Speeding ticket on California highway

[gaggz]

Hi. This is regards to California highway rules. While going on a highway, I wanted to enter the carpool lane from lane #4 on 405 freeway in LA area but a car already in the carpool lane was going slow. Hence I increased my speed and then went into carpool lane, in front of the slow car. I was in a tesla, and these cars pick up speed very fast. I was caught by CHP officer doing 92 miles an hour. I did not realize I was that fast. Is there any way I could save myself from this ticket or high insurance rate? Per officer, I was going 27 miles over the limit. If I cannot save myself, is there anyway I could keep the insurance premium and find slow.. example driving school? Since it's a new ticket, it's still not reflecting on the government website... Thanks in advance!

 

[quincy]

Hi. This is regards to California highway rules. While going on a highway, I wanted to enter the carpool lane from lane #4 on 405 freeway in LA area but a car already in the carpool lane was going slow. Hence I increased my speed and then went into carpool lane, in front of the slow car. I was in a tesla, and these cars pick up speed very fast. I was caught by CHP officer doing 92 miles an hour. I did not realize I was that fast. Is there any way I could save myself from this ticket or high insurance rate? Per officer, I was going 27 miles over the limit. If I cannot save myself, is there anyway I could keep the insurance premium and find slow.. example driving school? Since it's a new ticket, it's still not reflecting on the government website... Thanks in advance!

Seek out a traffic law attorney to go over your options. Blaming the vehicle you were driving for “picking up speed very fast” is not a good defense.

 

[Zigner]

Hi. This is regards to California highway rules. While going on a highway, I wanted to enter the carpool lane from lane #4 on 405 freeway in LA area but a car already in the carpool lane was going slow. Hence I increased my speed and then went into carpool lane, in front of the slow car. I was in a tesla, and these cars pick up speed very fast. I was caught by CHP officer doing 92 miles an hour. I did not realize I was that fast. Is there any way I could save myself from this ticket or high insurance rate? Per officer, I was going 27 miles over the limit. If I cannot save myself, is there anyway I could keep the insurance premium and find slow.. example driving school? Since it's a new ticket, it's still not reflecting on the government website... Thanks in advance!

Your story doesn't make sense. If the car was going "slow", then you wouldn't even have needed to speed to get in front of the car. Now, if the car was doing the speed limit, then you CHOSE to speed because you were too impatient to follow the rules of the road. You also CHOSE to speed at an insanely high speed.

 

[adjusterjack]

Is there any way I could save myself from this ticket or high insurance rate?

No.

Next time slow down.

 

[gaggz]

Thank you everyone, I have a legal plan and am going to contact an attorney later today to discuss all options

 

[quincy]

Thank you everyone, I have a legal plan and am going to contact an attorney later today to discuss all options

That sounds like your best first step. Good luck.

 

[zddoodah]

I increased my speed and then went into carpool lane, in front of the slow car. I was in a tesla, and these cars pick up speed very fast. I was caught by CHP officer doing 92 miles an hour. I did not realize I was that fast.

If you don't understand how to operate this vehicle competently, perhaps you should take some remedial driver training.

Is there any way I could save myself from this ticket or high insurance rate?

You certainly can try fighting the ticket. No one here can predict your likelihood of doing so successfully. The good news is that, if you can afford a Tesla, you can probably afford the $400-500 ticket and any consequent bump in your insurance rates.

is there anyway I could keep the insurance premium and find slow.. example driving school?

Sounds like you haven't yet received the courtesy notice from the court. When you do receive it, it will tell you if you're eligible to go to traffic school. If you are, that will keep the ticket off your driving record and prevent your insurer from becoming aware of it.

You also CHOSE to speed at an insanely high speed.

92 is hardly uncommon on Los Angeles area freeways, although the 405 is rarely open enough to allow that sort of speed. I have to wonder why one would want to get into the carpool lane if driving at 92 in the regular lanes is possible.

 

[quincy]

If you don't understand how to operate this vehicle competently, perhaps you should take some remedial driver training.



You certainly can try fighting the ticket. No one here can predict your likelihood of doing so successfully. The good news is that, if you can afford a Tesla, you can probably afford the $400-500 ticket and any consequent bump in your insurance rates.



Sounds like you haven't yet received the courtesy notice from the court. When you do receive it, it will tell you if you're eligible to go to traffic school. If you are, that will keep the ticket off your driving record and prevent your insurer from becoming aware of it.



92 is hardly uncommon on Los Angeles area freeways, although the 405 is rarely open enough to allow that sort of speed. I have to wonder why one would want to get into the carpool lane if driving at 92 in the regular lanes is possible.

I thought that in order to drive in the carpool lane you needed to have at least one passenger.

 

[Zigner]

I thought that in order to drive in the carpool lane you needed to have at least one passenger.

Some HOV lanes allow for use of the "Fast Track" system.

 

[FlyingRon]

FasTrak (registered trademark) and yes, they aren't the "carpool or HOV" lanes anymore. They're the revenue-producing lanes, aka, Express Lanes.

While the courtesy notice may offer traffic school or not, remember the notice is just a courtesy and it means nothing whether you get it or not. If you don't get the offer of traffic school prior to your appearance date, you can always request it then.

 

[Zigner]

92 is hardly uncommon on Los Angeles area freeways...

I agree that it happens, but I disagree that >90 is common. Even if it could be considered common, it is still incredibly fast and may have crossed the line into the realm of reckless driving (depending on the overall situation at the time).

 

[quincy]

Thanks Zigner and FlyingRon.

I haven’t driven in California in ages. The traffic laws are FAR different than they are here.

 

[adjusterjack]

Everything in California is different from anywhere else. California should be its own country. Maybe even its own planet.

 

[quincy]

Everything in California is different from anywhere else. California should be its own country. Maybe even its own planet.

I feel that way about Texas and Florida, too. Haha.

 

[gaggz]

I thought that in order to drive in the carpool lane you needed to have at least one passenger.

Have a Tesla with HOV stickers. And it just picks up speed even before you can notice it. It just speed up for a few seconds only when I hit the jackpot!