Public safety or feeding a cash cow?

[handog]

Hire a lawyer specializing in it and fight it. Especially if you think it's about money, the best thing is deny them easy money. Make it more expensive to prosecute than your ticket. If it's really about safety, they will follow through, like we accept that prosecuting a convenience store robber costs more money than he stole.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll just pay it and consider it another tax. If they didn't rake in funds with radar guns the city would simply raise our taxes.

[texanjoker]

The biggest WRONG with the ticket system IMO is this:


You will pay X # of $.... to either win or loose the ticket.

The cited person may miss work to fight the ticket.

The cited person may hire an attorney who makes $ to fight the ticket.

There are costs associated with a trial that the tax payers pay.

A jury will waste their time for the trial. (I would be irritated if I had to waste my time on a traffic trial)

The officer will be subpoenaed to court. If on time off, make X # of $ as that is their job. They do have the right to be paid as one gets paid for work (tax payers pay this). Many just subpoena to see if they show and the few times I have been to traffic court I laugh when the judge then asks who wants to plea and most raise their hand. Getting up in the middle of the day for some lame ticket when you should be sleeping is lame regardless of teh $ as it creates a safety issue that night when you can't stay awake on patrol.

The only entity that really wins is the insurance company as they then raise your rates and make $ and the attorneys that make the $ seeing if the officer shows.

I just don't see the win for "public safety."

[LSUTiger]

Public safety or feeding a cash cow?

Both.

The excuse of enforcing many speed and traffic laws, which sometimes IMO are neglible infractions at best, for "Public Safety" is for Public Safety, but just not in the way you might think.

Minor speeding are other small infractions really dont make the roads unsafe in my opinion. I pay more attention when I drive a litte faster so really I am safer, but sometimes pay attention less when driving slower. All the 3-4 fender benders I have been were are at very very low speed, less than 10 MPH. Never had an accident at 80 mph.

The police will also use these laws as PC for pulling you over and phishing (google it) around for information. Those uneducated or intimidated enough to give up their rights often find themselves unecessarily conceding their rights to allow for legal search and seizure since they cooperate and give permission when they did not have to.

Lots of criminals are caught as a result of a routine traffic stop. In addition to the traditional criminals, I'm sure many drunk drivers are also caught as a result of minor infractons even though their driving make not otherwise indicate somethings wrong.

Some PD's rely on ticket as operating revenue more than others and will use it as such. I have passed through many small towns infamous for being speed traps. Giving tickets is the only source of revenue and the only action these PD's get to see.

So giving speeding tickets as both a revenue source and crime fighting technique is an unfortunate burden for most otherwise law abiding folks.

[Keith B]

Well, I get to feed the cow now. Got my first speeding ticket in 28+ years this morning in Richardson. Only had two previous in my youth back in the early '80's.

Overall was a good stop. Pulled over, had all papers in hand. Was carrying right front pocket of Dockers. Officer took license, CHL and insurance. Just handed back the CHL. Looked at the insurance and then handed it back. Never asked if I was carrying. Brought back ticket and license and was on my way.

Now, time to find a good defensive driving course.

[OldCurlyWolf]

Well, I get to feed the cow now. Got my first speeding ticket in 28+ years this morning in Richardson. Only had two previous in my youth back in the early '80's.

Overall was a good stop. Pulled over, had all papers in hand. Was carrying right front pocket of Dockers. Officer took license, CHL and insurance. Just handed back the CHL. Looked at the insurance and then handed it back. Never asked if I was carrying. Brought back ticket and license and was on my way.

Now, time to find a good defensive driving course.

you have had 1 more than I have had. First one in 1969. Last one in 1997. About 28 years apart also.

[Originalist]

Handog, I just saw this and since it is your first offense for 10 miles over... Go to the court and request deferred adjudication... You pay court costs and if you get no more tickets for 90 days it gets dismissed and your clean driving record is maintained..... Good luck!

[chasfm11]

My advice: pay the ticket and forget about it or take defensive driving if that is available.

My last speeding ticket was in 1979 and I remember it vividly. I was driving in West Virginia on business. WVA has a deserved reputation for setting up speed traps so I was super cautious as soon as I crossed the border from PA where I was living. I wasn't quite sure where I was going when I got off the interstate and made a right turn at the top of the exit ramp hill. Within 50 yards, I had a patrol car behind me and was told that I was driving 30mph in a 25mph zone. I protested that I'd seen no speed limit sign but was told that the ticket was $25 and that I had to pay it before I left the State. I took the time to drive the road past exit ramp again and there was, indeed, a speed limit sign - hidden behind a much larger "Welcome to West Virginia" sign. Unless you dead stopped in the road and looked right, there was no possibility that you would ever have seen the speed limit sign.

Fuming, I drove to the courthouse to pay my ticket. I was now late for my business meeting. When I grumbled to the clerk about being caught in a speed trap, she looked at my PA driver's license and told me her story. West Virginia didn't have rules about studded snow tires like PA did. PA outlawed them after certain calendar days. She had driven into PA to be with a sick relative and was stopped on her way back to her State and given a $300 fine. She drove back to PA to protest the ticket in front of a judge who told her that he didn't like her attitude and was going to slap her with an additional $50 for contempt of court. She just looked at me and asked me what my problem was again.

I quietly paid my fine and left. I figure that traffic violations for revenue is probably the world's 2nd oldest profession.

[Beiruty]

Do the defensive driving and pay the court fees (in Texas it is like 280 for +10MPH including the course.

Now, if your habit is to speed or you have a smooth V8 pulling 400+ lb.ft at 2500 rpm, then go buy yourself a V1 with the new connection to your smartphone. it's getting even more attractive.

[Keith B]

Do the defensive driving and pay the court fees (in Texas it is like 280 for +10MPH including the course.

Now, if your habit is to speed or you have a smooth V8 pulling 400+ lb.ft at 2500 rpm, then go buy yourself a V1 with the new connection to your smartphone. it's getting even more attractive.

A detector will usually not do you any good on laser due to the beam being so narrow. Most of the new ones are 1.5 - 2' wide max at 1000'. Even the reflected signal is so pointed that unless they just happen to hit the edge of a vehicle in front of you or you catch it through the glass of one in front you will not have time to slow down before it has registered your speed when they target you. Laser is how they got me. I have a top end detector, but it should have just shown dollar signs in the display when it went off.

[Beiruty]

Lasers are tough to detect, but most around town park and use the old fashioned radar to get you.
Lasers are mostly for LEO riders or speed traps. In both cases, keep a rabbit in front of you all the time.

[Keith B]

Lasers are tough to detect, but most around town park and use the old fashioned radar to get you.
Lasers are mostly for LEO riders or speed traps. In both cases, keep a rabbit in front of you all the time.

I dispute this one. Most I have seen are now using laser when stationary, even in a car. The big mistake some LEOs make is leaving their radar gun on when shooting laser. Even if pointed at a 90° angle from you, if you have a good detector it will more than likely alert you to the radar signal and you will have time to check your speed before you get into the <800' range for the laser gun shot.

As to having a rabbit in front of you, that was my problem last Thursday, I was in the lead. Plus, a smart officer will look for the car that is moving faster and target only that one. I know when I used to run radar I could pretty well tell you if a car was speeding enough to get a ticket or not, even in a 45 zone and traveling as a single.

[LSUTiger]

I figure that traffic violations for revenue is probably the world's 2nd oldest profession.

That's a polite way of putting it.

In both cases, 1st and 2nd oldest profession, an applicable phrase may include "assume the position" and a kiss first might be customary.

My 10 year old daughter has no idea what I am talking about.

[Jumping Frog]

Alright, I just got popped for my first ticket in a long, long time. It was 14 mph over, and I was speeding so I won't argue that aspect (was distracted and didn't realize the speed had crept up on me).

Handog, I just saw this and since it is your first offense for 10 miles over... Go to the court and request deferred adjudication... You pay court costs and if you get no more tickets for 90 days it gets dismissed and your clean driving record is maintained..... Good luck!

Is this different than taking the defensive driving? Are you saying I can get an outright dismissal with no fine or costs if I stay clean for 90 days?

Do the defensive driving and pay the court fees (in Texas it is like 280 for +10MPH including the course.

So if I do the defensive driving, does that mean I pay both the speeding fine and additional fees for the deferred adjudication?

Last question, I am currently doing PTDE for my daughter. Will this ticket invalidate my ability to do that?

[Keith B]

Alright, I just got popped for my first ticket in a long, long time. It was 14 mph over, and I was speeding so I won't argue that aspect (was distracted and didn't realize the speed had crept up on me).

Handog, I just saw this and since it is your first offense for 10 miles over... Go to the court and request deferred adjudication... You pay court costs and if you get no more tickets for 90 days it gets dismissed and your clean driving record is maintained..... Good luck!

Is this different than taking the defensive driving? Are you saying I can get an outright dismissal with no fine or costs if I stay clean for 90 days?

Do the defensive driving and pay the court fees (in Texas it is like 280 for +10MPH including the course.

So if I do the defensive driving, does that mean I pay both the speeding fine and additional fees for the deferred adjudication?

Last question, I am currently doing PTDE for my daughter. Will this ticket invalidate my ability to do that?

The answer to your quesitons vary by jurisdiction. The deffered adjudicaiton in my case would be the full fine ($185) and the probationary period is 90 to 180 days and begins when the fees are paid.

For the defensive driving, it is $105 and then you must take an approved Defensive Driving course (approved by the Texas Education Agency, so it WOULD be a shcool IMO) and also provide a certified copy of your driving record. Cost for DD online is $25 - $40 and I bellive the driving record is $10 from the state. So, it will save a little money but you must not have taken a driving safety course for ticket dismissal within the past twelve (12) months prior to the date of your offense and sign an affidavit stating you have not.

Bottom line you get a shorter probationary period if you take the defered adjudication, but it will normally cost you more.

As for Parent Taught Drivers Ed, I am not sure, but wouldn't think so. Once you do one of the above your ticket will not show up period. However, you may have a hard time convincing your daughter she shouldn't speed sine you just recently got a ticket.

[anygunanywhere]

A coworker turned me on to his traffic ticket attorney.

I had jsut finished defensive driving for a freeway exit lane infraction - crossing double stripes - when I was tagged by HPD for speeding 60 in a 45 on a feeder. I paid the attorney his fees and he got me deferred adjudication. I paid nothing else.

Mrs Anygun got tagged for speeding by DPS in Galveston County (Kemah) 44 in a 30. I paid same attorney his fee and he got the charges dropped.

I will forever use an attorney from now on for traffic offenses.

http://www.dp-law.us/index.html

Anygunanywhere