Speeding ticket advice stay cool, stay calm when you see that flashing blue light. Fight the ticket if you must, but the best advice is to avoid speeding tickets altogether.
The blue light in your rearview mirror is flashing just for you. Your stomach turns, your head spins. You're caught and you didn't even know you were speeding. Or maybe you did. Either way, your behavior at this time can impact the outcome if you decide to contest the ticket.
Pull your vehicle over to the right as soon as you can safely do so (don't pull over on entrance or exit ramps). It's a good idea to turn your right signal on to indicate to the officer that you see him and are intending to pull over.
Once you've stopped, get your driver's license and registration ready. Holding them in your left hand, place both hands on the steering wheel at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions. Police officers and state troopers are extremely wary about approaching traffic violators; law enforcement offers are killed each year during these routine traffic stops. Putting the officer at ease right away will help him relax and this could work in your favor--you may get off with a warning ticket.
Courtesy is critical at these times. Be polite but don't admit guilt. Forget the make flimsy excuses; that's as good as an admission of guilt. Traffic officers have heard every excuse and most of them are in no mood to hear your story.
OK, you've stayed calm and made nice but the mean old cop tickets you anyway. When you get a ticket, make copious notes at the scene. Carefully noting the surroundings may help if you go to court. Write down yours and the officer's locations when he stopped you. Was the traffic heavy? Could anything such as electric power lines have affected the radar's reliability?
You can meekly pay your ticket or contest it. The advantage to paying the fine is, once it's paid, you're done with it. Well, not really. Paying the ticket will probably up your insurance rates for 3 years or more. Admitting guilt may add points to your driving record; get too many of these babies and you could lose your license.
Taking on the "powers that be" can be risky, too. Contesting a ticket will cost $150 and up if you hire a lawyer (recommended). Preparing your case can be time consuming and frustrating. For example, you'll want to get a number of documents such as radar maintenance records. A diagram of the scene may be useful as well. Going to court isn't any fun and you may risk the ire of the ticketing officer and the judge.
Pray that you won't meet the fate of the Conyers, Georgia woman who did jail time following her run in with traffic court. Linda Hamilton denied driving 62 MPH in a 45 MPH zone. Ms. Hamilton, who served as her own attorney, got a two day jury trial but was still found guilty. The court threw the proverbial book at her; two days in jail, a $1,200 fine, one year's probation and 80 hours community service. An added insult to her injury was the judge's admonition that Ms. Hamilton's case had wasted the court's time.
You can, of course, avoid these miseries by slowing down a bit. Here are a few tips:
1. Stay alert. Pay attention to speed limit signs.
2. Watch out for speed traps, especially as you enter a town or city. Many officers work on a quota system and some municipalities earn up to 40 per cent of their law enforcement budget with traffic fine revenues.
3. Buy one of the latest fuzz busting gizmos. Radar detection technology is keeping up with the devices used by police and state troopers. Newer models are small and can be attached to your sun visor.
4. Use your cruise control to lock you into the speed limit and keep that lead foot in check. Unless you're in heavy stop-and-start traffic, cruise control will work great for this purpose, even at slower speeds of 35-55 MPH.
5. ALWAYS have your license, registration and required proof of insurance coverage with you.
6. NEVER travel with alcohol, illegal drugs or unregistered, unlicensed firearms in your vehicle.
7. Life in the fast lane isn't the best place to drive. State troopers watch this lane for speeders. Stay in the far right lane when you can.
8. Don't cut in and out of traffic, this calls attention to your vehicle.
9. Check out the Speedtrap web site to find out where boys and girls in blue have set traps for the unwary traveler or get a little revenge by adding the speed trap in your town to their data base.
