Vehicle Code 22102 CVC - Illegal U-Turn in a Business District

Every time you go out on the road, you have to commit to obeying the laws, and that means all of them. Have you received a citation for a Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation? If so, take a few moments to read about what you can expect for the reason for this violation citation and how you can address it. We’ll cover all of the basics, including the following:

• What Vehicle Code 22102 VC is
• What it means to have violated it
• What you can do about the violation
• Other possible Vehicle Code violation connections
• How to avoid being cited with a Vehicle Code 22102 VC violation

What is Vehicle Code 22102 VC?

As always, it’s best to start with the clearest and most important definition of what Vehicle Code 22102 CVC actually is and what it means to have violated it. The California legislature explains it as: “No person in a business district shall make a U-turn, except at an intersection, or on a divided highway where an opening has been provided…this turning movement shall be made as close as practicable to the extreme left-hand edge of the lanes moving in the driver’s direction of travel immediately prior to the initiation of the turning movement…”

Seeing it written like that is pretty clear, which is great. But let’s go a bit further and reword it a bit simpler. Basically, this code violation is specifically for when you complete a U-turn in a business district, specifically where it says that you can’t do so or you do so improperly, leading to potential danger or destruction.

What does it mean to have violated Vehicle Code 22102 VC?

One of the important distinguishing factors of a Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation, specifically, is the understanding that it only applies in a business district. Within the code, a business district is a certain area of a town or city where at least 50% of the buildings and lots on the street are businesses. Those businesses can be accessed by non-business drivers, specifically from the street. Most business districts will have signs posted when entering and leaving them.

For the best results in your overall understanding of a Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation, let’s create a fictional California driver, Mildon, and put him in a few hypothetical situations to help you approach this understanding from a practical perspective!

Mildon is driving down a city street in a business district. He realizes he missed his left-hand turn a block previously, so he pulls into a left-hand turn lane at a point and waits for a break in traffic. There is a sign posted stating that no U-turns are allowed. When the road is clear, he completes a U-turn instead of a left-hand turn, and retraces his steps to the correct business he was heading to. This is a clear Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation because the posted sign is right at the point where he is turning.

In another situation very similar, Mildon approaches a point in teh road and wants to complete a U-turn. There is not a sign stating that he cannot do a U-turn, so he is legally allowed to do so. The problem becomes that Mildon completes the U-turn from the middle lane rather than the left-most lane, as is legally required.

As you can guess, there are some exceptions to a Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation. These are simple and can help you understand your rights in a situation where you are issued a Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation citation in error!

The most common exception is you didn’t complete a U-turn at all, but rather, a severe left turn. Sometimes, the city streets and access to businesses have sharp left-turns that can look like a U-turn. If a peace officer or traffic-recording camera incorrectly understood what was happening, this can mean that you are innocent.

The second exception to this ticket citation is that you completed a legal or illegal U-turn but were not in the business district. For example, Mildon was just leaving a business district and pulled a U-turn to go back due to a forgotten errand. Since MIldon is technically no longer in the business district when making the U-turn, he is innocent of a Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation citation, as this only applies to illegal U-turns in business districts, specifically.

Lastly, Mildon would also be innocent of a Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation if he completed it without a choice. The most easily understood example is if someone in the vehicle is threatening him and tells him to complete the U-turn. In order to keep himself safe, Mildon complies. Mildon is simply doing what is asked of him for his own safety. These exceptions are hard to prove and argue in court, so take a close look at what to do in the next section if you believe you are innocent of a Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation.

What can I do about this violation?

When you receive a Vehicle Code 22102 CVC citation in the mail, you’ll also get an explanation of the charges and a court date. On that date, you will need to attend traffic court to enter your plea of innocent or guilty.

If you are guilty, you should enter your plea as that, and you will then be responsible for paying the fine of $238 plus court fees. You will also see on your citation that you may have the option of attending traffic school, which can help address the 1 DMV point that would otherwise be added to your record. We’ll address this a bit later.

If you believe you are innocent of a Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation, or you qualify for one of the exceptions, you do not — and should not — enter a guilty plea. You can enter your honest plea of innocent and explain, using evidence, why you are innocent.

Since it can be hard to prove the innocence of a traffic citation, we recommend that you have an experienced traffic attorney to help you prove your case in court. They can also attend traffic court on your behalf for added convenience.

Other possible Vehicle Code violation connections

Sometimes, there are codes that intersect or correlate with each other, depending on the reason for the citation. Some of the most commonly connected violations related to a Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation are:

• Vehicle Code 21801: This code specifically relates to turning left and yielding but then completing a U-turn rather than the left-hand turn.
• Vehicle Code 38300: A citation for this relates to deliberately and knowingly ignoring or disobeying a traffic control device.
• Vehicle Code 21658: This kind of code relates to weaving between lanes, changing lanes, and other instances like that.

Depending on the situation surrounding the reason for your Vehicle Code 22102 CVC citation, you may have one or all of these similar code violations added to your ticket. This will be brought up at your court date. These violations have penalties and fines of their own, so you will have to address those at your court date. One or all of these can also be used in place of the Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation, too, depending on the situation. It is up to the court to decide what is best.

Is this ticket eligible for traffic school?

There are some tickets that allow you to attend traffic school to help correct your driving education. These are called moving offenses, where the reason for the ticket is related to your incorrect understanding of a law specific to the movement or operation of your vehicle. In other words, you can be corrected with education. A Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation is considered a moving offense, so this ticket is eligible for traffic school! 

The only exceptions to these are if you committed the offense in a company vehicle or you have already attended traffic school in the past 16 months. You must also attend an accredited traffic school, such as MM TRAFFIC SCHOOL, to get the credit on your DMV record.

Realistically, there are many advantages to attending traffic school as part of your recovery from receiving a Vehicle Code 22102 CVC violation. The biggest benefit is that you can learn how you ended up in a situation where you were guilty of this offense, of course. Our classes are taught in such a way that you will retain the information we teach, and they are infused with modern-day education techniques and humor to make it as enjoyable as possible.

Another wonderful reason to consider attending traffic school is that you can enjoy a quick refresher on all of the vehicle codes that are covered in the program. This is a great way to help give our driving skills a boost without feeling like you are taking on too many. A refreshed driver is always a safer driver — in many ways.

The last reason and advantage to consider attending traffic school is specifically to mask the DMV point that will be otherwise added to your DMV record as part of the penalty for the Vehicle Code 22102 CVC citation. Since this can impact your insurance rates, among other things, it’s a great advantage that you definitely should consider if you can.

If you have any questions about MM TRAFFIC SCHOOL, our programs, or general information about Vehicle Code 22102 CVC, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help you out. If you need more case-specific information about your violation, you’ll want to contact the court that issued your ticket.