Getting a speeding ticket is a great way to ruin an otherwise good day. This is true for anyone. There are, however, many factors that may be at play. You may not know it but beating a speeding ticket is not so difficult. You just have to know the law.
Things to do to beat a speeding ticket on the day of your court appearance:
1. Dress sharply and speak clearly. The judge will look at your outward appearance first. Yes, he/she will judge you instantly on that basis alone. Go in there with your hat on sideways or your jeans hanging down under your butt and you just sealed your fate. Not that you need to wear a suit, although that is a great idea here, but just dress nice and look presentable. Appearances are everything.
2. BE ON TIME!! This is so important I cannot stress it enough. Punctuality goes a long way with a lot of people. You are trying to impress and being punctual accomplishes that completely. Walk into the courtroom 10 minutes after session begins and see what reaction you get from court staff!
3. If you decide to fight the ticket, present your case in a professional, organized manner. Bring pictures of the area, of the limit signs, of where the officer was and where you were. Draw a diagram if necessary. Be sure your case is heard. You have a right to a fair trial ad to be heard.
4. Look around the courtroom. Is the cop there? If he isn't, the judge will probably throw the ticket out!
All of this is considering you already HAVE a speeding ticket.
So how do you prevent a ticket?
1. Be aware of posted limits and don't go over them. That's a no-brainer.
2. Get a really good radar detector and learn how to use it. Police radar is accepted in traffic court. This makes beating a speeding ticket very hard.
3. Use cruise control whenever possible. This works well on long trips but not so good in the city.
4. Avoid listening to the radio LOUDly. This is known to make a driver involuntarily go faster.
Some cities have those "cop cams" now at intersections. These cameras operate during busy times of the day and actually take a photo of your license plate as you go by. Some even snap a picture of your face as well.
How can you beat a speeding ticket like that? Very simple.
There are now products that obscure your license plate from those cameras. There is an aerosol spray that you apply to the outside of the license plate. It is totally invisible to you, but when the camera flashes, the light is reflected back at the camera making your plate unreadable.
Then there is a plastic cover that does the same thing as the spray.
Some states have outlawed these products (or tried anyway) to stop you from beating a speeding ticket. They are still legal and sold widely across the Internet.
As you can see, beating a speeding ticket isn't hard. It's knowing when to speak up and when to slow down.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Fight A Speeding Ticket
We've all been there. That moment when you're running behind and you know that you're pushing it just a little bit and then you get that nasty feeling in the pit of your gut as you realize the police car you just passed is starting to move. You keep glancing in the rearview mirror and sure enough, the lights come on and he starts catching up to you. You hope that he's going to pull ahead of you at any moment but you know he's about to pace behind you and once again you're going to have to decide whether to pay or to fight a speeding ticket.
Many people have successfully fought speeding tickets based on "personal emergency", however, the guidelines for this sort of battle are very stringent. Most police officers won't give you the ticket if you are in the middle of an emergency, like on your way to the hospital. In fact, if you can communicate that fact to them, you may find yourself with a police escort to the hospital.
Outside of a significant emergency such as rushing off to the hospital or to the side of a loved one's death bed, "personal emergency" doesn't excuse the behavior and it is very difficult to fight a speeding ticket in this manner.
More effectively, the two most common claims against a speeding ticket include ill posted signs and inconclusive speedometers. Usually, a police officer will give most cars a five mile per hour speed leeway, as speedometers are not considered to be calibrated at pinpoint accuracy. It is not uncommon for speedometers to be off by about 5 miles per hour. This won't get you out of a speeding ticket if you were pulled over for doing 75 in a 35 zone, but if you're talking a few miles per hour, you have a reasonable claim to fight a speeding ticket.
Ill posted signs are actually all over the place. In most states, the residential speed limit for any residential area is 35 miles per hour. Once the road returns to more open highway, it is assumed unless otherwise posted that the speed limit returns to either 55 miles per hour or 65 miles per hour, depending on the road and state law. If the road is devoid of the sign signifying the end of the 35 mile per hour zone, then it is unreasonable to assume that drivers can telepathically understand where the reduced speed zone ends. Under these circumstances a driver can usually successfully fight a speeding ticket.
Of course, avoiding the speeding ticket is the most sensible way to fight a speeding ticket. Yet each of us will find ourselves running late for an important meeting or appointment and we will gun the accelerator just enough to push the envelope in hopes of shaving just a few minutes off our travel time.
Many people have successfully fought speeding tickets based on "personal emergency", however, the guidelines for this sort of battle are very stringent. Most police officers won't give you the ticket if you are in the middle of an emergency, like on your way to the hospital. In fact, if you can communicate that fact to them, you may find yourself with a police escort to the hospital.
Outside of a significant emergency such as rushing off to the hospital or to the side of a loved one's death bed, "personal emergency" doesn't excuse the behavior and it is very difficult to fight a speeding ticket in this manner.
More effectively, the two most common claims against a speeding ticket include ill posted signs and inconclusive speedometers. Usually, a police officer will give most cars a five mile per hour speed leeway, as speedometers are not considered to be calibrated at pinpoint accuracy. It is not uncommon for speedometers to be off by about 5 miles per hour. This won't get you out of a speeding ticket if you were pulled over for doing 75 in a 35 zone, but if you're talking a few miles per hour, you have a reasonable claim to fight a speeding ticket.
Ill posted signs are actually all over the place. In most states, the residential speed limit for any residential area is 35 miles per hour. Once the road returns to more open highway, it is assumed unless otherwise posted that the speed limit returns to either 55 miles per hour or 65 miles per hour, depending on the road and state law. If the road is devoid of the sign signifying the end of the 35 mile per hour zone, then it is unreasonable to assume that drivers can telepathically understand where the reduced speed zone ends. Under these circumstances a driver can usually successfully fight a speeding ticket.
Of course, avoiding the speeding ticket is the most sensible way to fight a speeding ticket. Yet each of us will find ourselves running late for an important meeting or appointment and we will gun the accelerator just enough to push the envelope in hopes of shaving just a few minutes off our travel time.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Beat A Speeding Ticket
Did you know that the biggest motivation for speeding tickets is the fact that they generate a good deal of income for the cities they are written as well as being beneficial to the revenue of auto insurance companies who pay for the radar guns that check the speed of moving vehicles? You should not get upset with the officer writing the ticket as he is only doing his job, which plays a part in creating revenue for both the city and the auto insurance companies. More than likely, the officer does not consider you a danger to any community when you are traveling 10 miles over a speed limit; however, he is paid to play his part in this matter, even though it is your tax money that pays his salary. You should also keep in mind that the judge who rules over your case is also just doing his job as well by aiding the city in acquiring your money. So, how do you beat a speeding ticket?
First, you should realize that the best way to beat a speeding ticket it to stay within the speed limit, thereby not having to be stopped for speeding. Also you should know that it is in your best interest to not make a practice of going over the speed limit, as reoccurrences not only show on your driving record, but it makes it even harder to be able to beat a speeding ticket if you are a habitual offender. If you do have traffic tickets of any type, which are being held against your driving record, you should make sure that they are both fought and won in court or you should pay your fines in full. Doing this will keep you out of a good deal of trouble as it can be seen that you are trying to make a difference, rather than just letting issues build up against you.
As an example, let us say that you have just been pulled over by an officer. The first thing you do is to be polite and courteous to the officer, as there is no need to get the officer upset with you, you want the officer to like you. You should also switch your car off and place your hands at 10 and 2, where your hands are visible. However, do not make the mistake of getting out of your car unless so instructed by the officer. Once the officer has received your information, then try to talk with the officer in a kindly manner. If you are unable to talk the officer out of giving you the ticket to begin with, with perhaps just a warning from them, you should challenge the speeding ticket in court.
Paying the ticket right away is only an admission to guilt. If possible have the court date set back as many times as you can, creating a long time between the episode and your day in court, as this will more than likely have either the officer forget you or not even show up in court. Both of these strategies can work for you as forgetfulness is always good in such cases, and an officer not showing up in court can have the case dismissed. You can also agree to attend traffic school while trying to beat a speeding ticket, as most judges will also dismiss the case if you do. If however you do not feel that you can beat a speeding ticket on your own, then you may want to consider the aid of a traffic ticket attorney.
First, you should realize that the best way to beat a speeding ticket it to stay within the speed limit, thereby not having to be stopped for speeding. Also you should know that it is in your best interest to not make a practice of going over the speed limit, as reoccurrences not only show on your driving record, but it makes it even harder to be able to beat a speeding ticket if you are a habitual offender. If you do have traffic tickets of any type, which are being held against your driving record, you should make sure that they are both fought and won in court or you should pay your fines in full. Doing this will keep you out of a good deal of trouble as it can be seen that you are trying to make a difference, rather than just letting issues build up against you.
As an example, let us say that you have just been pulled over by an officer. The first thing you do is to be polite and courteous to the officer, as there is no need to get the officer upset with you, you want the officer to like you. You should also switch your car off and place your hands at 10 and 2, where your hands are visible. However, do not make the mistake of getting out of your car unless so instructed by the officer. Once the officer has received your information, then try to talk with the officer in a kindly manner. If you are unable to talk the officer out of giving you the ticket to begin with, with perhaps just a warning from them, you should challenge the speeding ticket in court.
Paying the ticket right away is only an admission to guilt. If possible have the court date set back as many times as you can, creating a long time between the episode and your day in court, as this will more than likely have either the officer forget you or not even show up in court. Both of these strategies can work for you as forgetfulness is always good in such cases, and an officer not showing up in court can have the case dismissed. You can also agree to attend traffic school while trying to beat a speeding ticket, as most judges will also dismiss the case if you do. If however you do not feel that you can beat a speeding ticket on your own, then you may want to consider the aid of a traffic ticket attorney.
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