Just received my second speeding ticket for going 80 in a 65 at 2:00am. Unfortunately, I'm ineligible for traffic school because I already used that option several months ago.

I thought I was going 75, but the officer said he paced me at 80mph from a distance of 100ft. Pacing a car by only its headlights in the dead of night sounds hard--maybe I can try contesting it with that?

Anyway, does anyone have a slight idea how this will affect my insurance rates? (just a general figure, like +10%, +25%, +50%, etc.) Also, how much should I expect to pay for the ticket? I'm in Southern California. Do you think the judge will be more leniant on the fine because it was 2am, so there were virtually no other cars on the road?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. I'm really quite distressed right now. I can barely afford to pay for insurance as it is; if my insurance goes up too much, I will most definitely have to trade the car.

 

My younger bro' lives in CT and his insurance got jacked 20% after 1 violation. He thinks part of it was a general jacking of rates for the state, so it's a little unclear. But his insurance did go up clearly by 20%. He decided to go to court and was told he could either get the fine reduced by 1/2 that day, or come back again a few months later and risk paying the full fine. Some of his friends told him if he said he'd come back later, they might have dismissed it or months later he could request a continuance and hope it subsequently got dismissed.

I think it's better to take one's lumps. In his case it was already like 5 months that he waited for the 1st appearance, time is worth $ and so is peace of mind. Good luck.

 

I had a cop sneak up on me in broad day-light and pace me for prolly a half mile before I noticed him. Pulled over and he threw on his lights and gave me a 290 dollar ticket for going 85 in a 65. I contested it, told the DA the cop was riding dangerously close to my rear, didnt have his lights on, thought he wanted to get past me so I sped up to let him by because there was traffic on my right. She made me give a 20 dollar donation to some victims fund.

I'd contest your ticket in a second as long as the first court meeting is only with the DA. If the first hearing is in court and the cop shows, youre prolly screwed. Go in and tell the DA the cop was far behind you and could not have possibly known your speed. Also ask them when the last time he had his speedometer calibrated (trust me it works, but also ****es them off).

shaz

 

if you have the time
fight it in court.

There is a bigger chance of you getting away without a fine by pleading not guilty and going to court than by just admitting it.

Mention ALL of the things that you feel can make a difference to the judge or even to you.. Mention why it may have caused you to go faster etc..
I don't know how it is in your state..
but if you dont get it dropped, you might get it reduced to a lesser fine or he may drop the points and ask you to just pay the fine..

worth a try in my mind.