Speeding Ticket - Need Advice

rodeo_chris

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2005
Location
Mocksville, NC
Got my first speeding ticket last night and need some advice about what I should do to reduce the damages to my wallet.

Here's the info:
35mph zone, I was driving along at about 40mph when I started going down a hill. My speedometer was somewhere between 40 and 45 when I saw him driving behind me. He gave me a ticket for 50 in a 35.

Tire size increased from 27's to 35's
Gear ratio reduced from 4.30:1 to 5.38:1

Should I get my speedometer calibrated?
Where and how much does this cost?
How accurate is an officer "pacing" another vehicle to calculate speed?
What are my options?
What kind of fines and insurance charges am I looking at?

Thanks guys,
-chris
 
go to court and then take the driving class. its about 100 bucks or so and the ticket wont show up on ur insurance.
 
have your speedo checked by a local speedo shop. they'll give you a certified card indicating actual and indicated speeds. present this to the DA, and ask for a reduced charge of faulty equipment. if this is denied, ask for it to be reduced to 9 over. neither of these will carry insurance points. the 9 over will carry 1 license point though. if both of your requests are denied, tell them you need a continuance. go get a lawyer, or hope there's a different more leniant DA on your next court date.
 
Pacing is very accurate and hard to fight. State requires a minimum of a .2 mile for a pace. the fine for 50/35 is $25 with court costs $100. It is an infraction, but will carry insurance points. If you can get it reduced to 44/35 it will not be reported to insurance. If you get the speedo checked and it shows off and the DA is willing to drop to Improper Equipment there will be no points on insurance, but our DA's are starting to stick it to ya with the fines on that.

What I am about to say is not directed specifically at you but to everyone here. When you change your tire size, or your gearing, the speedo will no longer be accurate. It is "your" responsibility to ensure that your speedo is functioning correctly. Don't rely on the IE charge as a crutch that you can fall on if charged with speeding.
 
I reguards to you speedo calabration. The law does not require you to have a speedo. Therefore If it is wrong they really don't Care
 
How old are you? I'm origionally from the same area. Don't sweat to much over the whole thing. Were you in a school zone? I wouldn't say anything about Impropper Equipment at all. It's your first speeding ticket. True you are 15 over technically they can take your license from you if the judge had a real hard on. That wouldn't be fair as well. The judge will reduce you to nine over. I've only heard a few cases where the mph weren't reduced. It's will cost you $100.00 in court but won't show up on your insurance. Be careful with the whole 50+ speeding, NC law will only allow you two speeding tickets a year I think over 55 before they take your license. If you are caught again with a 9 over or above it will show on your insurance. O and to the other part I don't know of any calibrating services in Mt. Airy. I knew someone that would do fake but they got poped.
 
89 Sevice Center beside of the Wagon Wheel Resteraunt on 89. That guy was calibrating speedos.
 
I had several tickets in the wilder days worse than yours. Sometimes within 2 weeks of each other. If your worried about it that much pay the money and get a lawyer. I've had several from different parts of the states and it's my understanding that they don't pull your driving record when you get a lawyer. I had 72 in a 55 and 83 in a 65 both within 8 days of each other in 2 different counties . Both reduced to IE and no license or insurance points but it cost me
 
Josh C said:
I had several tickets in the wilder days worse than yours. Sometimes within 2 weeks of each other. If your worried about it that much pay the money and get a lawyer. I've had several from different parts of the states and it's my understanding that they don't pull your driving record when you get a lawyer. I had 72 in a 55 and 83 in a 65 both within 8 days of each other in 2 different counties . Both reduced to IE and no license or insurance points but it cost me
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I agree, get a lawyer and let him play the game. You'll likely get a reduction to 9 miles over the limit which is just a slap on the wrist.

a96lt4.com_smileys_drivedevil00.gif
 
Thanks for the input guys. I guess I was just freaking out about it. I really don't think that I could get an IE call. My speedometer reads just slightly faster than I'm actually going. Someone asked about my age, I'm 23.

-chris
 
I go to Mt. Airy some still and will be looking for trails. Know of any. I used to go to industrial and climb the hills alot but haven't been in a year almost. Anyone still go? You know of any trails around?
 
fryedaddy said:
I go to Mt. Airy some still and will be looking for trails. Know of any. I used to go to industrial and climb the hills alot but haven't been in a year almost. Anyone still go? You know of any trails around?
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There are still some that go out there but I am pretty sure it is very Illegal. There are a couple of privately owned areas around. As far as looking for trails give up I have looked everywhere :driver:
 
When you change tire size and not gear ratio your speedo is way off. When you change tire size and change to proper gear ratio your speedo will be accurate. According to your stock tire size and gear ratio your gear ratio should be 5.57 with 35's. With 5.38 your speedo is only off 3.6%. If your true tire size is closer to 34 (like with MTR's) then it's even less. Before you go IE route you should take a GPS for a ride.
 
I got my speedo calibrated, but lemme tell ya, it isn't off as much as the speedo place wrote me at... They're used to fudging the numbers I think...
 
what kind of vehicle were you driving? 4.30 gears sounds like a ford superduty with a v10? if so calibrating the speedo is a snap.
 
I would advise not to use your pfj...if its ur first offense any lawyer will pretty much guarantee you will walk away from this with nothing cept lawyer costs...hell u might be able to pull it off urself, but with a lawyer ur pretty much guaranteed.
 
A lawyer will probably use your pjc anyway. I had the DA in Raleigh tell me "nobody cares that you were speeding or that your speedo is off." just go to court on your date and the DA will automatically reduce it to 9 over. then you go before the judge and plead guilty to the 9 over charge. He/she will ask you if you have anything further. If you do, there is nothing they can do about it. The only thing they are there for is to get a guilty verdict. If you want to plead innocent then you have to go to a trial at a later date when the officer is in court. All they want is your $100. Just don't get any more within 3 years or you will have to use your pjc (Prayer for Judgement Continuance). A lawyer is a waste of money in this instance.
 
Hmmm, that's funny, my lawyer says never use your PJC on your first ticket. Get it reduced then use your PJC on your second ticket. She's stated that many times here.
 
Blade said:
I agree, get a lawyer and let him play the game. You'll likely get a reduction to 9 miles over the limit which is just a slap on the wrist.

a96lt4.com_smileys_drivedevil00.gif
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That's what I did. I got a ticket for 19 over, so I got a lawyer and took a driver saftey course. My ticket got reduced big time to improper equipment and it didn't make my insurance go up and I didn't get any points.
 
Yea, My wife was at the courthouse today (Stinkin' red BMW) and asked about the driver safety course and thae DA told her it's ususlly just offered to younger drivers. Thats probably your best bet. Just don't know that I'd hire a lawyer for that. You can just go ask the DA yourself and it's a lot cheaper.
 
Speeding Ticket Advice

Basically, i was on 440 and got pulled in a speed trap. Blazer on other side of road clocking people then troopers came down the exit ramp. they literally pulled over 6 people at once... i was in my 89 Bronco II and i got charged with going 89 in a 60...ouch.
1st off- I thought it was 70 miles an hour speed limit on 440
2nd- my speedometer was at 75 mph and i have 5-6 inch bigger than stock tires
3rd- i was goin the same speed as the cars in my lane....other cars were PASSING ME and didnt get pulled
4th-i didnt even know my truck could go 89 friggin miles an hour...my speedometer only goes up to 85

other than the fact that i am screwed and not very smart and all that...what should i do about it? i got court scheduled in august

i assume i lose my license for 30 days (first offense) and get points and all that but is there a way to get it dropped/reduced/or get a P.J.C.?

thanks-chase
 
Targeting aggresive drivers............

http://www.wral.com/traffic/4628163/detail.html

need to listen to the news more, was repeated several times this morning and during the day. radio,tv even in the paper.

That you have oversize tires and driving your vehicle at what you indicated your speedo was reading, yeah, I'd bet you were doing at least 89mph.

was a squad car sitting top of 440/Poole Rd overpass this afternoon on the way home appeared to be shooting radar, which would suck for those caught as it is still a construction zone, double whammy!

Kevin
 
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