Well, I got a speeding ticket yesterday.
 

It was for 15 over. $140. The dollar amount of the ticket is one thing, but I'm more concerned about what it is going to do to my insurance. My record was perfect prior to this.

I know I screwed up and I got caught. I had just got off the phone, I was trying to get directions to a house that I was on the way to look at. I could have very well picked up speed and not had a chance to look at my odometer to then adjust my speed.

So, I see that I have two options. I can just pay the money and be done with the whole mess or I could go to court and fight it.

If I chose the second selection, I would go along the lines that the officer miss identified the car as a wagon vs. sedan. Also, I'm a safe driver without a habit of regular speeding. If one was to look at my record my opinion of my driving ability and prudence would be consistent with my observation. Finally, I was not endangering any fellow motorist at one time.

I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.

You won't very likely get the ticket tossed for any of those reasons.

You're more likely to be able to plea bargain it down to a non-moving violation, if the local prosecuting attorney does such things. You should talk to a private attorney if you want to try to pursue such a route.

Let's see here............

You're jabbering away on a cell phone and not driving the vehicle.

You're 15 over which is difficult to justify unless you're in the middle of West Texas with nobody on the road.

You get the ticket..........and now you want to come up with some lame excuse to try to beat it.


Maybe it's time for you to drive an SUV...........that's the prototypical behavior for them...........

You where not paying proper attention ? They have demonstrated you are 'impaired' when driving on the phone...I won't do it...I pull to the side and call the number back...I couldn't live with the accident I might cause....there is a call back last number on most phones.

Yeah...I know about my sig'. :rolleyes:

How's about you enroll in one of these schemes?


http://www.trafficticketdestroyers.com/Index.html


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I doubt that it will affect your insurance rates as they probably won't check. The downside will be you won't be able to change insurance companies to your advantage if you wanted to. Just pay it. Lord knows I've paid way more than my share.

If your record was perfect up to then, it is no problem to pay the ticket and go to traffic school, which will result in no effect on your record.

I don't know, if you need a judge to approve this option, but here in CA, with only one minor violation like this in 18 months, you can do the traffic school gig, your record stays clean and your insurance will never know.

Paying attention is key in todays traffic.

speeding on the phone
 

I guess you are not getting the sympathy you were lookin for. Let me add to that. One of you phone talkers is going to kill me someday.

Yep, just go to driving class and there will be no record of your ticket. That is if your state offers that choice. Mine does for the FIRST ticket. :)

Depending on the state, your options vary. Usually, it's not the best idea to simply pay the ticket. I got one back when I was in my 20's and not knowing better, just paid it. Next insurance bill I got was very surprising... My rates had tripled and stayed there for the next 3 years costing my close to $3000 by the time it was all said and done.

Check your local laws but you may have these options:

1. Pay an attorney to take care of it. It's around $200 last time I checked and you get no points and no insurance penalty.

2. Your state may have "prayer for judgement continuance" or something similar which states that you promise to keep clean for a certain period (like 2 years) and the ticket and points will magically dissappear. If you do screw up however, the penalty and points will be re-instated. If you have prayer for judgement, you can enter this as your plea when you appear in court. (NC laws, again, your experience may vary...)

Just for the education of it, try going to traffic court one day and sit there for a couple hours. You'll learn how the system works and be ready when it's your turn. You'll probably find that it's pretty much of an assembly line and if you have your act together, it'll be much smoother.

I won't waste time with more suggestions - they've all been given. However, this cell phone BS while driving is totally irresponsible. How many people have to die in traffic accidents before you morons wise up. (It's been proven that when driving drunk, you guys have more control than when you are sober and BSing on your cell phones). So quit your *****ing, pay your fine, and consider yourself lucky.

People think that defensive driving erases a ticket from your record. It does not. It just shows up as an "offset" to the ticket. If you pull your driving record, you will see both entries on there. Plus, how many people take DD for something other than a ticket? Insurance companies are not dumb.

Go for deferred judication, if you don't get another ticket within some amount of time, it goes away.

And stay off the cell!

Yep that's what I did and it went away. Can't even locate my ticket now if I paid money.

Fight it, never accept any ticket.

I ran a stop sign and got out of it, and I deserved it.

The only time I say don't fight it is if they cop did you a big favor. Like when my buddy was nailed for doing 105 in a 65 and he bumped it down to 84.:D

Lie like a rug. If you go along with it, you get the points. You fight it, you might, with your clean record, get a reduction in points.

My last ticket was 5 years ago (Jersey) for 81 in a 65 in the W8. At that point I still had 32 points on my license. Long story short, I never paid any of my tickets when I was in my teens and got caught driving while suspended. Got my license back but in Jersey, you lose 3 points per year from last violation. Since my license was suspended for several years, I didn't lose any until I paid all the fines and got it restored. Took a few years because it was around the beginning of caring for my mom and every $$$ went to her care. After 2 "driving while suspended" violations added to it, I just rode with my sister.

At the time of that ticket, I had my license back for 8 years with 2 speeding tickets within that time, last one being in 1998. After what 2 friends went thru with tickets being reduced, I went to court. Finally after nearly an hour on line to talk to the prosecutor, he pulls up my file: "Ron, you haven't had a ticket in 5 years. We'll knock this down to a fine with no points." - With nothing but uttering my name.

In front of the judge:
- Do you recall being stopped on May 23rd ?
- Yes your honor.
- Do you recall driving in an "inattentive manor" ?
- Yes your honor.
- $184.00. Pay the clerk.

Since municipalities are losing state & federal funding, all they care about is raising money with as little work as possible. The new statute was/is: DRIVING IN AN INATTENTIVE/UNSAFE MANNER. Fine with no points but after the second time pleading down to that statute, the department of motor vehicles can and will assess you 2 points, 4 points on a 3rd time....