How is it considered an unsafe lane change?

if you are making a lane change in front of someone else?Isn't it the person's fault in an accident if they have plenty of time to slowdown,yet slam on their breaks, skid for 40 yards and still hit you while you are moving?wouldn't that mean the person behind was speeding and not paying attention AND had faulty breaks?How is it considered an unsafe lane change?
You broke the basic ';you may not do anything that is not safe to do'; law.



I suspect you were in a lane that was moving VERY slowly and changed into a fast moving lane in front of a fast moving car. Happens to me all the time.How is it considered an unsafe lane change?
sounds like it.. esp if they rear ended you
No, you are the one changing lanes. Therefore, you need to ensure that there is plenty of room to do so regardless of what the person behind you is/is not doing.
not if they know the cop
it's according to whether you used your blinker or not,and if you were changing from the slow lane to the fast lane
When you change lanes the responsibility lies with you to give your turn signal, wait 3 seconds, then change lanes when ';it is safe to do so';. Look at any driving manuel. That does not mean the other person was or wasn't paying attention or trying to get insurance money. But the law will side with the person in the lane to begin with every time if they are not found to be in violation of a law also.
Even if that person was speeding, which you can't prove, if you cut into the safety zone changing lanes you have made an unsafe lane change.
If the vehicle was a small car, then yes, they were probably speeding. But if you pulled over in front of a truck, which was traveling at a speed limit of 55 mph, the truck would not have enough time to stop.



120 feet is not a lot of distance to stop in depending on the speed of the vehicle and the weight of the vehicle, when you consider the perception and reaction time to use the brakes. Since you stated the vehicle left 40 yards of skid marks, their brakes must have been working properly.



If you intend to fight the ticket, you must take pictures of the skid marks, and get an accurate measurement of the distance. Then you must get the vehicle type and model, which will tell you the weight of the vehicle, unless it was carrying cargo. Once you find out that information, you can determine the distance necessary for that vehicle to stop. If your estimate of 40 yards of skidding is correct, you can determine the approximate speed of the vehicle, and use that information in court to argue that there was enough distance, and the other vehicle was speeding.



The officer who issued your the ticket for an unsafe lane change is just making his best guess. The court has the ability to take into consideration you want to present. Take pictures of the area, present your measurements, and the judge may agree with you.