Construction zones are almost everywhere along the Grapevine, but do the reduced speed limits really slow people down?

Officials in the desert community of Indio declared a construction zone around work being performed on the I-10/Jefferson interchange, after two serious wrecks in the area in the past month. The speed limit is 70mph along most of I-10; at the construction zone, it drops to 60mph then 55mph. After the signs had been posted two days, CHP officers wrote 20 speeding tickets in one day at that location. But the tickets seemed to do little good: a local media outlet estimated that only about half the passing vehicles slowed to below 55mph.

Construction along the interchange is expected to last at least another year, and the CHP says the reduced speed limit will remain in force until work is complete.

Construction Zone Speeding Tickets

VC 22362 fines are double that of a normal speeding ticket, which means up to $980 in fines and penalty assessments. These costs do not count the higher insurance premiums which last at least three years, to say nothing of other indirect costs, such as missed work and missed time away from family and friends.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are a number of very good defenses to these citations, including:

• Worker Presence: Workers must actually be present in the right-of-way at the time the citation was issued, and the state normally has the burden of proof on this issue, since it is a listed element of the offense.

• Signage: The signs must indicate the purpose for the reduction, like “work zone” or “construction zone.”

Many times, a lawyer can get a VC 22362 ticket reduced to basic speeding, which has a much lower fine, or get the case dismissed altogether on technicalities.

Getting Legal Help

The aggressive attorneys at Bigger & Harman, APC, are committed to giving individuals a voice when dealing with speeding and traffic tickets. Call today at 661-349-9300 or email attorney@markbigger.com to receive the personal professional attention you deserve. En español, llame al 661-349-9755.