Drivers Getting Ticketed for Forgetting about Driving 101

BELLEVUE, WA, July 28, 2010 – We all know not to speed or it could result in a ticket. We also know to wear our seatbelt and to never run a red light. Although “Driving 101” laws are not as heavily publicized as hands-free and drunk driving laws, they are important laws to remember. Forgetting them can not only be dangerous on the road, for your passengers and pedestrians, but also hard on the pocketbook.

Defensive Driving School in Bellevue wants the public to not take “Driving 101” for granted. Below are a few situations why; situations in which drivers are receiving tickets for.

1. Do not let gravity go unchecked when driving downhill. It’s easy to gain10-20 miles per hour in a matter of moments.
2. Always wear your seat belt; even law enforcement on foot can ticket you (if they see inside your car that you’re not wearing a seatbelt). If there’s no tension on the shoulder belt, you may get pulled over.
3. Blocking pedestrian crosswalks – it’s dangerous to squeeze through a yellow light with your bumper hanging out into the intersection; you block cross traffic and pedestrians.
4. If a sign says “No left turn” that means no left turn – even if it’s at a strip mall!
5. If you are driving in an area with a high speed limit (a highway) and approach an area with a lower speed limit (a city); lower your speed immediately upon seeing the black and white sign that states the new speed limit (25 for example). There is no transitional period to slow down once you pass that sign.
6. While school is in session and children are in sight, going 25 mph is too fast to be able to effectively stop if a child darts in front of your vehicle. We’ve seen several mothers pulled over after dropping their kids off for school.

“If you are pulled over, always be respectful and courteous to law enforcement, even if you don’t feel like you should have been pulled over,” explains Bridget Johns, Defensive Driving School instructor. “The right time and place to contest your ticket is in traffic court. Being pleasant and honest with the officer will get you back on the road quicker versus being confrontational.”

Police and judges are here to enforce Driving 101. That means you are responsible for obeying the law at all times.

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Defensive Driving School is the Puget Sound’s oldest and most respected driving school, with offices in Bellevue, Issaquah, Mill Creek, Lynnwood/Edmonds, Everett, Factoria, Redmond, Woodinville, Mill Creek, Seattle, West Seattle, Mukilteo, Kent, Monroe, Snohomish, Lake Stevens and Arlington.