Prudent/Reasonable Speeding Ticket

[seniorjudge]

Q: So what evidence is a prudent speeding ticket based on?


A: If it is not based on my speed, is it just based on the opinion of the police officer: Him saying that I was driving in an unsafe way for the conditions (kind of like wreckless driving I suppose)?

 

[Zigner]

C'mon on back after court and tell us how you did. I'm sure that you'll report to US that you won.

 

[resullivan]

Q: So what evidence is a prudent speeding ticket based on?


A: If it is not based on my speed, is it just based on the opinion of the police officer: Him saying that I was driving in an unsafe way for the conditions (kind of like wreckless driving I suppose)?

Thank you. I am going to get a copy of the report to see what the officer determined as unsafe for the conditions. Without going into too many what if situations before I get the report I do have one. If he indicated that it was my speed that was unsafe would he then need to have put down a visual estimate in the report? I know he doesnt have to but it seems to me that if I am being charged with being unsafe for the conditions because of my speed that some kind of record of what exactly my speed was is necessary.

 

[JIMinCA]

Dude... you need to stop this wild goose chase about discrediting the officer based on his estimation of your speed. You are going to loose! Imagine this: there is a major accident and emergency vehicles are all around along with lots of pedestrians an looky-loos. The cop could reasonably write you a prudent/reasonable ticket for driving 25mph past the scene even if the speed limit was 55.

So, your approach should not be specifically your speed. Your approach should be "what about my speed was unreasonable? Was anyone in danger of being hit? Did my tires break traction? Did any vehicle have to take an evasive manuever? etc..."

I am telling you... if you show up and start dropping pencils on the floor, then you are bringing a knife to a gun fight.

 

[resullivan]

Dude... you need to stop this wild goose chase about discrediting the officer based on his estimation of your speed. You are going to loose! Imagine this: there is a major accident and emergency vehicles are all around along with lots of pedestrians an looky-loos. The cop could reasonably write you a prudent/reasonable ticket for driving 25mph past the scene even if the speed limit was 55.

So, your approach should not be specifically your speed. Your approach should be "what about my speed was unreasonable? Was anyone in danger of being hit? Did my tires break traction? Did any vehicle have to take an evasive manuever? etc..."

I am telling you... if you show up and start dropping pencils on the floor, then you are bringing a knife to a gun fight.

I am going to try to get the report today. Based on what you explain the ticket is iffy at best. My wheels never lost traction, it was night time and there was no one around. I was really doing nothing more than speeding when the officer saw me. The only thing I can think of is that when the officer was pulling out I started to pull over by making a right turn. Not wanting him to think I was running I continued down the road for maybe another 1/16th mile and stopped in a right turn lane. He might have seen that as me swerving.

I appreciate all the advice.

 

[resullivan]

So after this incident I really took a hard look at how I was driving. I made the decision that this was not worth it and to slow down and try and follow the posted speed limit where ever I went. I would often speed up if I saw someone fly past me just to pace them and would often see how fast I could get from point A to point B. Even with me speeding frequently I would tend to only get a ticket maybe once a year. Before this ticket it had been a year before the previous and another year before that one I got one.

I work about an hour from where I live so this was my biggest challenge to slow down on. I did it however and I was pretty proud of myself. Well, today I was running a little late. I got off on the exit where my work was which was on top of a hill. I pulled off and pretty much just coasted down the hill. I saw a cop sitting on the side of the road and thought nothing of it as I was going 40 in a 45 so I thought. He pulled me over and the whole time I was thinking that maybe I had a light out or something I just did not know. Turns out I was doing 40 in a 25 because of a school zone. This is a 6 lane road I did not even know there was a school on it. So now I have two tickets within a month.

I am not complaining, I am not asking any questions I guess I am just venting. I am going to go throw up now.

 

[JIMinCA]

That sucks so bad!

So, what time of day was it? Was school in session? Was it outside of school hours? Remember, it is not a "school zone" if the kids aren't there.

 

[resullivan]

It was like 7:30. Not sure if the kids are there, I know I did not see any. At first I questioned if there was a school zone sign. He told me there were flashing lights. I went back and looked and there were flashing lights right when I got off of the interstate. I guess I was paying more attention to merging so I missed the flashing lights. Im going to see if I can get driving school for this.

 

[resullivan]

So both tickets court day is on the same day. One is in the morning and the other later that day. The tickets are from different cities. I am pretty sure I cannot ask for driving school for both of them but I could plead guilty to the first and then go to the second one and ask for driving school right?

Do points on your license transfer from different states? A speeding ticket in the 86+ variety.