Seattle Traffic Laws - Limitations on Backing
I think we all know there are some traffic rules out there that need to be on the books but are never enforced because they rarely arise, if ever. Limitations on backing is one of those traffic infractions.
The text of limitations on backing is as follows: "The driver of a vehicle shall not back the same unless such movement can be made with safety and without interfering with other traffic." It makes sense. You shouldn't back up so as to put someone in danger or interfere with traffic. But in the real world does it really make much sense.
Let's take parallel parking, for example. I am a Seattle speeding ticket attorney [http://seattletrafficticketattorney.blogspot.com]. As you might expect, my office is in downtown Seattle, near the courthouse, and where people would expect to find a Seattle traffic lawyer. Every day when I go to and from work I see the following situation unfold: someone is driving around, looking for a parking spot on the street, where it is much cheaper; if a spot opens up, the only way to get in is to parallel park; the only way to parallel park is to back in; while backing in, a line up of at least five cars forms waiting for the parking job to be done. If this isn't interfering with traffic, I don't know what is, yet it isn't ever cited.
Let's take another example, although this one may not even qualify under the statute. Let's say you are leaving your driveway to get into the street, and to do so you have to back out. While backing out a car comes speeding up the street and runs into you. Is the sole fact that the car ran into you grounds for finding you committed the traffic infraction of limitations of backing? One cop thought it did, as a client of mine knows. Although in my eyes this statute doesn't even apply, entering the intersection from a private road or driveway does, but that is for another day.
In the end, we all know there are variety of different obscure, rarely used Seattle traffic infractions out there. We just have to hope and pray that one never gets used against us. Or that we have a Seattle traffic attorney [http://seattletrafficticketattorney.blogspot.com/2009/08/you-got-seattle-traffic-ticket-now-what.html] on speed dial that has the brains to get the Seattle traffic infraction dismissed or found non-committed for us.
The text of limitations on backing is as follows: "The driver of a vehicle shall not back the same unless such movement can be made with safety and without interfering with other traffic." It makes sense. You shouldn't back up so as to put someone in danger or interfere with traffic. But in the real world does it really make much sense.
Let's take parallel parking, for example. I am a Seattle speeding ticket attorney [http://seattletrafficticketattorney.blogspot.com]. As you might expect, my office is in downtown Seattle, near the courthouse, and where people would expect to find a Seattle traffic lawyer. Every day when I go to and from work I see the following situation unfold: someone is driving around, looking for a parking spot on the street, where it is much cheaper; if a spot opens up, the only way to get in is to parallel park; the only way to parallel park is to back in; while backing in, a line up of at least five cars forms waiting for the parking job to be done. If this isn't interfering with traffic, I don't know what is, yet it isn't ever cited.
Let's take another example, although this one may not even qualify under the statute. Let's say you are leaving your driveway to get into the street, and to do so you have to back out. While backing out a car comes speeding up the street and runs into you. Is the sole fact that the car ran into you grounds for finding you committed the traffic infraction of limitations of backing? One cop thought it did, as a client of mine knows. Although in my eyes this statute doesn't even apply, entering the intersection from a private road or driveway does, but that is for another day.
In the end, we all know there are variety of different obscure, rarely used Seattle traffic infractions out there. We just have to hope and pray that one never gets used against us. Or that we have a Seattle traffic attorney [http://seattletrafficticketattorney.blogspot.com/2009/08/you-got-seattle-traffic-ticket-now-what.html] on speed dial that has the brains to get the Seattle traffic infraction dismissed or found non-committed for us.
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