My first speeding ticket :(

[ratedZ]

Been driving since 16 without a speeding ticket but my luck has finally ran out. My clutch has been slipping badly so I was driving normal on the freeway...until I decided to pass three cars, I was fine. But the minute I changed lanes to pass, I hear the sirens...couldn't see him with my rear view mirror as that broke off after hitting a big bump the day before. So I pull over and the officer tells me that I hit 80mph when I decided to pass the slower moving traffic. I couldn't verify this speed as my speedo is off by 20mph (I think). So I tell him "I was only trying to pass some cars and I wasn't moving faster than the other traffic" his reply "don't matter, you where speeding"...I didn't argue and I didn't tell him about the speedo. Technically his right about the speeding but I'm pretty frustrated because I seriously was not speeding on purpose. There's been plenty of times that I have actually taken the car up to 100+...I was for sure speeding then. Bleah, I'll just be happy that he only got me for 80 on a 65 on the freeway. The officer didn't put the $$$ amount on the ticket. He simply put "Court" and he told me that I could just go down town and pay it off...I don't think so, I'll take the driving class to keep my insurance company from finding out about it.

 

So now, I have the IC in my car and she's boosting 15-18psi...looks like I won't be using the car to it's full potential for a while as I'm now totally paranoid. Sucks to be me

[Tim240z]

Take the car to a speedo shop and have them verify the difference. It'd be a shame to waste your traffic school "get out of jail free" card if you can get out of it another way?

Tim

[Synlubes]

Take the car to a speedo shop and have them verify the difference. It'd be a shame to waste your traffic school "get out of jail free" card if you can get out of it another way?

Tim

 

You can get the speedo gears to correct your reading from your local Nissan dealer.

Have it cked, buy & replace gear, KEEP ALL RECEIPTS and show the Judge. It might work.

[tickwon]

Ooouch, good thing you really didn't punch it. Here in VA, 80mph...is nothing. It seems everyone is doing that...actually the speed is 55mph over here on the interstate. If I was to go the speed limit over here my car would be wrecked for sure. Crazy drivers! Have any idea how much it cost for the ticket?

 

Chris

[Pop N Wood]

I would be careful about telling a judge I was speeding because my speedo doesn't work. Might get you in even more trouble.

 

Also speedo shops cost too much. Borrow a hand held GPS unit from sombody (boaters and hunters often have them) and calibrate the speedo yourself.

[Mudge]

True, in CA ignorance is no excuse. Plus they might feel like really putting it to you because of your ignorance and intentional endangerment yada yada, think of some big legal words to throw in there. I am not flaming you, just saying sometimes examples are made, and it might hurt worse than it should. I would just take whatever comes, either ticket or get rid of it with traffic school, I did traffic school online I just think it could only get worse if you told them "yeah I modded my car so the speedo and odo are never accurate anymore."

[ratedZ]

Advice taken I'm not the type of person to deny stuff if I'm clearly wrong...if I'm wrong I take it like a man and admit it. It was just that I was honestly not trying to speed, I was having a conversation with my brother in law so it was more like not paying attention to my speed that got me into trouble. I didn't want to mention the speedo thing to the officer as I was worried that I might have to pay more money to get it fixed ect. I'm just going to be totally honest when I talk to the judge and hopefully he lets me take the driving class. Up to now I had a perfect driving record 10 years + I hope I can keep that record after the class.

 

PS. you can take a course over the net now? Please please please elaborate on this as I don't want to go to the school if I don't have to.

[Tim240z]

I did the web thing about two years ago. Although it has a time stamp so you can't just zip through it, I just did work in the mean time. Took me about 20 minutes of actual work to complete it, and the online company took care of ALL the paperwork (sending completion records to teh court etc). Cost was about $20. Great deal!!!!

I got a list of 'approved' web sites from the court when I signed up,

 

Tim

[Moridin]

Just let the judge know what happened and be honest. I know that sometimes I pass traffic and have to speed up to get around them to keep from slowing the fast lane down.

[Sumo]

Well the other day i merged onto another street and was doing 45 on a 35 and just happen to glance over Mc D's and there was a cop waiting to exit. I got lucky though he didnt even flinch, although i hear ( in Irving anyway) that if its 11 over the limit they get you.

[JasonE]

Speaking of Irving. I hear they are not very tolerant of street racing either.

[Georgia Flash]

In GA, officers can legally stop you and give you a citation if you are going 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. Most of us usually give 15 miles per hour over before we stop someone and give them a ticket or warning.

 

As far as the "speedo isn't working excuse" never use that one for sure. That constitutes an improper equipment violation. And yes I have heard that excuse at least 100 times in 12 years and no I have never ever written a ticket for that. Some over zealous officers might though so be careful.

 

Some of the other excuse I have heard:

 

• I have to go to the bathroom
  My daughter's glasses are broken and she is going blind (this women was driving 95 MPH in a 55 MPH zone with 3 kids in a pickup trcuk!)
  My car wont go that fast its a VW bug
  Late for work
  Tired
  I'm angry
  I'm depressed
  I didn't see you officer or I would have slowed down
  I was racing and was winning before you showed up!
  I thought the speed limit was ....
  My wife's going into labor
  My wife's sick
  My kid's sick (this women was going 85 MPH in a 35MPH zone and wouldn't stop for 5 miles until she got to the hospital! the child was running a fever!) The irony here is she passed right by another hospital on the way tp the private hospital!
  I'm from out of town and didn't know the speed limit here

 

I guess the best thing to do is be honest with the officer. Nothing makes me write a speeding ticket faster than a guy who was clearly in the wrong sitting there trying to make up lies and blaming me for his ticket.

 

Be careful out there.

[Sumo]

Speaking of Irving. I hear they are not very tolerant of street racing either

Well lately i was informed that they are clamping down more often, because of a kid getting thrown out of a car and dying and another incident where a car got split in half but no injuries.

[Mudge]

For the web stuff it depends on the county, and if they approve certain sites, its pretty likely nowdays. I likewise got a sheet of approved online places, and walk ins that I could go to, comedy traffic school etc - I heard they aren't really funny...

[Pop N Wood]

Traffic school is a great place to meet women.

[Tim240z]

Traffic school is a great place to meet women.

 

Good call Jim! I met my fist girlfriend at traffic school when I was 16. (58 in a 35 zone in Del Mar, CA). HMMMM...that brings back fond memories!!

Tim

[Guest BigWhyteDude]

if it happens again ask the officer to do a couple of verification runs with your car and his radar gun. Some of the cops here will do that, but then again i do livein a small town in GA. small town=SOME nice cops including my dad

[Lockjaw]

I like the response my friend gave to a cop who tried to say I was eluding him. He said " excuse me, I don't mean to be arguementative, but this car is fast as shit, and if we were trying to get away, we wouldn't be having this conversation"

 

Thanks pal.

[Tim240z]

I like the response my friend gave to a cop who tried to say I was eluding him. He said " excuse me' date=' I don't mean to be arguementative, but this car is fast as dodo, and if we were trying to get away, we wouldn't be having this conversation"

 

Thanks pal.[/quote']

Ha Ha Ha

[scottyMIz]

oh no we got a cop on here just kidding.This is what i did when i got cought for speeding i didn't mean to either i was coming down a hill and he clocked me at 40 in a 25 well i looked down when i saw him and i was doing 30 tops so i tried to tell him i wasn't going that fast but he wrote me anyway.I went to court to pay the ticket and i told the lady up front about what happend and she said are you sure you don't want to fight it? and i said i'll loose anyway and she says i'm not gonna come out and say it but are you sure you don't want to fight it? ANd i said ummm sure i'll fight it and she smiled and said ok good idea So i went back in for the hearing and before the hearing we sat in the hall me and the cop and i said you know i was speeeding but not what you said and he said well you where speding and i said yes the fine doesn't bug me but the points are what kills the insurance.He chuckled and said ya.Well we went in and i plead my case and the judge said well i have to rule in the favor of the officer and i said well i don't care about the fine i'll gladly pay it.The points are what hurts the ins andhe said ok i'll reduce it down to defective equipment and the officer gets the speeding ticket on his record and i get no points.I was happy so try to talk to the judge or officer you might be able to get it reduced.