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Caught speeding 70 in a 25

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prithvireddy

New member
Hi. I live in New Jersey and I just bought a new car. I wanted to get a feel for it so I went out on a drive around 10 at night. I guess I got careless and a cop pulled me over for 70 in a 25(residential). He ticketed me for speeding, reckless driving, and careless driving. This is me first ever offense and I have a court summons at the end of the month. What is the worst outcome and what is a more reasonable one. Any advice helps. Thanks.
 


not2cleverRed

Obvious Observer
According to the chart I looked at:
speeding 30 mph or more above the speed limit: 5 points.
reckless driving - 5 points.
careless driving - 2 points.

That's 12 points if they all stick, so a 30 day suspension of your license is possible. Additionally, if you rack up any more points during the next 2 years, you can have some more penalties.

There are also steep fines.

These facts are easy to look up.

If this is your "first offense" and you've been driving less than 5 years, that's nothing to brag about.

If this is your "first offense" and you've been driving over 20 years (unlikely), you have a better bid for leniency.

Legal advice: retain a lawyer. You seem to not realize the gravity of your situation. You will not impress a judge if you explain things as you have done here. Register for a defensive driving course and/or license improvement course - you probably won't be able to complete one of these courses before your court date, but it would show that you are trying to be responsible. Such courses can reduce the number of points on your license slightly.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
Hi. I live in New Jersey and I just bought a new car. I wanted to get a feel for it so I went out on a drive around 10 at night. I guess I got careless and a cop pulled me over for 70 in a 25(residential). He ticketed me for speeding, reckless driving, and careless driving. This is me first ever offense and I have a court summons at the end of the month. What is the worst outcome and what is a more reasonable one. Any advice helps. Thanks.
This is the first time you've been ticketed. I SERIOUSLY doubt that it's the first offense...
 

FlyingRon

Senior Member
Reckless Driving: 60 days, $200 fine (+ costs), 5 points
Careless Driving: $200 fine (+ costs), 2 points
Speeding +35, $260 fine, 5 points

Your state also levels a surcharge of $175 once you get six points and $25 for each point over six. You'll pay that for three years.

So you're looking at (if convicted of them all) of close to $1000 in fines and costs, plus you'll pay $325 a year in the surcharge for three years. Plus, your insurance will likely increase probably at least 40% and may double and you'll pay that for three years (or you'll be canceled/nonrenewed and dumped into the assigned risk pool, thank yourself for electing a legislature full of personal injury lawyers... NJ has the most corrupt insurance system in the country).

Yeah, I'd get an attorney involved.
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
Reckless Driving: 60 days, $200 fine (+ costs), 5 points
Careless Driving: $200 fine (+ costs), 2 points
Speeding +35, $260 fine, 5 points

Your state also levels a surcharge of $175 once you get six points and $25 for each point over six. You'll pay that for three years.

So you're looking at (if convicted of them all) of close to $1000 in fines and costs, plus you'll pay $325 a year in the surcharge for three years. Plus, your insurance will likely increase probably at least 40% and may double and you'll pay that for three years (or you'll be canceled/nonrenewed and dumped into the assigned risk pool, thank yourself for electing a legislature full of personal injury lawyers... NJ has the most corrupt insurance system in the country).

Yeah, I'd get an attorney involved.
I don't know if I agree that it is corrupt to "hit them where it hurts". OP is lucky he didn't hit Joe or Jane Dogwalker while he was racing through a residential neighborhood. Perhaps when he pays his HUGE insurance bill for the next few years it will remind him to NOT put the pedal to the metal.
 

FlyingRon

Senior Member
I'm referring to the fact that the assigned risk pool (and the even more corrupt JUA before it) with a third of the NJ drivers in it is the corrupt part. If you have structured your liability system so that a third of the population is uninsurable, you've surely done things wrong.

My insurance went down to less than half when I moved from central NJ to northern VA. I don't think the risk of being in an accident changed at all (in fact it probably went up slightly, NoVA is much more thickly settled),but the insurance regulations and the tort system are much different.
 

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