When you disobey a traffic control device

“Disobeying a traffic control device” is a catch-all violation that covers ignoring the instructions provided by a sign or device about how and where to drive. It’s not as specific as running a red light or failing to yield, and it’s a two-point ticket when passing a red light, for example, is three.

This charge is sometimes offered as a reduction from speeding tickets (especially if the judge or prosecutor is troubled by the original speed, the age of the driver, or the past driving history), but it can also be written by an officer if there isn’t a more specific law that can be cited, or even as a way to cut the driver a break by giving a “roadside reduction.”

State troopers who issue this ticket may not give the driver a supporting deposition at the same time, as they usually do with speeding tickets.