Pulled over (need advice)
#1
Pulled over (need advice)
I got pulled over yesterday for 72 in a 55 I convinced him I was really going 60 and he said the car in front of me was going slower when it was clear he was going faster. He was going the opposite direction and turned around to get me, can they really get your speed when they're going the opposite way in the first place, how accurate is it? Last thing I received a written warning for 72 in a 55, should I even worry or just let it go? BTW finally in another ranger, it feels good.
#2
#3
if you have no priors fill it out as not guilty and send it in certified mail return reciept.
then go to court and sit around for 3hrs bring atleast $500 in cash, go see the DA, and see if they will reduce it to a parking ticket. in the US most states will reduce it and charge a higher fine. any pointts on your license = increased insurance rates
then go to court and sit around for 3hrs bring atleast $500 in cash, go see the DA, and see if they will reduce it to a parking ticket. in the US most states will reduce it and charge a higher fine. any pointts on your license = increased insurance rates
#4
#5
#7
#8
I legitimately wasn't speeding though, lol. But it's good since I didn't get a ticket, I was just really nice and respectful the whole time, used "sir" for everything and didn't argue. After it was over he said he doesn't give anyone a ticket unless they catch an attitude or ask for a warning, made since to me.
#9
RF Veteran
iTrader: (1)
You did good.
Taught my kids that's the only way, you can NEVER EVER win an argument with a cop, that is what Court is for.
So its "yes sir, no sir, thank you sir"
Take the ticket or hopefully just a warning and bite your tongue.
Yes, for sure the patrol cars have radar for checking speed on vehicles coming in the opposite direction, it is connected to patrol car speed as well, to make it accurate.
Some have photo radar, so a picture of the front of the(your) vehicle with speed readout
Yes, it could have been the car in front of you that was speeding, or behind you, or a bird swooping down, or even your fan blades that caused it.
Now assuming you got a ticket for 72 in a 55 and wanted to fight it then burden of proof falls to you, there is no presumed innocence in something like this.
It comes down to this:
"Why would the cop lie"
"Why would you lie"
If you could prove the cop was told to "get up those speeding tickets this week", i.e. the old Quota argument, then you might have a case
If you knew the cop and could prove he had a grudge against you, then you might have a case.
So unless you can prove the cop had a reason to lie then as far as the court is concerned he didn't lie
Everyone knows why you(or me) would lie, lol, to get out of paying a ticket.
What about machine errors, so cop didn't lie, but was given false information by his equipment, always possible, try to get records of when the last time, before your ticket, the equipment was test for accuracy.
This can work BUT............a cop that has been on the job for a few years on high way patrols is pretty darn good at estimating speed without a machine.
And you can get an estimated speeding ticket, i.e. exceeding speed limit ticket for conditions
Heck truck drivers are darn good at it, time on the road.
Taught my kids that's the only way, you can NEVER EVER win an argument with a cop, that is what Court is for.
So its "yes sir, no sir, thank you sir"
Take the ticket or hopefully just a warning and bite your tongue.
Yes, for sure the patrol cars have radar for checking speed on vehicles coming in the opposite direction, it is connected to patrol car speed as well, to make it accurate.
Some have photo radar, so a picture of the front of the(your) vehicle with speed readout
Yes, it could have been the car in front of you that was speeding, or behind you, or a bird swooping down, or even your fan blades that caused it.
Now assuming you got a ticket for 72 in a 55 and wanted to fight it then burden of proof falls to you, there is no presumed innocence in something like this.
It comes down to this:
"Why would the cop lie"
"Why would you lie"
If you could prove the cop was told to "get up those speeding tickets this week", i.e. the old Quota argument, then you might have a case
If you knew the cop and could prove he had a grudge against you, then you might have a case.
So unless you can prove the cop had a reason to lie then as far as the court is concerned he didn't lie
Everyone knows why you(or me) would lie, lol, to get out of paying a ticket.
What about machine errors, so cop didn't lie, but was given false information by his equipment, always possible, try to get records of when the last time, before your ticket, the equipment was test for accuracy.
This can work BUT............a cop that has been on the job for a few years on high way patrols is pretty darn good at estimating speed without a machine.
And you can get an estimated speeding ticket, i.e. exceeding speed limit ticket for conditions
Heck truck drivers are darn good at it, time on the road.
#13
Yes there is a way to calibrate your speedo to match the tires you have on the truck. 2 choices. Buy the Flashpaq meter over $300. Or find a performance shop to do it for you. That would cost less. It is something that everybody with bigger than stock tires needs to do. As for the speeding ticket. You are lucky. My first pull over for speeding I got a $125 ticket. I asked for a warning he said no. I was in my late 30's and never got a speeding ticket or anything on my record. My insurance rates did not go up. After a while with most insurance companies they let you have the first one. I had and have now Allstate. I'm in Ohio. It was on the turnpike headed west.
Jim
Please don't worry about the warning. Worry about getting your speedo calibrated.
Jim
Please don't worry about the warning. Worry about getting your speedo calibrated.
#15
RF Veteran
iTrader: (1)
If you have a smartphone you can get a free APP that will use GPS to tell you your actual speed.
Must be on fairly flat ground, steeper uphill and downhill throws it off a bit since it is using linear movement to calculate speed
That will tell you how far off speedometer might be
Must be on fairly flat ground, steeper uphill and downhill throws it off a bit since it is using linear movement to calculate speed
That will tell you how far off speedometer might be
Last edited by RonD; 01-31-2017 at 09:18 AM.
#17
RF Veteran
iTrader: (1)
Well you would be speeding on any highway I have ever driven on, lol.
I drive the speed limit unless I am slowing other drivers down, then I speed up to avoid being an obstruction, so that would be my only defense, and it isn't a good one.
"Hey, everyone else was going faster, why did you pull me over?"
"Just your lucky day I guess"
Wife called me "grandpa driver" before I was a grandpa, lol.
My wife drives at two speeds, key off and Full Throttle, she never gets speeding tickets, go figure
I drive the speed limit unless I am slowing other drivers down, then I speed up to avoid being an obstruction, so that would be my only defense, and it isn't a good one.
"Hey, everyone else was going faster, why did you pull me over?"
"Just your lucky day I guess"
Wife called me "grandpa driver" before I was a grandpa, lol.
My wife drives at two speeds, key off and Full Throttle, she never gets speeding tickets, go figure
Last edited by RonD; 01-31-2017 at 10:19 AM.
#21
This thread, though a few weeks old, caught my attention, especially the last post with a link to "how to fight every speeding ticket and win."
As a retired cop with more than a few speeding tickets to my credit, and a few that I actually was on the receiving end of, I can tell you this (without reading the link):
Never plead guilty to speeding unless it requires driving long distances to go to court, or your time is worth more than the fine/points. UNLESS your speed is WAY over (25 mph or more) you can almost without fail get a reduced charge and save not only fine money but insurance costs as well. Then there is the fact that many LEOs won't bother to come to court (that's how I won my last one). This is not always true so beware of using it, have a good case ready. As someone said, get all the information you can about the radar, the officer's creds/experience/certifications, speed surveys, etc. You may also be able to use the fact that some speed limits are based on conditions, traffic, time of day, etc. and you may be able to show that your speed was 'reasonable and prudent.'
And finally, you are more apt to beat a municipal ticket than one from a Highway Patrol/State Police officer. Speeders are a big part of their job unlike city cops who are more concerned with burglaries and bar fights!
As a retired cop with more than a few speeding tickets to my credit, and a few that I actually was on the receiving end of, I can tell you this (without reading the link):
Never plead guilty to speeding unless it requires driving long distances to go to court, or your time is worth more than the fine/points. UNLESS your speed is WAY over (25 mph or more) you can almost without fail get a reduced charge and save not only fine money but insurance costs as well. Then there is the fact that many LEOs won't bother to come to court (that's how I won my last one). This is not always true so beware of using it, have a good case ready. As someone said, get all the information you can about the radar, the officer's creds/experience/certifications, speed surveys, etc. You may also be able to use the fact that some speed limits are based on conditions, traffic, time of day, etc. and you may be able to show that your speed was 'reasonable and prudent.'
And finally, you are more apt to beat a municipal ticket than one from a Highway Patrol/State Police officer. Speeders are a big part of their job unlike city cops who are more concerned with burglaries and bar fights!
#22
Interesting, nice to hear your honesty.
My last one, as you said, was more then hour from where I live, so it would not have been a good idea to pursue it.
Here in Canada we get three points and that stays with us for 5 years, any more then 4, and our insurance rates go up _ the more points the more expensive it gets.
At least that's the way it is in BC.
Things are pretty lax here , for the most part we can go 10km over the highway speed limit and the cops won't bother us.
I've even been passed and kept up to a cop doing well over 120km in a 100 zone.
130 is excessive speeding so he was pushing it that's for sure.
My last one, as you said, was more then hour from where I live, so it would not have been a good idea to pursue it.
Here in Canada we get three points and that stays with us for 5 years, any more then 4, and our insurance rates go up _ the more points the more expensive it gets.
At least that's the way it is in BC.
Things are pretty lax here , for the most part we can go 10km over the highway speed limit and the cops won't bother us.
I've even been passed and kept up to a cop doing well over 120km in a 100 zone.
130 is excessive speeding so he was pushing it that's for sure.
#23
I've ridden motorcycles across the western Canadian Provinces of BC and Alberta quite a bit and rarely see any law enforcement. And I've often wondered just how tolerant they are of speeding.
In Colorado, where I spent my LEO career, the unofficial rule of thumb is 0-5mph over, oral warning, 5-9 over, written warning (no points) and 10 plus over, pay citation. But it all comes down to officer discretion and to some extend, locale. Texas, where I now speed, is pretty tolerant in the rural areas due to so much open space. Most of our secondary highways, and even some farm to market roads, are 70 mph (about 115 kph) limits though so I stay down around 5 over if I exceed (as I get older, I get slower....) Also my 2002 Mazda/Ranger helps me hold my speed down.
In Colorado, where I spent my LEO career, the unofficial rule of thumb is 0-5mph over, oral warning, 5-9 over, written warning (no points) and 10 plus over, pay citation. But it all comes down to officer discretion and to some extend, locale. Texas, where I now speed, is pretty tolerant in the rural areas due to so much open space. Most of our secondary highways, and even some farm to market roads, are 70 mph (about 115 kph) limits though so I stay down around 5 over if I exceed (as I get older, I get slower....) Also my 2002 Mazda/Ranger helps me hold my speed down.
#24
#25
The B2300 is a 2.3 litre four cylinder; I don't recall saying what model mine is. But mine is a B3000, 146,000 miles, with slightly low compression in two holes. It will cruise 70 OK but I'm not comfortable pushing it more than that. At some point I'm going to have to have my engine rebuilt as well but until then, I take it easy and it runs OK. It is not particularly quiet though and I know I'm going 70!