Spring Break Speeding Ticket

[imaircooled]

The family and I drove from Cincinnati to Florida for Spring Break. Visited the newer Star Wars areas at Disney. Went to the beach....all that kind of stuff. We drove a rental mini van. On the way home my right foot got heavy and I got a speeding ticket in Georgia. I was going 86 in a 70. I apologized. I don't have the ticket in front of me but it said something like "more than 15 mph over the limit" puts me in the Super Speeder category. Which equals another fine to be determined and paid later....I don't remember exactly. I wanted to ask the brain trust here if there was anything I can do about it.....or forget about it and pay it?

Thanks in advance,
Chris

[David]

First I'd call the court and ask about defensive driving to get it dismissed. If that doesn't work, I'd do a traffic lawyer search for the county you received the ticket in and see what they can do for you.

I got one in Mississippi and one in North Carolina last year on a road trip and used each of these to handle them.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by David

First I'd call the court and ask about defensive driving to get it dismissed. If that doesn't work, I'd do a traffic lawyer search for the county you received the ticket in and see what they can do for you.

I agree...a few phone calls can't hurt. I know you know, but be polite. You won't be her first call of the day.

Before everyone piles on with the "don't to the crime if you can't afford the fine", it happens: Those mini-vans can flat tear-up the super slab.

[KFC911]

At 16 over on I-95 .... you were holding up the flow of traffic ...

Call and pay the reduced amount they agree too ... it just wasn't yer day .

[stevej37]

MI does the same....15 over is a big step up in fees.
A few times I've been told that I was over that...but they always say "I'll cut it down to just below 15 over today."
I've taken the online driving program when my points were too many. It's a lengthy watch...but worth it. You can stop and restart the next day or more until you've done the whole thing.

[Superman]

One mile per hour outside the "15 over" range? This policeman was a butthead.

Sure, you can ask about deferrals and defensive driving courses and....options. Like someone said, be nice.

Just taking your lumps is also an option.

In my area, there are traffic attorneys....one in particular....who basically guarantee your citation will go away. I paid something like $350 to make one go away, but that was more than a decade ago.

[Z-man]

Were you on the interstate? I haven't seen an issue on the interstates with travelling at 10-15 mph over the limit. (NJ to NC I-95 corridor)

85 is the new 55...

[3rd_gear_Ted]

"79 is fine, @ 80 your mine"
Says my California Highway Patrol friend

[craigster59]

Back in January I was rolling down the 5 south from the Newhall Pass. I saw a motor CHP in my rearview mirror where the 5 hits the 210.

We roll along for a good 4 miles and as I am coming up where the truck bypass hooks up with the 5 after the 405, I'm in the far right lane and a semi is merging into my lane. There's a car next to me so I give it a little gas to give the semi room to move over and the CHP lights me up.

I've got all my papers in order, registration, insurance. I explain to him that I was making room for the semi to merge. He hands me a ticket anyway. I asked "What did you write me up for?". He says "70 mph". I told him "70 in a 65? YGBFKM!".

I go online and the ticket still isn't posted even though it says to give it 30 days to show up. It's one of those computer generated jobs. Do you think he might have reconsidered and deleted it from his digital "ticket book"?

[Superman]

No kidding. Today, if I were a state trooper looking to write tickets, I'd wait for someone driving a ridiculous speed. I would not expect to wait long.

[Superman]

Originally Posted by craigster59

I explain to him that I was making room for the semi to merge. He hands me a ticket .... "70 in a 65? Y...

Once upon a time, state troopers were in the business of promoting public safety.

[David]

I took defensive driving for a ticket 26 over, years ago. The key is to be nice: to the cop, to the trooper, to the judge, to the random court house person on the phone, etc.

That ticket I got last year in North Carolina was for "exceeding the speed limit". The trooper clocked us well over the speed limit. After the initial "extreme" anger he had for all us Porsche drivers, we were very nice to him and about an hour later he gave us our tickets and off we went. Be nice!

[911 Rod]

How much $ we talking about?
Time is money.

[DonDavis]

Nothing wrong with ~5mph over. More than that and you're asking for it.

I'm confused...your foot got heavy...you asked for the ticket.

How many folks that live north of Georgia and speed going to/from Fla? Way too many, stop sihtting on drive through states.

You got popped, pay up.

Btw, do some math on your arrival times using different speeds. You'll see the difference is tiny and quite frankly, not worth the risk...as your Super Speeding fine with reiterate soon enough.

[matthewb0051]

Call the poor sod attorney that is a prosecutor in the municipal court. You may be able to get them to reduce it to a 'normal' ticket if your record is otherwise clean. Then just pay it quickly.

I say 'poor sod' because no one sees themselves as working in as a DA in a municipal traffic court while they are in law school. But someone ends up there...

[javadog]

Make a deal with the prosecutor. He wants the money, you want no points on your license. Those deals can be made, they’re made every day.

[David]

Originally Posted by javadog

Make a deal with the prosecutor. He wants the money, you want no points on your license. Those deals can be made, they’re made every day.

In Texas the key words are "deferred adjudication". It doesn't go on your record and more important to the county/city, it doesn't go on their record. Thank you Governor Bush for clamping down on speed trap money grabs!

[2.7RS]

Better Call Saul!!!

[Jims5543]

Georgia is the worst when it comes to speeding tickets. There used to be a member here that was LEO in Georgia and sat at MM5 all the time. I always waved when I went by on the chance he was there.

I used to have a vacation home in NC, cannot even count how many times I drove from FL to NC.

I got popped once and it really pissed me off, I pulled out to pass on a 3 lane, I saw some cars coming up fast behind me so I sped up to finish the pass and get out of the way.

I got popped by a cop with a laser in the bushes. Cop was all excited that he nailed me and was radioing ahead. I came up on an overpass, saw the 20 cruisers waiting there. One was getting ready to pull out to chase me, I pulled off in front of him, I knew I was nailed.

He asked me why I was going so fast, I told him to finish and pass and get out of the way of the faster cars coming behind me. He did not like my answer.

Full ticket. It was just before the super speeder law passed. I was super pissed and vowed to never spend a penny in Georgia after that.

I called that stretch of I95 120 mile of hell. Many many trips through there, I stopped in North Florida for gas skipping Georgia's cheaper gas, and drove straight through the state not stopping again until I was in SC.

We used to stop in Savannah all the time on both the trip up and back, we spent many $$$ in Georgia on our trips. Not anymore.

The lost revenue was satisfying, I know the state does not give a crap.

Over the years I met quite a few people that have the same rule, no money spent in Georgia. It was good to see others share my disdain for the state and its over the top speed traps.

The law was passed to generate a lot of revenue, bend over and prepare for getting one up there dry.

[Superman]

Originally Posted by DonDavis

Nothing wrong with ~5mph over....

You are right about the almost nonexistent time savings from speeding, but if you don't go more than 5 over then I sure hope you stay all the way away from the passing lane.