Speeding ticket advice

[steverife]

Alright. I got dinged in the city yesterday. 53 in a 40. I was driving the Mazda for the first time in a few weeks and let the speed creep up on me a bit. Cop didn't have much to say. License, registration, insurance, I'll be back.

I've never gotten a ticket locally, just a couple years ago on the interstate. They weren't local, so I mailed a check and slept well. I looked on the website and it is a $111.50 fine and 3 points. I'd love to just mail a check and move on as I'm not terribly concerned with the fine, but it seems like the points should be of concern.

What is the best way for me to deal with this?

[thrdeye]

You can go down and plead no contest. I did and got out of a 45 in a 30 out on gleason. I still had to pay court costs and any other fee they could dream up, mind you, but no insurance concerns and no points.

This is the only one of about 4 tickets that I've done this for. I probably wouldn't do it again, because it takes so much time...everyone gets caught in the stupid speeding ticket racket every few years and unless you are entrapped, er I mean, cited frequently, I'd just pay it and move on.

On the other hand, you are already downtown a lot, which is more than half the pain of going to court, so it might be worth it.

edit: I stayed pretty civil in this post, but like pretty much everyone else, getting a speeding ticket pretty much makes me want to burn the city down. Especially something like 45/30 or 55/40. 80 in a 55? Yeah maybe say something to that guy.

[steverife]

Yeah. Everything I've gotten over the last decade or so is some 10'ish over on an empty road at an off hour. The actual process of receiving a ticket on the side of the road is far more dangerous than me doing 10 over an arbitrary number on an empty road.

[CABoegemann]

Do what Chris said, but be ready to take a defensive driving class. I've taken it a "few" times. It sucks and takes a couple hours to complete, but no points or record of speeding.

[RxCritical]

If you go to court, as long as the interaction was civil, try to talk the officer beforehand and see if he would be willing to reduce the amount you were speeding.
Talk about your good driving history. Some officers MAY be agreeable to that as long as he doesn't remember you as a wiener head.
If not, what Chris said.
Good Luck!

[steverife]

Why would reducing it matter? Looks like a theoretical 1 over is still 3 points and the same fine.

[keith]

I once hired a local traffic attorney to represent me in court for a speeding ticket. I was going to ask for traffic school, but got called for jury duty so couldn't make the court date. The attorney went to court for me and got it completely dismissed...like it never even happened. Cost $350, but was worth it.

[sentrase]

Does Knoxville even report these tickets? Over the past 12 years I got a ticket in Gatlinburg by their local PD, on Chapman Highway by THP, on the "Spur" between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg by a Park Ranger and Oliver Springs by their local PD.

I always just paid the fine and the only one to show up on the record was the Park Ranger one. I thought that the locals don't even bother reporting it.

[jdpeterson21]

My experience is the same as Kristo's. I've always just plead guilty, paid the court costs, and everything has been dismissed. Haven't even had to do traffic school for whatever reason.

[MikeKelly]

Points go away 1 year after the date of the infraction. 3 points, no worries.

It's on your record for insurance purposes for about 3 years.

If you don't make any changes to your insurance (cars/drivers) they *probably* won't notice it.

If the insurance company notices it you'll probably lose any "good driver" discount until it falls off your record.

If you want to take a job driving in the next three years it could be an issue if you don't get out of it.

You may not be able to get out of it - good luck,

Mike

[RxCritical]

Why would reducing it matter? Looks like a theoretical 1 over is still 3 points and the same fine.

Maybe Knoxville is different. But usually 5 over is in a different point/cost class than 13. YMMV.

[steverife]

I imagine I wouldn't be given the opportunity present video in court. I imagine that if I were given that opportunity, presenting video of how dangerous it is to actually drive the speed limit would be a bad idea.

[CABoegemann]

You're going to jail...

[MARKP]

You're going to jail...

Sent from the Galaxy

[whenry]

Get me a copy of the ticket. Unless the officer made special notes on the ticket, I believe that I can get the ticket adjusted.