Speeding Ticket FAQ

What is a "continuance" and how do I request one?

A continuance is the moving of a trial date to a later date. The prosecution or the defense may request a continuance for any of several reasons. Work conflicts, school schedules, health problems, vacations and the need for more preparation time are all acceptable reasons for requesting a continuance.

You can request a continuance by contacting the COURT, via the court clerk, and explaining why you need it. This can be done by telephone or in person. We recommend using registered mail so you will have proof that your request was sent and received. The burden is then on the court to respond. It's best to make a request for a continuance at least two weeks in advance of the trial date.

Why should I request a continuance?

If you intend to gather information for your defense and prepare your presentation, you may need more time than the court has allotted between the time you received the ticket and your trial date. You may live a long distance from the court, and it would be more convenient to move your court appearance to another time. Or, you want to increase the likelihood that the officer who gave you the ticket will not appear in court on the day of your trial.

How do I get the information I need to prepare my defense?

There are both formal and informal mechanisms for the gathering of information: Request or Motion for Discovery, Open Records or Public Records Laws, Interrogatories, Depositions, subpoenas, and personal research.

What is a Request for Discovery?

A Request for Discovery is an information request you would make to the prosecutor, usually the District Attorney, for relevant information related to your case. If you were cited for speeding, you may want information on the kind of speed measurement device the officer used to clock your vehicle, or the training records for the officer that measured your speed. A simple written request, sent via registered mail to the District Attorney's office, is usually sufficient to exercise this inquiry.

Some states mandate that certain kinds of information must be released to a traffic ticket defendant making a Request of Discovery. The release of the information is not optional. Other states specifically relieve the prosecution from any responsibility to fulfill a Request for Discovery. We recommend a trip to a local library and the assistance of the librarian (most are very helpful) to find out how your state treats Requests for Discovery.

What is a Motion for Discovery?

A Motion differs from a Request in that a defendant makes the Motion to the court and not the prosecution. In a Motion for Discovery you must justify your reasons for making certain requests for information and the court will decide if your request has merit. If the Court determines that your request is legitimate and the information is needed for your defense, it will order that the information be given you. The prosecution can object to your motion and the court could order a hearing to argue the Motion for Discovery.

What is an Open Records Law?

These laws go under different names in different states, but their intent is to make public records available to all citizens. In general these laws mandate that public records be released to anyone making a request. Certain records, such as medical or tax records, may be protected by privacy laws and are not available through a simple request. However, you can usually obtain radar equipment maintenance records, calibration records for breathalysers, and training certificates for specific officers through an open records request. Open Records Requests are independent of the court and your trial, and the failure of an agency to provide requested records will not automatically result in a dismissal of charges. Remember, this procedure is for the purpose of obtaining EXISTING RECORDS. It cannot be used to force the government to create new records.

How do I make an Open Records Request?

A visit to your local library and a review of your state's open records law is a good place to start. Generally an open records request is made to the agency you believe holds the records you want. This is usually the police agency that issued you a citation. For best results make the request in writing and cite the open records state statutes that give you the right to request the information you seek. There may be reproduction cost fees (the law usually requires that they be "reasonable") for the materials you want. You may also want to request that the agency certify the documents to be valid copies of the originals.

What is an interrogatory?

An interrogatory is a written request to the prosecution for information related to your case. For example, if you want to know where the officer was sitting when he or she clocked you with radar, you could ask that question and perhaps include a map of the general area where the officer could mark his location when he observed your vehicle. If your request appears reasonable and has a bearing on your defense it will most likely be honored.

What is a deposition?

A deposition is a formal meeting, with a court reporter, where the defense and/or prosecution may question witnesses who are under oath. This is a very expensive and time- consuming procedure and not often employed in traffic ticket cases.

What is a subpoena?

A subpoena is a court order to appear or bring information to a court proceeding. The target of the subpoena can object to the order, and a case within a case can evolve that deals solely with the subpoena. A subpoena has to be "served" on the party being ordered to produce information or testimony. Anyone can serve a subpoena, as long as they are not directly involved in the litigation. Along with the expense, another downside of subpoenas is that the information is usually not produced until the time of trial. For purposes of developing a defense it is desirable to have all relevant information well before your trial.

What kind of personal research can I do?

Any defendant should clearly understand the violation they are being charged with. You may need to make another visit to the library and look up the statute you have supposedly violated. It may be possible that the officer cited the wrong statute, or that you did not meet the definition of a violation.

Re-visit the site of your alleged violation and look for elements that you could use to your advantage. Take photos that will help you make your arguments. Make measurements that may show errors in distances that were reported by the officer.

Will errors on the ticket result in the charges being dropped?

Courts will often excuse minor errors on a ticket. A misspelled name, incorrect address or difference in opinion on whether your car is aqua or green in color will not result in a dismissed ticket. Conversely, a major error such as citing the wrong statute, radically misidentifying your vehicle or listing the wrong highway as the site of the violation should provide justification to dismiss the ticket. However, it may be advantageous to say nothing about the errors until your trial. Let the officer use the ticket to describe the violation, location, and identification of your vehicle (they all do). After he or she has sufficiently buried him or herself with perjured testimony, you can document the errors and any legitimate court will dismiss the charges. Here is the law in Michigan. You need to remember that traffic court judges are not required to follow the law. (Taken from the Michigan Judicial Institute © 2003 Page 5) A material defect is an error pertaining to a fact that is necessary to prove an element of the offense, or that attacks the essence of the complaint.* Courts vary in their opinion as to what constitutes a material defect and magistrates should check with their chief judges regarding this issue. The case may be dismissed without prejudice by the judge or magistrate (if the magistrate is authorized to do so), and the citing officer may reissue the citation, or move to have it reinstated.

Material defects may include: *See MCL 257.742(1), 257.727c(3), and MCR 4.101(E)(1).

• No signature on the citation by the citing officer.* The absence of a signature is a material defect that makes the entire citation invalid. • Incorrect identification of the defendant. • Incomplete identification of the offense. • Failure to specify the location of the offense. • Failure to specify the date of the offense, or entry of an incorrect date.

If I don't sign my ticket, does that mean it's invalid?

No, but not signing for a ticket in some states can lead to other charges. Signing for your ticket, merely means that you will pay the fine or plead not guilty and show up in court. If your name was spelled wrong, that could be used in court with other anomalies to introduce reasonable doubt in the officer's testimony. However, if all the information relevant to the stop is correct, a spelling error will not result in the dismissal of the charge(s).

What if the prosecution doesn't give me the information I requested?

If your state mandates that certain items be given you, and they aren't, or the court orders that certain items be given you, and they aren't, you can ask for a Motion to Dismiss for failure to provide Discovery and it's likely the motion will be granted. However, if no such mandates exist and the court has not ordered that certain items be given you, there is little likelihood that a dismissal will be granted. Although, a continuance might be granted to give you more time to seek the information through other channels.

If I prove that my speedometer was defective when the officer stopped me for speeding, will the court dismiss the ticket?

No. The court might consider it a mitigating circumstance, but it's likely you will still be found guilty. Virginia courts will consider a defense of a defective speedometer.

Does the officer have to show me the radar/laser reading?

This is not required in any jurisdiction. Also, whether the officer allows you to see the speed reading has virtually no bearing on your case. Officers can lock on radar readings and leave them on to display to any hapless victim, even though it was not their vehicle that registered the displayed speed.

Should I hire a speeding ticket attorney?

This is always a personal call. In the vast majority of cases an attorney will arrange a plea bargain for his/her client. A speeding ticket can result in thousands of dollars in increased insurance premiums. The cost of an attorney pales in comparison to the consequences. One of the best ways to access a speeding ticket attorney is through a membership in a prepaid legal plan. A speeding ticket attorney is provided at no cost if you are a member when you receive the ticket. For speeding tickets received before you are a prepaid member, you receive the member attorney fee discount. Since they are nationwide, this is an excellent option for out of state speeding tickets or truck drivers with a CDL violation. For more information click on the link below:

Can I write the court and tell them why I'm not guilty?

California allows a "trial by declaration" , which is, in a sense, a written explanation or defense you send to the court. Normally it is a waste of time. However, it can be used to buy you time to raise money for the ticket or put off your speeding ticket until after your auto insurance renews. Sometimes, you may get lucky. Here is the link for the forms and information.
 

California Speeding Ticket Information

In most other states this will go straight in the trash can. However, it doesn't hurt to ask the clerk of court if your particular judge normally reduces the fine/points based on a written request.

Can a police officer issue me a ticket if he's outside his own jurisdiction?

If the violation took place within his jurisdiction the answer is yes. If the violation took place outside his jurisdiction the answer is less clear. There may be inter agency agreements that allow police to exercise their authority outside their jurisdictions. There may also be state laws that allow inter-jurisdictional enforcement actions. One point to remember, the officer that observed the violation and issued the citation is the only person that can testify against you. The likelihood that an out-of-area officer would appear to testify against you at your trial is somewhat remote.

What if I don't believe I was going that fast?

It's possible the radar was picking up another vehicle. It's also possible that the radar unit was being operated improperly. Either of these are difficult to prove without the help of a speeding ticket attorney. Even if you are able to get the radar reading thrown out, many states accept the visual observation of the officer and will still find you guilty.

What if the officer was rude?

If the officer had to follow you for a quarter-mile or more until you noticed him in your rear view mirror, he may be unhappy. You were guilty of "contempt of cop," which happens when you don't do whatever it is an officer wants you to do. Regardless, it is not a good idea for you to act in a similar manner.

What if they only ticket people of my race?

Sometimes this has every appearance of being true, largely due to stops for trivial traffic laws like seat belt violations, playing the radio too loud, or having a blown out light bulb. If you believe the officer stopped you based on your race, we recommend making a complaint to the police department and/or city government. If it continues to happen after the complaint, consider a lawsuit.

What will happen if I just ignore the speeding ticket?

If it's for a moving violation such as speeding, ignoring it may result in a suspended license and/or a bench warrant being issued for your arrest. This is true even if you got the ticket outside of your home state. This means the next time you get stopped you could spend the night in jail.

But everyone was going over the speed limit. What if I was just pulled out of the crowd?

It may be true, but it is totally irrelevant now. Plead not guilty and go to court. In court, don't complain that you were being victimized; the judge does not want to nor have time to listen to a claim that is nearly impossible to prove. If the officer shows up in court, cross-examine him by asking questions in such a way as to make it appear he had no idea which vehicle caused the reading on the radar gun.

Does it have any bearing on the validity of the traffic citation if the officer who observed the violation and the officer who issued the citation are NOT one in the same? (ie. one officer operating the RADAR radios to another officer down the road, who pulls you over.)

Yes it does. First, the clocking officer must be able to confirm that the car being pulled over was the car he clocked. This confirmation should be made to the officer that does the stop. The officer that does the stop is responsible for identifying the driver to whom the speeding ticket is issued. Both the officer that clocked the vehicle's speed and the officer that issued the ticket must be at the driver's trial. This also applies to situations involving the use of airplanes to clock vehicle speeds. Note that a few states do not require the officers to be present unless you subpoena them.

Will Traffic School keep points off my record?

Many states will allow you to take traffic school for a speeding ticket and points will be removed from your driving license record. It is important to contact the clerk of court and receive permission before taking traffic school. If the speeding ticket will still show on your driving record your insurance company may still assess insurance points and your premiums will increase. Be sure to confirm that by taking traffic school the traffic ticket will not appear on your record.

 ONLINE TRAFFIC SCHOOL Many states allow you to take online traffic school and keep the speeding ticket off your record. Check HERE for your state.

What is a Probation before Judgement?

This is also called a Prayer for Judgement or Deferment in some jurisdictions. This is a procedure where you 

pay the fine but the speeding ticket is masked and does not show on your record. The clerk of court can tell you if this is available in your state and the restrictions. Texas, Maryland, and North Carolina offer this option but usually only to drivers from their state.

Does an out of state speeding ticket go on my record?

Generally speaking the traffic ticket will be reported back to your home state and points will be placed against your driver's license just as if you received the ticket in your home state. Do not believe the officer that tells you there will be no points on your license so just send in the money. He has no idea of the law in your home state. There are numerous exceptions so you need to contact the DMV in your state to verify the effect of an out of state speeding ticket. For example, a North Carolina driver who exceeds the speed limit by 15+ will have their license suspended. Pennsylvania, New York, and Colorado will not post out of state speeding tickets to your record.

Is There a Statute of Limitations on Speeding Tickets?

Generally speaking, there is no statute of limitations on speeding tickets. When you do not appear or pay the ticket, the court enters it as a guilty plea and they can collect the fine many years later. In Texas we are seeing courts trying to collect speeding ticket fines from as far back as 1988.

What Do I Do if I Have Lost a Speeding Ticket

It is very important that you respond to the court within the time required. If you do not, they may issue a bench warrant and suspend your license. This will result in increased fines and lots of problems, inclucing the possibility of spending time in jail. All you can do is to pull out a map and start calling the courts in the county/city where you received the ticket. Please do not call us as we cannot help, this is something you must do yourself.

 

How Do Points Affect My Auto Insurance

Driver's License points and insurance points are different. Each insurance company assigns insurance points based on their own schedule. In New Jersey, a four point ticket typically will increase your auto insurance by $600 per year for three years, a total of $1800. The only way to know for sure is to ask your insurance agent about your particular situation. The cleaner your driving record, the cheaper your insurance. It always pays to contest a speeding ticket.

One way to be sure that you are getting the best deal on auto insurance is to shop around. If you think you are paying too much or just want to be sure that your current company is not ripping you off then we recommend the following site.

 THE INSURANCE SECRET YOU NEED TO KNOW

One minor ticket may not increase your rates but two or more MINOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS or one serious ticket and YOUR RATES WILL GO THRU THE ROOF. Fight back by applying for a new policy right after receiving a ticket, but well before the ticket has been decided in court. The easiest way is to apply for multiple quotes ONLINE.

So You Got A Speeding Ticket. Now What?

Well the first thing is, what kind of Traffic ticket did you get? I put tickets into three categories:

Equipment tickets such as loud muffler, illegal lights, etc.

Ordinary moving violations, mostly speeding tickets.

Serious violations such as reckless driving, DWI or anything that carries jail time.

Now before we begin, I want to talk about how to act when you get busted. I know, it's too late this time, but lets not kid each other. This might be your first speeding ticket but it for damn sure won't be your last.

Did you ever watch COPS? Have you ever wondered to yourself where the people are who don't act like idiots? I'll tell you where they are. Home. They had their brief interlude with the police, acted right and either got sent home or quietly booked for some offense and FOX thought their scene was too boring to show.

A cop's favorite traffic stop is a boring one. What you need to do in a traffic stop is act like a cop. How does a cop act? The moment an off-duty cop in a civilian car knows that he's going to get pulled over, he pulls over. If he can't pull over immediately, perhaps he's on an overpass, he waves to the cop behind him to signal he sees him and pulls over as soon as there is a place to pull over. Don't drag this out of course. When you pull over, pull over far enough that he can park behind you in such a way that his car protects him from oncoming traffic. Turn you wheel all the way to the right, roll down your window, turn off the radio, shut the car off, place your hands on the steering wheel and wait. If you have passengers, have them sit quietly with their hands folded in their laps. If there was time after spotting the cop pulling out you should have put away your detector, but ONLY if you can do it without him seeing you fumbling around in the car. That generally means you'll only have time for this if you get popped on the highway. Do not be wearing sunglasses when you talk to the cop. Just toss them on the dashboard. Have your passengers do the same. When the cop asks you for your license & registration, tell him where they are before you reach for them, and then move slowly. Not ridiculously slowly, just very carefully. Don't sir him to death, that will often annoy him, just be polite, calm and speak in an ordinary conversational voice. Everything you've done has now signaled to him that you're not going to be trouble. This is good because most of the time he hasn't yet decided if he's going to write you and any warm fuzzy feelings you can generate are a good thing. IF YOU HAVE A PBA CARD, DO NOT GIVE IT TO HIM. Keep it directly behind your drivers license. When you hand him your documents, make it a point to hand him the license last. Keeping your arm resting on the door sill and your wallet in your left hand, remove the license with your right hand and hand it to him, leaving the now exposed PBA card in plain sight. SAY NOTHING! Trust me. He sees it. If it's going to do you any good, it will. If not, don't even mention it. Don't give the cop some lame excuse. He's heard them all and then some. About the only excuse worth bothering with is that you were rushing to the Doctor/Hospital or home, to the bathroom. But of course, only use that excuse if it's true. What you can do is express to the cop that you would be grateful for any slack he can cut you, but leave it at that. If he writes you a ticket, don't bother asking him to see the reading, or about his qualifications, or when the gun was last calibrated. I know that goes against conventional wisdom, but trust me. The 70's are long over. Tickets just don't get beaten like that anymore. These police departments have got this stuff down to a science and the whole process from getting pulled over to paying the clerk runs like a well oiled machine. This is a serious source of revenue and they don't play games with it.

OK, moving on to the meat. Lets take the third category first, because it's the easiest. IF YOU ARE FACING POSSIBLE JAIL, GET A LAWYER. If you can't afford one and you are looking at jail time, they MUST provide one for you. If you aren't looking at jail time but are looking at a serious violation that might result in you losing your license, consider hiring a lawyer anyway. OK, that's it. Category three is done.

Category One is equipment violations. This is pretty easy too. If it's something you can get fixed before court, such as a loud muffler or cracked windshield, it's usually easier and cheaper to just do it. If you're going to fight it, look up the law, find out what it is that the people have to prove you did to get a conviction and ask yourself if the cop did what he was supposed to. For instance, in most places a cop cannot just say your car is too loud. He has to quantify it with a decibel meter. If you live in NY State and have a loud exhaust ticket, e-mail me directly. I ruined the law in NY a couple of years ago and the legislature hasn't fixed it yet. If you got a ticket for something you know damn well they can prove, like illegal tail lights or tint, and you aren't going to fix it, just pay it by mail. I also suggest that you consider driving a lower profile car, or making yours less "flashy" or "bling-bling" But it's a free country, mostly, and if you want to drive a cop magnet, that's your business.

Now we come to category two, the most common reason for a ticket, LEAD FOOT. OK, first lets dispense with the illusions. If you are reading this, you are most likely reading it at VWVORTEX.COM and that means you're a car enthusiast. Car enthusiasts speed. Pretty much all the time. Some more than others of course and some faster than others, but if you're a car guy (or girl) you drive faster than you're supposed to on pretty much a routine basis. What does that mean? It means that unless you stop driving, this will not be your last ticket.

Now why is that important, you ask? Because you cannot afford to think in terms of beating THIS ticket. You must take a long view and have a strategy. Your goal is to avoid accumulating enough points to lose your license. THAT'S IT. You have no other mission. Remember one thing: Speeding fines are the fee you pay for the privilege of driving as fast as you want. If you do not agree with that premise then stop reading this FAQ right now, because everything that follows is based on that premise. One quick disclaimer here... This is NOT legal advice. This me reporting to you how the system actually functions in the real world and how you can work the system.

Why should you buy into my advice? Because I have been doing this for 20 years. I've lost track of how many tickets I've received but I do know it's in excess of 100 and I have NEVER been suspended for points. Came close a couple of times, but never crossed the line. I've argued in cases in both trial and appellate court, I generally win, and I've even beaten the Ohio Department of Motor Vehicles in court, which is only slightly less difficult than what O.J. did a few years ago. In short, I've been there and done that.

OK, step one... You have the ticket. Hopefully you didn't act the fool when you got the ticket and the cop won't have any reason to remember you unkindly. Don't change that now by requesting a supporting deposition. Let me repeat that. Do NOT ask for a supporting deposition. For those who don't know, a supporting deposition is a written statement from the cop that sums up the events leading up to the ticket. The theory behind this is that if the cop's testimony varies under cross-examination, you can get the ticket thrown out. Well forget it. You ain't Johnny Cochran and all you're going to do is annoy the cop by making him do paperwork. You might wonder why that matters if you already have the ticket. Well it does, and I'll come back to that.

Now, most tickets have a section on the back that allows you to enter a not guilty plea by mail. Do this. If it doesn't, or if the ticket says that you must come to court, that first visit is going to be an arraignment. You'll be entering a plea. That's ALL you're going to do. Don't try to hand the judge your explanation or sob story because he don't want to hear it.

Quick note on NOLO CONTENDRE pleas. Hopefully I spelled that right, but either way it's the famous "No Contest" plea. This is a very nice plea. It basically means that you don't admit guilt but you won't object to being punished. If your ticket arises from a traffic accident, make SURE you plead NO CONTEST. In most cases someone official at the court, possibly even the Judge will actually tell you that. It has to do with liability and the possibility you might get sued. Also, in most cases, the court won't let you enter a plea of NO CONTEST unless you were in an accident. Furthermore, if you were in an accident, don't play around. Put in your NO CONTEST plea, pay your fine and get the hell out of there. You don't want this to come back to haunt you later and a plea of guilty when you have been in a traffic accident is considered to be an admission of fault in civil court. Don't take my word for it, ask a lawyer. If there was no accident involved, plea NOT GUILTY and go home. You will usually be mailed a court date. Sometimes they will give it to you on the spot. 

Either way, go home and don't sweat it.

OK, so you've entered a plea of NOT GUILTY.

First thing is... don't agonize over this. You're charged with speeding, not murder, OK? The absolute worst thing that can happen to you is you lose some money and you get a couple of points.

I want to inject something into this FAQ now, based on an issue that arose with another poster on this board. What this person did was to contact the ADA before the trial and try to work out a deal. This certainly seems like a good idea but unfortunately it usually only works for other attorneys.

Know this: ADAs are human. Humans are lazy. When an ADA shows up in court he has only one goal. Getting the hell out of there as quickly as possible. This is actually true of everybody there, espescially the people who are being paid to be there. You see, you only have to be there once. They have to be there all the time.

If you go calling that ADA at the office where they have easy access to the offender database and time on their hands, you lose the leverage that their inherent laziness and dislike of their job brings.

Wait until court, when they are MOST likely to be in a mood to cut a deal just to get you, and by extension them, the hell out of there as quickly as possible. Does this make a deal a sure thing? Well, no... it doesn't. But it increases your odds and when you're playing a number game that's crucial.

So, your trial date rolls around. By now somebody has told you to see about getting something that's sometimes called "Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal" or some such fancy title. The deal is, nothing happens with your ticket. If you stay clean for a certain number of months, usually 12-18, your ticket gets dismissed. Sounds great, right? The only problem is that if you get another ticket the OTHER one comes back. Now you have TWO tickets and TWO fines. ooops.

Basically, unless you're about to join the Army or go abroad for a year, it's a bad gamble. Like I already said, this isn't your last ticket. The question isn't IF you get another, the question is when and 12-18 months is a long time to drive like your grandmother.

So what do you do? You engage in that honorable American institution known as The Plea Bargain. On the day of your trial, before you go in front of the Judge, you will be approached by either the Cop who wrote the ticket or by an ADA, or Assistant District Attorney. This pretty much depends on the population density where you got the ticket.

Now is where you tell them, in quite simple language, that you know you were doing wrong and you're mostly worried about the points. Ask them if it's possible to plead guilty to a non-points charge instead and pay the fine. Now, remember when I said you shouldn't annoy the cop by asking for a supporting deposition? This is where it pays off. Basically, if you didn't do anything to annoy the cop either at the original stop or later on along the way, he's pretty much not going to care. If you have an ADA then he's going to ask the cop if he's OK with any deal.

Now, sometimes you can't get the deal you want. OK, try for what you can get. If they ADA says that he can't let off the hook with no points, ask him if there is anything he CAN do for you. What's the worst he can say, no?

I have encountered exactly TWO courts in 20 years that simply will not allow plea bargains of any kind and they are both in suburbs of Cleveland, so unless you're there, don't worry about it.

OK, so there are two possibilities now. a) You struck a bargain b) You struck out

90% of the time you'll have struck a bargain, and you can almost always get rid of the points. At this time you'll go back into the courtroom and wait to be called. When you are, walk to the front of the courtroom, say "I'm your honor." and shut up. The cop or ADA will do the talking for you, there will come a moment when the Judge will ask if you agree to the plea bargain. You say: "Yes, your honor" and shut up. The Judge tells you what the fine is and hands you off to the court clerk. By the way, you REALLY should have your fine money with you already. This is NOT the moment to be asking for time to pay, but if for some reason you don't, then you better speak up before you walk over to the clerk. Make sure you know how long you need and I strongly advise you to make sure sure it's not longer than a couple of weeks. Pay what you can on the spot.

Now, let's say that you were not able to strike a bargain. Well, you have two choices. You can try to cross-examine the cop during your trial, hoping to trip him up. Trust me when I say that this is pretty much a waste of time and will annoy the Judge, especially if you're clumsy about it. They HATE wannabee lawyers. OR, you can take that sob story you've been saving and tell it to the Judge. Keep it short though, and don't insult the man's intelligence. Ask for a reduction in fine if you want. Ask whatever. You've really got nothing to lose at this point. Unless you do something stupid like argue with him or smart off of course... Now you're done. Pay your fine or ask for time to pay and go home.

Using this method you will almost always be able to avoid the points. That also has an effect on your insurance. The few times you don't manage to get a favorable plea are just that, FEW. Over the long term this will keep your points down, your insurance costs down and cost you only the occasional fine. And remember; Fines are the fee you pay for the privilege of driving as fast as you want

The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket

There is more cost of speeding ticket than just the fine imposed by the court. Before you just pay your ticket you need to evaluate the total cost of a speeding ticket. First call your auto insurance agent to see how much this ticket will cost you over the next three years. Then check to see if your state imposes a surcharge on speeding tickets. The court will not tell you about this extra charge. To date New York, New Jersey and Texas impose these fines each year for three years even on out of state drivers.

Have you noticed more autos on the side of the road with an officer issuing the driver a speeding ticket? Have you seen more trucks surrounded by DOT transport police? I sure have. There are several reasons for this increased activity.

One is that after 9/11 many departments have increased patrols. The additional police presence is to assure the public that efforts are being taken to prevent terrorist attacks like the recent sniper killings. The other reason is that cities and states are faced with budget deficits in these tough economic times. Since traffic tickets are a politically correct form of taxation, many jurisdictions are increasing fines as a means of balancing the books.

A traffic officer will cost his department the average of $75,000 per year while he can be expected to issue between $150,000 to $200,000 in speeding ticket citations. There are few businesses that can equal that rate of return. Some towns like New Rome, Ohio and Waldo, Florida take in over 70% of their entire town budget through speeding tickets.

What does this mean to you, the safe driver who has not received a traffic citation in years? It means that you are now more likely than ever to see those dreaded blue lights flashing in your rear view. If that does happen you need to know that the true cost of a speeding ticket has changed drastically in the last few years.

Consider Mary, a successful sales representative who enjoys the perk of a company car. She travels extensively and has received four speeding tickets in the last three years. She considers herself a safe driver and in each instance was traveling with the flow of traffic on the interstate. She has 9 out of the 12 points on her driver’s license. Imagine her surprise when her company’s insurance carrier refused to allow Mary to drive a company car. The company obtained supplemental insurance but Mary had to pay the extra $1600.

Then there is Jeffrey, a CDL truck driver from Ohio who is an independent operator and owns his own truck. He drives 150,000 miles per year and has five tickets on his record, none a serious violation. He is unable to obtain insurance that he can afford. He is in the process of losing his truck to the finance company and does not know how he will support his family.

Families with teenagers may face an economic disaster if the teen driver receives a citation. One traffic ticket for rolling through a stop sign could cost as much as $3000 in increased premiums over the three years it remains on their record. The insurance industry considers young adults as teenagers until the age of 23.

The purpose of relating Mary and Jeffrey’s stories is not for you to feel sorry for them. It is to impress upon you the severe consequences that may result from a traffic ticket. They did not realize the true cost of a speeding ticket until it was too late. It is important to obey all traffic laws, not just for your physical protection but also for the health of your pocketbook. I have found that many people are more concerned about their pocketbook than their personal safety.

What should you do if you receive a citation? Never just pay a speeding ticket. Check with the clerk of court to see if you are eligible for traffic school or deferment program. Many jurisdictions now accept online traffic school. Check to see if this is available in your state at

 ONLINE TRAFFIC SCHOOL
If it is an out of state ticket you need to be aware that in most case the citation will be transferred to your home state and treated as if you received it in your state. Do not believe it when the officer encourages you to just pay the ticket with the assurance that it will not appear on your record.

If traffic school is not available then you or your attorney need to appear in court to contest the speeding ticket. Hiring an attorney may be your cheapest option when you consider the additional cost of you insurance. Check with your insurance agent to find out the consequences of the original charge being entered on your driving record. Remember that insurance points are different from driver's license points.

 THE INSURANCE SECRET YOU NEED TO KNOW

One minor ticket may not increase your rates but two or more speeding tickets or one serious ticket and YOUR RATES WILL GO THRU THE ROOF. Fight back by applying for a new policy right after receiving a ticket, but well before the ticket has been decided in court. The easiest way is to apply for multiple quotes ONLINE.

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