CDL drivers sometimes find themselves following gps navigation systems only to stray into an area where through trucks are prohibited. This is not always the CDL driver’s fault. For instance, the prohibited route may lack adequate signs. And police often incorrectly assume that such adequate signs were posted at access points to the given route.
If you receive a through trucks violation in the City of Columbus or in other jurisdictions in central Ohio, you should contact an experienced CDL traffic attorney.
For legal assistance with your traffic citation, call the Law Office of C.F. Cowan, P.L.L.C. at 614.695.5000 or contact us online.
What Is A Through Truck Violation?
In the City of Columbus, the service director is required to designate and appropriately mark certain streets upon which no person shall drive or store any through truck. Such designation must be based only upon an engineering survey that considers the width, structure, design or accident history of, or development along, a street.
Accordingly, Columbus Code Section 2139.35 prohibits drivers from operating through trucks in violation of markings, signs, barriers, or other devices placed on a given street pursuant to the applicable laws on traffic control devices. This prohibition does not apply while the through trucks are receiving goods or making deliveries along the street. But such through trucks must enter and leave the street by the nearest intersecting street not so marked.
Like the City of Columbus, other localities have enacted similar prohibitions against through trucks. The consequences for a through truck violation may differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. This page focuses on the consequences for a through truck violation in the City of Columbus.
The Punishment For A Through Truck Violation
In the City of Columbus, A through truck violation is usually a minor misdemeanor. The potential penalty for a minor misdemeanor traffic offense is as follows:
- A fine of up to $150
- Up to 30 hours of community service
- Court costs
However, if you commit a through truck offense, and have a prior through truck conviction within the same year, then the offense is enhanced to a fourth-degree misdemeanor. The potential penalty for this enhanced offense is as follows:
- A minimum fine of $100 and up to a $250 fine and/or
- Up to 30 days in prison
- Court costs
The penalties increase even further if you commit more offenses within a one-year period, reaching fines of $500 to $1,000 and up to 60 days in prison.
Whether in the City of Columbus or another jurisdiction, contact us to discuss the applicable ordinances, penalties and defenses for your alleged Through Truck violation.
Call An Experienced CDL Attorney Today
We are prepared to defend you from the potential penalties of a traffic offense. We can often appear in court on your behalf so that you can avoid the stress and time involved.
Contact us online or call 614.695.5000. We serve the Columbus metro area and central Ohio.