Question about a traffic ticket

[skinsfan1523]

I know that there are some people here that know more about traffic violations then me, so i figured I would come here to see if anybody knew what I could do.

I was driving down a road going the speed limit, when I came upon a pack of cars going slower then the limit. I came up behind a car, and then I changed lanes using my turn signal to the left lane and tried to pass and when I saw that I could not, I switched back to the right lane again using my turn signal and then began to decelerate. Well, right when I was decelerating a cop pulls up behind me and pulls me over. He says I was driving aggressively, cutting in and out of traffic and following too close, so he writes me a ticket for following too closely. I was probably following too closely, but it wasn't any closer then a car length, and the only reason I was is because they were going slower then I expected and I was trying to pass. I don't tailgate and don't like it when people do it to me, so I don't do it, which is why I was decelerating when I saw I could not pass.

Anyway I'm not trying to beat the ticket, because I know I probably can't. I also know I was probably too close. But I want to know if there is any way I can get it reduced or something, so I don't have to deal with my insurance. I have been driving for 6 years, and I have never had an accident. I had 1 minor speeding ticket 4 years ago and took a safe driving class for it. I also had a stop sign violation about 9 months ago that I payed. I live in Virginia beach. Thanks for any help you can give.

[Skinz4Life12]

seems to me that you have a clean driving record since you took a class for your minor speeding ticket 4 years ago.

if i were you, i'd go to the dmv and get a copy of your clean driving record.

if there were any any witnesses in the car w/you, i would get a notorized statement from them detailing exactly what happened.

i would take the notorized statement and clean driving record, plead not guilty (probably no contest if there were no witnesses) and present your evidence to the judge and make a case for yourself.

i'd say you have a shot at getting it reduced if not thrown out alltogether

EDIT: I did this for an "illegal right turn on red" and got the charge against me dropped altogether

[Beans]

VA Bacon strikes again.

[pjfootballer]

Is the state of Virginia in the poor house? I know VA state troopers have been know to write alot of tickets, but there have been so many threads about players, fans and ordinary Joes getting tickets lately.

[sideshow24]

What company are you insured with? It makes a difference.

[skinsfan1523]

progressive

[Skinz4Life12]

was there a witness?

[sideshow24]

progressive

Yep, you're rate will increase. I bet the cop thought you saw him and decided against passing because of that only. Question is: Did you? :whoknows:

[sideshow24]

was there a witness?

If you believe Nike: we are all witnesses.

[BadKarma]

http://drivevirginia.stores.yahoo.net/

This thing is boring as all hell and the pages are timed so you cant skip ahead and answer the question but it gives you a point bump, do it before your court date.

[Johnny Punani]

progressive sucks and is a rip off...

you should look into changing companies (if you can)

[Spaceman Spiff]

While we're here, my driving record for the past 3-4 years has been atrocious. Not surprisingly, my monthly insurance payment is outta control.

Is it true if I go to some drivers ed classes it'll help my rate?

[royallypwned]

Sounds like you got pulled over by a douche who was having a bad day.

[Johnny Punani]

While we're here, my driving record for the past 3-4 years has been atrocious. Not surprisingly, my monthly insurance payment is outta control.

Is it true if I go to some drivers ed classes it'll help my rate?

It depends on your insurance. However, if you have had many tickets over the past 3-4 years why don't you just drive like a normal person?

[Spaceman Spiff]

It depends on your insurance. However, if you have had many tickets over the past 3-4 years why don't you just drive like a normal person?

I'm in a slump, what can I say?

[zCommander]

What the cop saw is you went to left lane and then back in. Hence cutting back. My question is why did you even do that when you already said the right lane was going slow to begin with. Why not just stay in the left lane?

Was your exit coming? Or where you trying to make a right turn to another street? <---- you can use this in the court and say I thought I was going to pass these slow cars and saw my exit coming and had to come back to the right lane.

I am an aggressive driver and even sometime I don't shift lanes back and forth that quick because you never know who is behind you in a unmarked car.

After how many seconds or minutes did you go back to the right lane?

[RM52]

Sounds like you got pulled over by a douche who was having a bad day.

sounds like you got pulled over by a cop who was doing his job...no offense

[sideshow24]

While we're here, my driving record for the past 3-4 years has been atrocious. Not surprisingly, my monthly insurance payment is outta control.

Is it true if I go to some drivers ed classes it'll help my rate?

In most cases it will not help your rate. Insurance companies use a different point system than DMV. Decreasing points on your license will not make the individual violations go off your record and the companies charge based on these violations, not your DMV point total.

If a judge agrees that he will dismiss a violation if you take a class that is different, and in my opinion totally worth it, because that violation will never show up if you present the court with your completion certificate. Still gotta pay for the class but that beats 3 years of increased insurance rates.

[chow184]

I can't make new threads so I just searched this one out, but basically here's my dilemma.

I got my first ticket of any kind early this morning at 1 am.

I was doing about 60 in a 45 coming home down indy blvd, I was pretty tired, and completely forgot about how indy blvd late at night is a complete speed trap.

there was one other car on the road with me also doing about 60, I see the cop car after it's too late and slow down, see and here the woop woop and pull over. the other driver is pulled as well.

first thing I do is get out my license and reg.,the cop comes to my window, and instead of saying "do you know why I pulled you over", he instantly says. "why are you racing?!?!? " . I didn't **** my pants or anything but I knew the seriousness of the event just went up and there'd be no walking away ticket-less.

I'm thinking to myself, are you ****ing serious? really? I compose myself and realize any response besides saying yes will appear as me to be arguing (no was the truth however, I have a mazda rx8, the other car was a beat up chevy hatchback from atleast 85,so yeah I wasn't racing that...) . So anyways I tell him "I'm not trying to argue with you, but I was not racing" trying to be as respectful as possible given that he didn't introduce himself nor greet me. the first words from his mouth were "WHY ARE YOU RACING!!?"

so a response to that was difficult. He tells me that if I go to court for a racing charge, he says it will be a slam dunk after he testifies(strong emphasis was made on this) and I'll lose my car to the city. I didn't appreciate this in the least, if I was racing, sure I'd have been pissed but it'd have been my fault for racing(which again I wasn't), he's doing his job. This however comes off as extremely threatening especially given his tone throughout the entire conversation. to which the entire time I was very "yes sir/no sir" and completely honest respectful.

now if he was rude while accusing me of speeding, I wouldn't have cared as much(as that was the truth). but to say what he had said, is incredibly threatening as it wasn't the truth of the matter.

He goes on to make himself look like a hero, by saying he won't charge me with racing but just a speeding ticket, as I've never been pulled over before.

but now to the aftermath, a ticket for 60 in a 45 I'm surely will make my insurance go up, and I'm on my parents insurance. So this is bad joo joo. granted I pay my own portion of the insurance, I bought the car myself as well.

I know if I pay it off it's the easy way out and my insurance and everything takes a hit

I really don't want to pay this and just accept defeat. from what I've read showing up normally gets tickets reduced or dropped even, if the cop doesn't show up.

any advice would be much appreciated.

[mattsb84]

Don't know how it works in Beantown, but for my first ticket in md i received a probation before judgment(pbj), and it doesn't show on your record. It goes way after a few years but if you get pulled over again during the probation period, it goes on your record. You probably want to show up to court rather then mail the ticket in, plead guilty with explanation or something along those lines and it will more then likely get reduced or you'll get the pbj. This should not impact your insurance if you get the pbj.

[chow184]

Don't know how it works in Beantown, but for my first ticket in md i received a probation before judgment(pbj), and it doesn't show on your record. It goes way after a few years but if you get pulled over again during the probation period, it goes on your record. You probably want to show up to court rather then mail the ticket in, plead guilty with explanation or something along those lines and it will more then likely get reduced or you'll get the pbj. This should not impact your insurance if you get the pbj.

I'm actually in VB haha, but I definitely plan on going to court.

everything I've heard thus far seems like if you're a first timer, and you show up, they tend to lessen the charge. not that I'd flat out expect it, but it'd be nice. be nicer if he doesn't show up...