Got My 1st Ticket

[JAZZ-n-FZ6]

So as my title shows I got my first ticket today. I was going between 70-75 on the I-5 and did not realize that for about 4-5 of it, it changes to a 55 MPH rather than a 65 MPH. I know I was going over the speed limit, but I thought I was safe only going 5-10 over. Next thing I knew I saw a biker cop come up behind me. I thought crap...I can't believe he is pulling me over for that speed. I come to find out that the speed limit had lowered about 2 miles prior. So he wrote me up for 75 in a 55. I thought he would show grace but he didn't show much at all.

So now my question to any of you who have gotten tickets before, how much should I expect for the ticket and all the other fees. He told me that since it was 20 over I can still go to traffic school. I was looking online and it looks like you can do traffic school for $30 or so. Thanks for your help guys.

Jeremy

 

[Wavex]

My bet is $375 for the ticket... + $30 for traffic school.

You can pay it all online... just give it a couple of weeks to show up and then you can pay it and choose the traffic school from their approved list (on website too).

 

[Live4Snow]

That sucks to hear. Sorry I dont have any advice, but you do have my sympathies.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Welcome to the ellite club!

 

[Ryan T]

I hope that your ticket is not that expensive. Seems like the cop would have cut you a little slick but unfortunately not. Good luck with the class and hopefully that will be your last.

 

[zigzagg321]

that sucks, especially considering you probably werent doing anything dangerous.

 

[JAZZ-n-FZ6]

Ya it does suck. I was not being dangerous. Normally the I-5 is crazy congested and it is impossible to even get to the speed limit, but today there was almost no traffic. I got to work 15 minutes early even with the ticket. Ya I hope it is less than that. I'm hoping to get out the door for around 3 bills but it could easily be around 4 bills.

 

[newfdavidj]

It's not so much the ticket that would bother me...it's the points on your insurance. 20 over is a hefty ticket but it will jack up your insurance rates when you go to renew and usually sticks with you for 2-3 years. You can go to court and plead your case, being you did have a clean record and ask for the points to be waived and just pay the fine. Hopefully that's the case.

 

[DefyInertia]

the CA online courses are easy...listen to wavex.

 

[ELIZABETH]

You should DEFINITELY try going with a traffic law center type place and get it reduced. It may cost a bit more now, but avoiding the points will cost much less in the long run. My husband got a speeding ticket, paid it, and the next month our insurance company raised our rates. (ouch!)
Be careful out there.

 

[lonesoldier84]

There will be more. Rest assured. Just budget for it in the future and you'll be fine.

 

[JAZZ-n-FZ6]

From how I understand it I can take traffic school, that is what the cop told me, and if I do, I will not get any points on my record, which means that my insurance will not be affected.

 

[zmeiaspas]

Thank god that cop saved the day.







In all seriousness - that sux man. Just think of it as road tax or a bad day at the casino Hope it's the last one for a while :iconbeer:

 

[knightrider]

Get a traffic lawyer for sure. Might be like $150 but that and a smaller fine, maybe no lost points is cool. Especially the insurance part, bike insurance is expensive enough. I got a traffic lawyer for a car speeding ticket and it got reduced to "bad speedometer" or some such. Didn't even have to go to court.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

There will be more. Rest assured. Just budget for it in the future and you'll be fine.

LOL!! Remember, everything comes in three's.

 

[specialk]

sorry to hear man...

that ticket will absolutely NOT be less than $350. I just got a ticket for 17 over in norcal and it was $342.

I am taking traffic school. I called my insurance company for kicks to find out what would happen to my premium with 1 point...$1000 INCREASE PER YEAR for the three years that the point shows up. unfreakinbelievable

Do exactly as I say though from here (i just did this).
go to the traffic clerk at the local traffic court and ask for an arraignment. Here you will be scheduled. The arraignment is where you and go in front of a judge or commissioner and they ask how you plead. you say "guilty, and I would like traffic school". The judge will then ok traffic school but will most likely reduce the fine. at worse case, you wasted an hour in court. Best case, you save some money. You can just mail everything in, but you will be paying the full amount rest assured.

hope this helps.

 

[Red Wazp]

sorry to hear man...

that ticket will absolutely NOT be less than $350. I just got a ticket for 17 over in norcal and it was $342.

I am taking traffic school. I called my insurance company for kicks to find out what would happen to my premium with 1 point...$1000 INCREASE PER YEAR for the three years that the point shows up. unfreakinbelievable

Do exactly as I say though from here (i just did this).
go to the traffic clerk at the local traffic court and ask for an arraignment. Here you will be scheduled. The arraignment is where you and go in front of a judge or commissioner and they ask how you plead. you say "guilty, and I would like traffic school". The judge will then ok traffic school but will most likely reduce the fine. at worse case, you wasted an hour in court. Best case, you save some money. You can just mail everything in, but you will be paying the full amount rest assured.

hope this helps.

OUCH I'd better slow down.

Don't forget you can't do traffic school again for 18 months so you'd better be good.

 

[JAZZ-n-FZ6]

Ya I have to be really good for the next 18 months because I jsut started student teaching, which means I can't work because I am student teaching all day and in classes at night, so I don't have any expendable money right now. This ticket came at the worst time it could have in the last 8 years...but I guess that is how it goes sometimes.

 

[specialk]

red wazp...the ticket was on my new to me FJR. 2 days old!!! :spank:


cop was on an st1300 and I told him that he wouldn't have pulled me over if I was on a honda...he didn't think that was funny.

 

[Tailgate]

Get a traffic lawyer for sure. Might be like $150 but that and a smaller fine, maybe no lost points is cool. Especially the insurance part, bike insurance is expensive enough. I got a traffic lawyer for a car speeding ticket and it got reduced to "bad speedometer" or some such. Didn't even have to go to court.

N NO WAY! Are you kidding? Hire a lawyer to fight a speed ticket? Maybe Wisconsin is like Nevada? But, in CA, N NO WAY. It's not worth it to hire a lawyer. If you haven't done traffic school in the last 18 months, you're ELIGIBLE. You won't get knicked for ANY points and your record and the violation doesn't even show up on the DMV printout if you do the traffic school. Also, if you want to contest it, do it yourself. BTW, I fought a stop sign violation myself through the mail (you send in your written argument, photos, etc.) but, unfortunately, lost. I, of course, did the traffic school so it WOULDN'T BE ON MY RECORD.