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Getting out of a speeding ticket?
Isn't it nice that MSN posts how to get out of a speeding ticket. 
~~~~~
Ivan Sever, a professor at Berklee College of Music, heard nothing melodious in the siren that pulled him over on a little country road outside of Boston. And he was nonplussed when the officer told him he was speeding as he drove his 12-year-old daughter, Alison, to ballet class.
"But no speed limit is posted," Sever said from behind the wheel of his Suzuki SUV. "Tell it to a judge," the officer shot back.
And that's what Sever did.
He demanded a trial to challenge the notion that motorists should somehow divine the speed limit based on the density of the population. To prepare, Sever invested $29 in a membership with the National Motorists Association, a group based in Waunakee, Wis., that helps drivers fight for their rights.
"I did my homework," says Sever. But he needn't have worried. "The policeman never showed up," adds Sever, "so the judge dismissed the case."
His record is clean, and his insurance company never heard about the ticket.
Even if you are caught dead to rights with a lead foot, don't automatically pay the ticket. With a little effort, you may beat the double whammy of paying the fine and paying higher premiums on your auto insurance policy.
Just ask the Maryland man who found himself before a judge pleading "guilty with explanation." It seems that a protest against China's repression of the Falun Gong had created a hopeless traffic jam as he tried to pick up his daughter at camp. Once traffic opened up, his foot went down, and a cop pulled him over.
As proof of his predicament, the man handed the judge an article about the protest. "You're invoking the Falun Gong defense?" the judge asked sardonically. "I don't care what your excuse is, mister, you've got to slow down."
But then the judge gave him a special incentive to put his foot on a diet. The driver was given "probation before judgment." If he keeps his record clean for a year, it'll be as if the whole thing never happened. There's no record for his insurer to use to jack up his rates. The speeder paid more than $100 in fines and court costs but figures he saved hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars by avoiding insurance surcharges.
No one keeps an exact count of how many speeding tickets are issued each year, but one estimate puts the number at about 14 million. Most of those nabbed admit their guilt and either pay a fine or take advantage of a re-education program to mitigate or erase the effect of the ticket. Only about 3% of ticketed drivers head to court to challenge the ticket and try to beat the rap.
But more of them should, says Chad Dornsife, a lobbyist and head of the Nevada chapter of the National Motorists Association. One estimate suggests that more than 50% of contested speeding tickets result in dismissal, a reduced fine or a finding in the driver's favor.
Considering the long-term financial consequences, you should not treat a speeding ticket lightly. Although you won't face jail time unless your offense is more serious (say, reckless driving), you can put your license in jeopardy by piling up tickets. Most states suspend or revoke the license of a chronic offender, and violations generally stay on your record for about three years. But even an occasional ticket can have "amazing economic impact," says Geoffrey Nathan, a lawyer in Boston who specializes in fighting speeding tickets.
The financial fallout begins with the fine. Depending on where you push the pedal to the metal, the fine can range from $5 to $1,000. In Massachusetts, for example, the minimum is $50 for speeds up to 10 miles an hour over the limit, plus $10 for every excess mile per hour. In California, you'll pay up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for the second and $250 for each ticket after that. Fines in many states are automatically doubled in school or work zones.
For many drivers, though, the biggest pocketbook hit comes not from the judge but from the insurance company. A speeding ticket can drive up premiums for three to five years. Some insurers do ignore your first ticket. Dick Ludkee, a spokesman for State Farm, says that drivers who enjoy the company's best rates generally won't be penalized for a single speeding ticket. But one ticket makes a difference with other companies.
To see the devastating impact speeding tickets can have, consider a single-car policy in Massachusetts. A typical policy with liability, collision and comprehensive coverage starts out at $1,549 a year. The first speeding ticket wipes out a $123 good-driver discount. A second triggers a $370 rate hike; a third boosts the rate $565 over the $1,549 base. In effect, three tickets trigger a "fine" from the insurer of $565 a year, or $2,825 over five years -- far higher than the official fine imposed by the state. Wherever you live, it's likely your insurer will ratchet up the surcharges as you rack up tickets. So the stakes get higher each time you're pulled over.
If you are ticketed, use the two weeks you're generally given before you must take action to do some research. Police officers, even with radar, can make mistakes. There may be mitigating circumstances, such as speeding up to avoid a potential accident caused by another driver's erratic behavior.
Also, realize that all speed laws are not created equal. David Brown, a lawyer in Monterey, Calif., and author of '
~~~~~
Ivan Sever, a professor at Berklee College of Music, heard nothing melodious in the siren that pulled him over on a little country road outside of Boston. And he was nonplussed when the officer told him he was speeding as he drove his 12-year-old daughter, Alison, to ballet class.
"But no speed limit is posted," Sever said from behind the wheel of his Suzuki SUV. "Tell it to a judge," the officer shot back.
And that's what Sever did.
He demanded a trial to challenge the notion that motorists should somehow divine the speed limit based on the density of the population. To prepare, Sever invested $29 in a membership with the National Motorists Association, a group based in Waunakee, Wis., that helps drivers fight for their rights.
"I did my homework," says Sever. But he needn't have worried. "The policeman never showed up," adds Sever, "so the judge dismissed the case."
His record is clean, and his insurance company never heard about the ticket.
Even if you are caught dead to rights with a lead foot, don't automatically pay the ticket. With a little effort, you may beat the double whammy of paying the fine and paying higher premiums on your auto insurance policy.
Just ask the Maryland man who found himself before a judge pleading "guilty with explanation." It seems that a protest against China's repression of the Falun Gong had created a hopeless traffic jam as he tried to pick up his daughter at camp. Once traffic opened up, his foot went down, and a cop pulled him over.
As proof of his predicament, the man handed the judge an article about the protest. "You're invoking the Falun Gong defense?" the judge asked sardonically. "I don't care what your excuse is, mister, you've got to slow down."
But then the judge gave him a special incentive to put his foot on a diet. The driver was given "probation before judgment." If he keeps his record clean for a year, it'll be as if the whole thing never happened. There's no record for his insurer to use to jack up his rates. The speeder paid more than $100 in fines and court costs but figures he saved hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars by avoiding insurance surcharges.
No one keeps an exact count of how many speeding tickets are issued each year, but one estimate puts the number at about 14 million. Most of those nabbed admit their guilt and either pay a fine or take advantage of a re-education program to mitigate or erase the effect of the ticket. Only about 3% of ticketed drivers head to court to challenge the ticket and try to beat the rap.
But more of them should, says Chad Dornsife, a lobbyist and head of the Nevada chapter of the National Motorists Association. One estimate suggests that more than 50% of contested speeding tickets result in dismissal, a reduced fine or a finding in the driver's favor.
Considering the long-term financial consequences, you should not treat a speeding ticket lightly. Although you won't face jail time unless your offense is more serious (say, reckless driving), you can put your license in jeopardy by piling up tickets. Most states suspend or revoke the license of a chronic offender, and violations generally stay on your record for about three years. But even an occasional ticket can have "amazing economic impact," says Geoffrey Nathan, a lawyer in Boston who specializes in fighting speeding tickets.
The financial fallout begins with the fine. Depending on where you push the pedal to the metal, the fine can range from $5 to $1,000. In Massachusetts, for example, the minimum is $50 for speeds up to 10 miles an hour over the limit, plus $10 for every excess mile per hour. In California, you'll pay up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for the second and $250 for each ticket after that. Fines in many states are automatically doubled in school or work zones.
For many drivers, though, the biggest pocketbook hit comes not from the judge but from the insurance company. A speeding ticket can drive up premiums for three to five years. Some insurers do ignore your first ticket. Dick Ludkee, a spokesman for State Farm, says that drivers who enjoy the company's best rates generally won't be penalized for a single speeding ticket. But one ticket makes a difference with other companies.
To see the devastating impact speeding tickets can have, consider a single-car policy in Massachusetts. A typical policy with liability, collision and comprehensive coverage starts out at $1,549 a year. The first speeding ticket wipes out a $123 good-driver discount. A second triggers a $370 rate hike; a third boosts the rate $565 over the $1,549 base. In effect, three tickets trigger a "fine" from the insurer of $565 a year, or $2,825 over five years -- far higher than the official fine imposed by the state. Wherever you live, it's likely your insurer will ratchet up the surcharges as you rack up tickets. So the stakes get higher each time you're pulled over.
If you are ticketed, use the two weeks you're generally given before you must take action to do some research. Police officers, even with radar, can make mistakes. There may be mitigating circumstances, such as speeding up to avoid a potential accident caused by another driver's erratic behavior.
Also, realize that all speed laws are not created equal. David Brown, a lawyer in Monterey, Calif., and author of '
The conversation went like this:![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
35in a 15. Only because it was a construction site. No construction was going on. The second time, day after New Years eve. I was sober just tired (no excuse) And my foot was a little heavy 45in 35
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