Traffic ticket advice

Y

YeaTexasFight

1,000+ Posts
I recently was pulled over and got a ticket for speeding in a construction zone with workers present which makes me ineligible for defensive driving or deferred dispostion. I have a clean driving record (I'm 23) but I am unsure what the consequences will be if I just pay the ticket. I know it will go on my record which will affect my insurance rates, but for how long? Also, will my record show 'speeding' or will it include every detail on the ticket (showing that it was in a construction zone with workers present and the speed I was charged with).

I know if I put up a big enough fight I can probably get the ticket dismissed but I'm just trying to weigh the pros and cons of doing so because with my schedule the next couple of weeks, my ability to appear to court by the deadline I have will be difficult.
 
ask for a court date in writting. WHEN they get back to you....it will be awhile. Ask the judge for the ability to take def driving. "Didn't see the signs...yada yada."
 
as for your other question i believe it will only be reflected as a speeding violation. in other words you're not going to hear the insurance agent saying "well, had you not sped in that construction zone with workers present...."
 
Lawyer. I got a school zone ticket and hired a lawyer for around 200$ and he took care of it.

Sidenote: The school zone is a scam the cops in my city run, they start the school zone at 1 and end it at 5 even though school doesn't get out until 3. So from 1-3 there is no kids outside yet 5 cops driving up and down the street ticketing every person driving one mile over.
 
Wow, I knew about fines doubling, but I am surprised that you can't get dd or deferred adjudication. Is that true everywhere in Texas? Are there other violations like that? I gotta know because if it wasn't for deferred adjudications and constant name changes, I would have a rap sheet a mile long.
 
Woo - is it THAT hard to just follow the law to some extent? Hell I'm no church-boy but I haven't gotten a ticket in probably five years. What do you do that is so important that you need to do whatever it is you do to get tickets?
 
Well you may not think it's reckless but the limit is there for SOME reason. And I sure hope you're not in an SUV or by definition you're reckless
biggrin.gif


I admit that I go about 10-15 over on roadtrips, and I've driven quite a bit but still seem to avoid the red and blue lights, so maybe I've just been extremely fortunate. Maybe if you just take it down to 80 in a 70 you'd get half as many tickets? And the time difference between 80 and 85 can't be worth getting that many tickets. 2 a year for 6 years is absurd.

On a 400 mile trip, the time difference between 80 and 85 is negligible. If you actually averaged those speeds for 400 miles (which would be next to impossible unless some times you go 95-100), it would be 5 hrs at 80 vs. about 4hrs 42 min for 85. But if you get pulled over once, there goes the time bonus. And taking defensive driving or dealing with it another way takes a few hours, and money. I just don't see where it's worth it. Not to mention that your gas mileage is worse at 85 than even 80, meaning more fuel costs and thus more stoppage time.
 
$300-400 and a lot of time, but I guess if it's worth it to you then sure, why not.

Of course, santa (the poster, not the fat gift-giver) would tell you that you are being extremely selfish and acting immorally because you are making the road less safe for the other drivers and you use more of the oil - thus contributing more to terrorists.

i guess to me $400/yr and a lot of wated time isn't worth 5mph, but again that's just me.
 
Hardly much time. Deferred takes about 15 minutes of my time, hiring a lawyer takes 30-60 and DD takes a day.

It's not so much paying to drive that 5mph, it's paying to be able to drive without really having to look at the speedometer so I can just drive the speed I feel safe at, be it 70 or 90.
 
I think that I just look fast to the cops. Tickets are definitely a pain and the dd and deferred adjudication really do cramp my freewheeling style quite a bit. For the record, I recommend that everyone go the posted speed limit (in the right hand lane of course). My point was that it doesn't sound right to have a few crazy offenses (school and construction zones, apparently) that aren't eligible for our god-given right to keep the ticket off our records through dd or deferred adjudication. That siad, I can proudly say that I am not currently on deferred adjudication anywhere in Texas currently and it has been 371 days since I last took dd!
 
I thought radar detectors were pretty much useless these days with the gun style laser radar detectors? All they do is let you know when you get busted.
 
I've had a $60 radar detector for 4 years and have yet to be even pulled over for speeding. I think the "laser" warning has gone off maybe 4 times during that stretch, and I drive all over Texas. Most of the time its "K" band or "Ka" band, not laser.
 
If you have a radar detectors all you do is wait until someone speeds by you then you stay about 100 yards behind them with you detedtor on.
 
YeaTexasFight,

I am in the same boat. I am protesting the ticket on the advice of my gf, final semester law student who did this exact stuff over the summer. I will write more later. Too tired to do it now. In sum, I am hoping the cop doesn't show up. I was speeding. The point of me doing this protest is to a) not get anything on my record and b) not to pay any money whatsoever, i.e. not DD fees, no paying the ticket outright, etc. Basically, I am trying to **** over The Man.

Like I said, I will tell more tomorrow or so.
 
set couirt date, have court date pushed back,

repeat if possible....

I used to speed like crazy, but unless you are going on a nulti-hour trip the savings in time is not substantial. Mizzou trades hours for minutes according to his post after the fact.

I do not think traveling 80 mph on the highway is recekless IF you have carefully gone over your car, tires in particular for air pressure, or nails or other hazards that might cause a blowout.

I usually DO get behind somebody who "looks fast" I get behind vehicles with either younger drivers, or any foriegn car with a spoiler and rims.... I got pulled over for just over 80 mph near Gonzales on the way home from the beach a few years ago. I actually got pulled over because I had tennis shoes dandling from my trialer hitch. I think the officer wanted to make sure I was sober, I explained those were my wading shoes and I just put them there to dry out on the drive home. Explained the kids were driving me nuts and that I was indeed aware I was speeding. I got a warning.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top