Vehicle Code 22100 VC - Ignoring Turning Lane Regulations

There are a lot of vehicle code violations possible out there. If you’ve received a Vehicle Code 22100 VC citation in the mail, you might not be entirely sure what it refers to. Below, we’ll cover all of the basics so that you know exactly what you’re facing when you attend your
court date. The essentials are below:

• What 22100 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 22100 VC violation

What is Vehicle Code 22100 VC?

A Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation is specifically about right and left turns when driving on a California roadway. The legislature is rather complex, but it’s as good a place to start as any. It reads:

“(a) Right Turns. Both the approach for a right-hand turn and a right-hand turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except:
(1) Upon a highway having three marked lanes for traffic moving in one direction that terminates at an intersecting highway accommodating traffic in both directions, the driver of a vehicle in the middle lane may turn right into any lane lawfully available to traffic moving in that direction upon the roadway being entered.
(2) If a right-hand turn is made from a one-way highway at an intersection, a driver shall approach the turn as provided in this subdivision and shall complete the turn in any lane lawfully available to traffic moving in that direction upon the roadway being entered.
(3) Upon a highway having an additional lane or lanes marked for a right turn by appropriate signs or markings, the driver of a vehicle may turn right from any lane designated and marked for that turning movement.

(b) Left Turns. The approach for a left turn shall be made as close as practicable to the left-hand edge of the extreme left-hand lane or portion of the roadway lawfully available to traffic moving in the direction of travel of the vehicle and, when turning at an intersection, the left turn shall not be made before entering the intersection. After entering the intersection, the left turn shall be made so as to leave the intersection in a lane lawfully available to traffic moving in that direction upon the roadway being entered, except that upon a highway having three marked lanes for traffic moving in one direction that terminates at an intersecting highway accommodating traffic in both directions, the driver of a vehicle in the middle lane may turn left into any lane lawfully available to traffic moving in that direction upon the roadway being entered.”

If you’re feeling intimidated by deciphering all of that complex wording, don’t be! We’ll break down the basics of it here and then go into more detail in the next section. A simpler way of explaining Vehicle Code 22100 VC is this: When turning right, approach the turn in the right- most lane and turn into the closest lane on the new roadway (assuming there are multiple lanes).
The same is done for a left turn, both using the left-most lane and turning into the closest left lane. When making a left turn, you’ll need to approach the intersection before making it (instead of doing a “lazy left”).

What does it mean to have violated Vehicle Code 22100 VC?

It’s best to break down this rule into examples and explanations so that you know exactly what you’re looking at, right? Let’s use our imaginary California driver, Rick, to bring these to life.

Rick wants to turn right onto another street but is in the left lane on a four-lane roadway. He turns right anyway from this lane because he doesn’t want to change lanes. He would be guilty of a Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation because he is supposed to turn right from the available right-most lane.

In another example, Rick is trying to turn left. He is in the left-most lane and approaching the intersection to turn left. As he gets closer, he sees oncoming traffic that will be too close by the time that he gets there. So, he makes the turn early, crossing over the roadway before the
intersection so that he is through it by the time that the oncoming traffic is there. He would be guilty of a Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation because he made the turn before the proper time to do so.

Lastly, Rick is turning from a two-lane roadway onto a three-lane roadway. He is in the correct right-most lane to make the turn, but he turns into the middle lane instead of the closest lane to him. This would be a Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation because he needs to complete the
turn into the closest lane available to him.

There are some important exceptions and allowances from this violation, of course. Let’s put Rick in a few more imaginary scenarios to explore them properly. The first one is that Rick is free to make a turn from the middle lane if he is on a three-lane roadway as long as he is turning right. If he is turning left, this does not apply.

There are also logical reasons why RIck might have to turn from an incorrect lane or turn into an incorrect name. The most likely one is that an emergency vehicle is around him and needs him to move so they can get by. The same goes for if Rick’s correct lane is blocked by a
car accident or other obstruction that makes it impossible to turn correctly.

If you are in any of these exceptions, you would be considered free of a Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation because you are not deliberately breaking any law or rule in order to make your turn successfully.

What can I do about this violation?

On your letter for the Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation, you’ll get a court date at which you need to appear and plead either innocent or guilty of a Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation. This citation carries a fee of $238 plus court fees, and it also adds 1 DMV point to your driving record.

If you are guilty of a Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation, it’s best to enter your plea as guilty and accept the punishment as soon as possible. If you believe you are innocent of the citation, however, you should enter your plea as innocent. If you qualify for traffic school, you can also let the court know if you will be attending at this time. This can speed up the process, too.

Proving you are innocent can be challenging on your own, so it’s always best to have the support of an experienced traffic attorney. This professional can also attend court on your behalf, which can be helpful.

Other possible CVC code violation connections

Many vehicle code violations are similar and interconnected. Depending on the situation surrounding your Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation citation, the court or the issuing peace officer may add these to your ticket. These all carry their own fines and other punishments. The most commonly connected ones for a Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation include:

● Vehicle Code 22100.5: This citation refers to making an illegal u-turn at an intersection whether or not traffic is coming.
● Vehicle Codes 22102 and 22103: These code violations refer to making u-turns in commercial or residential zones, respectfully, when there is no proper clearance with oncoming traffic to do so safely and legally.
● Vehicle Code 22108: This vehicle code violation refers to signaling improperly when changing lanes, whether changing lanes in the roadway or completing turns.

The other detail to keep in mind with these connected tickets is that the court or peace officer can add one or all of these to your existing citation. They also can use any or all of these in place of the Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation, depending on the situation. These should be issued in your letter but can be added to your record on your court date.

Is this ticket eligible for traffic school?

Some tickets carry the option of attending traffic school as a part of the punishment and retraining of your citation reason. This should be noted in your letter from the court. If you have been issued a Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation and you have not attended traffic school in the past 16 months or committed the offense in a commercial vehicle, a Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation is eligible for traffic school!

Since a Vehicle Code 22100 VC violation is considered a moving citation, it is a violation referring to your driving technique. The purpose of attending traffic school is to retrain your driving skills and become a better driver. Attending an accredited traffic school, such as MM TRAFFIC SCHOOL, will improve your driving comprehension and also mask the DMV point from your record.

That DMV point can have serious negative impacts on your insurance premiums and how peace officers view you when deciding to issue future tickets. It also can make the court more likely to press the full penalty if you were to attend traffic court in the future.

Attending our traffic school has many advantages. One of them is that you will enhance and refresh your driving education, providing you with sharp skills to take on the roads with education to back up your technique. Another perk is that our courses are designed to make this
as simple as it can be. This blends practical education with humor and fun so that attending class becomes as enjoyable as possible.

If you are interested in learning about our programs and how they can positively influence your driving, please contact us. If you are looking for more information on your mailed citation, please contact the court that issued your ticket.