VERY upset about first speeding ticket; help? Advice?

Question

I just received my first ever speeding ticket the other day. The officer clocked me at 61 MPH in a 45 MPH zone.

I didn't say much to the officer....I was really stunned that it was happening to me. I had been driving from out of state ALL day and was JUST about to turn onto my street when I was stopped.

I'm really a safe driver, and have never even had an accident (knock on wood!). I pride myself on my responsibility (lame, I know), and I've been beating myself up about this.

I'm too ashamed to tell friends. I feel like a criminal, to tell the truth. I haven't even called to see how much this will cost.

It's silly, but I've been crying about this!

It's too late to try & "get out of it." Right? How does this effect my "record" and insurance?

Thanks for the help.

THANKS to the compassionate, informative answerers. The "high & mighty" get-over-it answerers are no help.

Answer 1

Your insurance will go up, unless you go to traffic school, which will cost you a little extra $$. If you don't go to traffic school the ticket will go in your record and stay there for 3 years.
The ticket you will have to pay anyways. I'm not sure how much it will be, maybe between $300 and $600. You can always "fight" it, but you can't win against an officer who has proof that you were speeding.

Answer 2

The fact is, you were going over the speed limit. Chances are that this is not your first time driving over the speed limit. Every time that you do anything that could get you a ticket and you do it anyway, you have made a conscious decision that if you do get caught that you are willing to pay the price for that action.

Most insurance companies have a "one off" policy where if this is the first ticket/accident/claim that you have put through then nthing will happen. If it is not or they don't have a policy like this then you can expect your insurance to increase.

And there is no reason to cry about it, you got caught doing what you were supposed to do. Same as coming home late if you had a curfue ... you pay the price for it. You can cry if your going to fast and dont have the reaction time needed to come to a complete stop and run over an 8 year old that ran out into the street to get a misthrown ball ... then you can cry.

Answer 3

Well, I would not obsess about it like you are. You are not a criminal But if you are really a safe driver, as you say, you would not be driving 61 in a 45 MPH area. A 45 MPH area likely has many driveways and other access areas with lots of vehicles entering and leaving the road.

I know lots of people think speed limits are rather arbitrary but in fact most are well thought out based on the area in question.

You don't have to tell your friends you got a ticket, but you might want to as a means of teaching them the consequences of not obeying posted limits.

Don't be too hard on yourself, but don't laugh this off either. You might want to thank the officer who gave you the ticket, stopping you might have prevented you from seriously hurting someone else or yourself. Now that would have been something to cry about.

Answer 4

Dont let it get you down. EVERYONE gets a ticket eventually. Everyone does. If someone tells you they have never gotten a ticket, they either havent been driving long enough to have gotten one or they are just lying.
You made a blunder - it happens. Its easy to get "zoned out" and not realize you are speeding.
Dont bother trying to get out of it - if you do that you will just have to go to court several times, pay court costs, miss work and all that nonsense and still probably end up losing and having to pay for the ticket.
What will happen? Other than having to pay a nasty fine probably not much at all. In fact in most places if you have a good driving record and havent had a ticket within a certain time frame you usually can just pay the fine at your local county building or courthouse outright without even having to go to court over it. I am in Ohio and thats how it is here.
As far as insurance, if you have been driving for a while, have a good record and never have had a accident they probably wont do anything. But watch those tickets - get too many and they will nail you!
Good luck.

Answer 5

Elect to take driving school (available if you don't have a CDL). The driving school will wipe the points off of your drivers license and will prevent your insurance from going up. Please don't cry about it anymore as there is nothing more you can do about it. I've heard about people going to court over a ticket and the officer didn't show up so the ticket was dropped. That doesn't happen very often so I wouldn't even go that route and waste your time. Tickets happen to the best of us, but remember that you WERE speeding and there are consequences for everyone's actions.

Answer 6

You have the right to go before a judge, but how can you prove you weren't speeding? Your insurance company will increase your premium because it's a moving violation, unless you go to a safety class you'll need to shop around for a lower premium. Many safe drivers enjoyed lower premiums "until" that one incident. There are so many laws you were bound to violate one sooner or later. I got a ticket once for running a red light I protested and threw the ticket on the ground in front of the officer, I soon had a $160 warrant. I suggest pay it immediately or challenge it, the judge could throw it out, you never know. Good luck.

Answer 7

These things happen, but i think you're'; smart enough to realize that it isn't a good thing to happen.

The cost should be on the ticket. take a good look, you'll see it. To tell your friends? Why should you? Not to be a wise ***, but do they have to know everything you do or happens to you.?
Re ins, that's up to your co., Call and ask. They'll find out about it sooner or later anyway.
In Pennsylvania this will be 4 points.
They come off 3 a year based on 12 consecutive violation free months from the date of the ticket.
year, based on 12 consecutive months of violation free driving.

Just watch your speed in the future.

Answer 8

Hello Lilith, here is what I would do! Go to court on the date that the citation states. You can represent yourself! No attorney is needed. The Asst-DA will call your name and ask you how do you plea? I would plea " no contest " Your not saying you were speeding but your not saying you wasn't ! When its your time to speak, explain to the judge this is your first speeding citation and you would like to ask for a P.J.C. ( Prier of Judgment Call ) If the judge allowes it ! you will pay the court cost, on average $100.00 dollars and the speeding charge will not go on your driving record unless you get another speeding citation within three years then both will go on your record at the same time. So when you ask for a P.J.C. its just what it sounds like! Give me another chance. One more thing, I can't promise anything because the judge has the last word.

Answer 9

It does make sense to take advantage of the court date. Many times you can get your fine reduced and also the points against your license. Your insurance company will surely find out (ticket info is sent to a database), but many of the larger companies can absorb one.

Give yourself a break, you are not a criminal. Just the fact that you feel so terrible is proof that you are not irresponsible. Just go and plead your case and the judge will likely show leniency. Good luck to you!

Answer 10

Speeding tickets, at least from my Canadian knowledge, do not effect, in any way, your driving record and should not play a role in your insurance. Usually it works off minors or majors, a ticket like this may not even be considered a minor. Its not likely that if you are given three minors, you will be given a major which then effects your driving record and insurance.
lastly, not fret about it, its not a big deal, everyone(whether they say so or not) gets tickets, and your extremely lucky that this is your first one. If anything, you should be happy with such an impressive driving record.