Getting Out Of A Speeding Ticket
I’ve seen this subject come up on more than one occassion on the best way to get out of a speeding ticket. While I don’t have any direct experience in this area, I know that a speeding ticket can cost a fair amount of money. While most people look only at the actual fine of the speeding ticket as the cost, there is often an additional cost that isn’t usually considered. There’s a good chance that the ticket will trigger a rate increases in your car insurance and this rate increase will last several years. Therefore, if it is possible to avoid having the ticket go on your record, then it makes financial sense to try.
Most of the time when I’ve seen these discussions, the advice to try and get out is often kind of sleazy and borderline lawful. That is why I really enjoyed an article from lifehacker because it was written from the perspective that the police, prosecutors and judges are all human beings and if you are courteous, persistent and helpful you have a good chance of having the ticket removed from your record. Here are the 18 points that the article makes:
Get your attitude right. Turn your car off, and turn the interior lights of your car on. Be very polite and do exactly what the nice cop with the big gun says. Once the officer has gotten your information, ask him politely if you may speak to him about your violation. Ask to see the radar then ask a few questions. Plead your case. Leave the scene as a non-memorable, nice person. You’ve gotten a ticket, but you still want out
Call the officer at work. Write a letter to the officer. Repeat calls and letters to the judge and/or the prosecutor. Follow all court guidelines. Delay. Ask for alternative punishment. Understand your trial and your rights. Show up to your first court date and plead anything but guilty. Go to court and duke it out. Suck it up, or fight on. Suck up… err, I mean write more letters.
Beyond being good advice for trying to beat a traffic ticket, it’s good advice for many of the confrontations you will have in life that have money involved. Stay courtesy, but persistent and your finances will likely look a whole lot better than most people’s.
I wouldn’t consider myself particularly adept at getting out of speeding tickets, but I do seem to have a higher warning/ratio ticket than many people I know.
Like the advice given above, I just make it a point to put the officer at complete ease. There’s always a 1-2 minute wait after the officer pulls you over before he comes to the door (I guess he’s running your plates). In that time, I take off my sunglasses and put on my regular glasses, hide anything that might grab his attention like a cell phone, iPod, or trash, and retrieve my license and proof of insurance from my wallet.
Of course you want to do this very subtly, so the officer behind you doesn’t notice the activity.
When he comes up to the window, keep your hands on the steering wheel until he asks for your license. Address him as ’sir’, and don’t complain about anything. Don’t admit any culpability.
I find that as long as the violation isn’t too blatant, this usually gets me off the hook. If the officer was in a speedtrap, it usually doesn’t work. Because then, they’re just sitting there waiting to give out tickets. I’ve never fought a ticket in court.