My speedometer is broken & I got a ticket, should I have said something about it to the officer?

Question

I've never had a ticket until my speedometer broke. Since then, I've had two - one in Jan. & one today. I've always been a good driver & was even accused of being a "granny driver" in high school.

I know many people who try to get out of tickets & I don't want to be like that.I feel that if you do something wrong, you should take responsibility for it. Both times, I haven't told the officer about my speedometer being broken & just paid the ticket. I'm sure they've heard every excuse in the book anyway & I don't want to come across the wrong way.

So, should I have said something and/or tried to fight it? I feel like I should take responsibility for my actions but, I also don't really feel like it was totally my fault.

I'm a college student & don't have money to pay for speedometer & ticket. My parents promised me they would pay for things & help me out financially if I went to college (I'm 24). They paid the 1st tcket but not the speedometer, so now I have another ticket

Btw, don't know if it matters but the last ticket was for 79 in a 65, I can't remember about the first one but I think it was almost the same........

Answer 1

No, you shouldn't have mentioned it. I would cite you for defective equipment, requiring you to get the speedometer fixed. That would likely cost more than the speeding ticket.

Do you have mile markers on your freeways? Passing one each minute means you're going 60 MPH.

Answer 2

Let's see if I've got this right. You got a ticket in January, and the speedometer was broken then. This is August -- that's eight months, right? Surely a college student could have figured out that he needed to get the speedometer fixed or replaced -- like, maybe even before the first ticket happened?
This WAS totally your fault.You drove a vehicle with a major fault -- no speedometer. Since it was your fault, both times, get yourself a part time job, park the car, and earn enough money to pay the ticket AND get the speedometer fixed.
This is called growing up, and is indicative of adult behaviour.

Answer 3

No, you would not have gotten out of the ticket for speeding, because, face it, you were guilty of the crime and no cop I know would have let you off (I know two city cops, good friends) but you might have a cse for a lesser fine in court if your speedometer was inaccurate, not completely broken. If your speedometer said you were going 65 and you were really going 79, then getting it calibraated as someone else pointed out might be considered an extenuating circumstance, you believed your indication and rightfully beieved you were going a legal speed. I almost had a similar problem when I swapped out the rear end on my old Ford F-250 pickup truck. It was a higher ratio rear end, meaning the wheels turned more for a given engine RPM. Since the speedometer is run off the transmission, I also had to get a different gear for the transmission for the speedometer to be accurate. If I had done nothing, it would have read lower than my actual speed over ground by maybe 15%. One of my cop buddies, who helped me swap out the rear ends, advised me on this so I would avoid a ticket.

If the speedometer is really broken, then fix it, pay the fine and be done with it. If simply inaccurate, then get it adjusted and then argue in court that you didn't know it was out of calibration, which won't get you off, but it might help lessen the penalty some.

Answer 4

Your a college student and you can't figure this out?FIX THE SPEEDOMETER! The tickets will cost you more in the long run,and probably keep you from losing your license.Had you opened your mouth to the officer you would also have gotten a ticket for faulty equipment.In some states it is also a "fix it" ticket,and proof of repair is required at your court appearance.Give up your Starbucks lattes for a week or two and get the repairs!!

Answer 5

Well... it IS totally your fault. As a driver, you were responsible for the condition of your vehicle. You were required to keep the car in drivable condition with all safety gears, brakes, tires, and guages (speedometers) in safe working condition. You neglected this responsibility. As a result, you were exceeding the speed limit. Since this is your second offense, there IS no excuse.

You could have told the police officer about this problem. If you did, the officer could give you another ticket for failure to maintain the vehicle and require you to fix the speedometer and prove it is fixed.

You need to fix this before you get the third ticket.

Answer 6

First of all, it is your fault. It's your responsibility to make sure everything works properly in your car. I know that sucks when your in school and don't have money, but still.

Don't contest it, I swear, it won't work and the judge will say exactly what I just said. Even if you had said to the cop that your speedometer was broken, you would had gotten the ticket anyway.

Sorry, but pay your ticket. No way you can win that one.

Answer 7

OMG! What kind of car do you have? I have a dodge neon and the same thing happened to me in Virginia! We told the cop and he didn't care, he said that we shouldn't be driving a car that doesn't work properly! So i don't think it would do any good. I would go get it fixed (about $300) and go to court and plead your case, and even say it stopped working while you were driving it and you got it fixed. the judge may drop the charges or lessen the fine. We got clocked at doing 93 in a 65 so we had to get a lawyer to avoid jailtime (in VA getting aticket like that is the same charge as getting a DUI- stupid yes but thats the law).

Ask your parents to pay for the speedometer. Thats what parents are for. Statistically parents usually bail their kids out of tough situations until they are 25, so statistically you have 1 more year of mess-ups! Good Luck!

Answer 8

Mentioning that your speedometer is broken will only get you another ticket for driving a vehicle with faulty equipment. It doesn't get you out of a ticket at all.

Get the speedometer fixed - driving with it broken will get you more tickets, and too many in a year's time will cause you to lose your license.

Answer 9

Have the speedometer fixed of course. If you had gotten it fixed and brought the bill to court the judge may have dismissed it.At least you could see the D.A. at the courthouse before the court date and he can cancel the case also.After court you can see the DA and appeal to change the ruling to improper or defective equipment.You are correct that driving is a priveledge but fighting to maintain the best for yourself is a right in America.

Answer 10

All you have to do is take your car to a mechanic and have the speedometer calibrated. He then fills out a form or if willing can go to court with you to verify that it was indeed not working correctly. This happens all the time. If you have already paid the fine and or been to court on the previous ticket you just have to suck that one up, but you can fix this one.