking with my passenger and I guess I was sort of distracted by that and then the mixture of the darkness ( I see poorly at night ) and the traffic cones and the bright lights at the other side of the street distracted me enough to make me make this sort of mistake. I can't imagine how scary it would have been if there was a car actually coming... but thankfully nothing happened... and there wasn't a car in the wrong way left turn lane and no one got hurt at all. I am definitely more thankful about THAT then not getting a ticket.
He was probably on his computer answering his email had not clue what happened. I have observed this quite frequently in recent years. When the police are sitting in parking lots, side roads, etc, they are often on their pc's and they don't look up very often. Could be filling out reports, answering email, or doing Christmas shopping.
Yeah I was pretty unsure as to whether he was even present in the car. I was too busy trying not to die :P
There is nothing to worry about. It was an honest mistake. People make mistakes. It isn't a crime to make a mistake, though it could be if the cop decided to write you a ticket for it.
I made a mistake and I got a ticket. In other words, what I did wasn't willful or intentional disregard of the law. It was a boo boo.
What you did was a boo boo.
The construction that was going on made it confusing and nobody was trying to make an example of you. There was no problem. It was a lesson in being careful about traffic detours and that is it.
Definitely a huge lesson. I really am going to be 10x more careful when going through construction zones (especially at night). I know I have bad night vision.... but I was just really shaken up from it because I kind of blanked out at first and then I backed out of the wrong-way lane and everything ended up being fine. I am just nervous that my mind wasn't able to figure out which the right lane was due to the construction. There was a pretty big barrier in the middle.... I have never done anything like that before. Ughk. I am just glad no one got hurt.
Don't worry about it. If he didn't pull you over your fine! They don't track people down unless it's a hit and run situation. He either didn't see it or saw that it was clearly a mistake. Calm down, it's all good!
Thanks! I guess what made me nervous is that he was blocked off by road work, so he couldn't exactly leave/ do anything. So if anything he wrote my license plate down. But, like several people have said - I feel like it isn't grave enough for a cop to chase me down and write me a ticket. No one was killed, not even a minor crash happened. I was just super lucky and was able to back out and into the right lane. I was lucky, since it's a pretty busy intersection.
I was making a left turn at night from a left turn lane. There was a bunch of road work on the other side of the road where I was suppose to turn left. It was pitch black and I accidentally turned into the wrong way's left hand turn lane (wrong way driving). There was a cop on the other end of the road who was blocked off by the road work. I quickly reversed and pulled out of the wrong left hand turn lane and went into the correct lane, in the right direction. I thought he was going to follow me and give me a ticket. But he didn't.
I am super anxious/ nervous that something will happen. I've never made any sort of mistake like this. I don't know how I didn't see the divider and how I ended up going the wrong-way. I hadn't been drinking or anything.
I'm just extremely anxious. I'm thankful nothing happened (that no one got hurt). But, I'm still shaking from being so nervous
The officer saw what you did - realized that you realized what you did was wrong (turning down wrong lane) - but that you quickly corrected, with no harm done. Police know that people make mistakes, and as long as nobody got hurt in the process, all's good... relax. You think he/she enjoys having to do all the paperwork for a ticket? And then have to go to court at least 2 other times? He/She has better things to do with their time. Be happy this ended without an accident report.
The officer saw what you did - realized that you realized what you did was wrong (turning down wrong lane) - but that you quickly corrected, with no harm done. Police know that people make mistakes, and as long as nobody got hurt in the process, all's good... relax. You think he/she enjoys having to do all the paperwork for a ticket? And then have to go to court at least 2 other times? He/She has better things to do with their time. Be happy this ended without an accident report.
True. I'm super, suuuuper thankful that no one turned into the left hand turn lane when I was in it (in the wrong direction). I was able to back out and nothing happened. I guess what shook me up (more than the cop) was the idea that something really bad could have happened. I was also all around really embarrassed because I definitely have never made a sort of error like this while driving. The cones on the other side gave the illusion to me (while I was driving) that there was no place to turn into - so my mind automatically told me to go into the next closest lane (which happened to be the other left hand turn lane - in the wrong direction). I'm still sort of shaken up about it - but that's my anxiety.... :/
I was making a left turn at night from a left turn lane. There was a bunch of road work on the other side of the road where I was suppose to turn left. It was pitch black and I accidentally turned into the wrong way's left hand turn lane (wrong way driving). There was a cop on the other end of the road who was blocked off by the road work. I quickly reversed and pulled out of the wrong left hand turn lane and went into the correct lane, in the right direction. I thought he was going to follow me and give me a ticket. But he didn't.
I am super anxious/ nervous that something will happen. I've never made any sort of mistake like this. I don't know how I didn't see the divider and how I ended up going the wrong-way. I hadn't been drinking or anything.
I'm just extremely anxious. I'm thankful nothing happened (that no one got hurt). But, I'm still shaking from being so nervous
The cop was probably watching only for texters, not for people who could do real damage, by accident or otherwise.
The cop saw you notice the mistake & try to correct it & most of the time thats what they WANT to see. If you woul;d have just continued on in oblivion he would have pulled you over.
Even cops involved in speed-traps will say that many times a speeder who sees them & slams on the brakes to slow down will be let go vs the guy that does not care.
When I was about 15 I was riding in my moms car (she has a terrible sense of direction) downtown, right in front of the court house when she turned the wrong way down a one way street. In front of 6 cops waiting at the crosswalk ...
I was tyring to slink down in my seat from being embarrassed; they were all pointing & laughing at us. I mean; I didn't even have a DL yet & even I knew that it changed to a one way there!
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Still.... I felt really dumb and embarrassed, especially since the cop was RIGHT there....
I was too busy trying not to die :P
