On any city street where the lanes of traffic are designated, or on streets where there are construction or police barricades or instructional signage, law that all drivers use the designated lane requires it. If you fail to maintain driving in the proper lane, and cross over into another, this is grounds for a citation by the police. In general, this will be a moving violation called a Failed To Use Designated Lane charge. There does not need to be an accident for this charge to apply. An officer monitoring the situation may notice you failing to use the proper lane of traffic and issue the citation.
In most
situations, this is a low end moving violation, especially when there is no
property damage or person injured. Still, you could face fines up to $100 in
some states for making this mistake. This is a state law and therefore the
laws, fines and penalties may differ from state to state.
As a moving
violation, failure to use the designated lane charges will result in two points
added to your license. In most situations, this alone will cause no additional
driving problems. However, if you have additional points on your license, the
addition of these points may push you over the state limit, which may result in
driver's license suspension.
In some situations, an attorney is able to have charges like this reduced or dropped altogether. In effect, this will protect your driving record and preserve your lower insurance costs. Without the help of an attorney, you could face stiffer penalties, loss of driving privileges and higher costs. Contact an attorney to find out if you should plead guilty. In some states, you have less than 48 hours to make a non-guilty claim.