This will not help you now. But for the future NEVER automatically pay a speeding ticket. Pay a good attorney a couple hundred bucks to go to the courthouse with the ticket and get it dismissed by one of the DAs.

I know attorneys who take literally dozens of them at a time to the courthouse and have that done for their clients. It’s how the court system works. They don’t want everybody coming to court anyway. i’ve had it done successfully several times. I have never had to show up myself and every time I have had the ticket dismissed.

Worst case scenario, if they cannot get it dismissed, is to have it dramatically reduced so that it does not affect your insurance.

The other option is to go to court and hope that the traffic cop doesn’t show. If he/she does not show for the hearing the ticket is automatically dismissed. Some states also have the option to accept doing a drivers course in lieu of the citation. That option is not available in my state.

There are exceptions: there’s no way to get out of the citation if you are caught speeding in a work zone or a school zone. If you are above your states limit where they automatically revoke your license (in my state it’s 15 mph over the speed limit) then they can often get it reduced to 9 mph over the speed limit so that you don’t lose your license.

In Georgia 10+ over speed limit gets you a fine but you only get points for 14/15 over speed limit. I had a ticket 15 over limit so I paid an attorney that specializes in speeding tickets $400 to go to court. He had the ticket dismissed but I had to pay a court fee equal to the ticket $. The court fee isn’t reported to dmv so no points.

AFAIK, speeding points in CA clear after 3 years. But your insurer can keep their own records on you. Depending on how they set their rates, they could have 3 years clean as "1.00" baseline factor, but maybe have "we've had you 5 years and we know you're extra clean, so we'll give you an extra 5-10% off". If your company has something like that (not all companies do, and not all states permit it, not sure where CA is on that right now), you'd go back to "base" but not to your prior "discounted" level. As for your rate getting "back to before" once the points roll off, well, yes, but other variables in your rate change over time, too, so it will get back to "normal" but not necessarily the same as before.

FYI, DUIs, Failure to Appear in Court and other serious items stay on your record longer - 5 to 10 years.

I would try to shop around different carriers. Most of them only count for 3 years not 5. Also, make sure if you qualify for the "Good Driver Discount" you're getting it. Also, combining homeowner policies with the same carrier can help get a discount. Lots a variability among carriers. Also, online traffic school is good for getting one of them "masked" by the DMV so the insurance carriers don't count that one. Also, my radar detector has helped a lot to avoid getting into trouble. They are perfectly legal here, just not a perfect protection in all situations.

"In California, state law dictates that insurance carriers must give their customers a 20% discount if they meet certain criteria. The law was part of Proposition 103, which went into effect in 1989.

According to the law, California drivers are eligible for the Good Driver Discount if they meet the following requirements set by the state:

They must have continuously held a driver’s license for a minimum of three years.
They must have one or fewer points on their driving record.
They must not have been to traffic school more than once.
They must not have been involved in any at-fault accidents that resulted in injury or death.
They must have no DUI-related convictions within the last 10 years.

If you live in California and meet these requirements, your insurance carrier is obligated to give you 20% off your car insurance — no matter which insurance provider you use. If you qualify but are not currently receiving this discount, you should contact your insurance carrier as soon as possible."

My elderly mom get screwed over when her doctor reported her to DMV for a medical condition and they suspended her license for a short period pending an appeal. Her carrier totally took advantage and remove the discount costing her a lot. It was Automobile Club of Southern Calif (AAA). Despite having been a customer for 50+ years. F them.

Also, I've heard, so take it with a grain of salt, that CHP officers never miss court dates cuz they get paid to go and sometimes OT for it. Never tried the attorney route, but probably worth a try. Best of luck.

John you can do this yourself if you show up to court in GA, trust me I know.

Go in, the judge lets you talk to the DA when you plead. They will reduce it to 14 over and take your money. No points, not reported, easy peasy. and save $400!

Or, just be nice to the cop and he'll lower it for you. Got stopped Monday night in Ellijay doing 77 just as it changed from 65 to 55. He wrote me up for 69.

Just don't ever get a super speeder or your screwed!

Just FYI, we're clean, no accidents and no tickets in many years and our insurance was about to renew at a 33% increase. I'm switching it over to USAA with some reduced coverage and a higher deductible to cut it to about half what I was going to pay. If you can swing a grand for your deductible, do it. You don't ever really want insurance to have to pay unless it is substantial damage.

why would you ever pay an attorney. You just show up yourself and they change it to a defective speedometer and you are done. Pay the same fine, but no driving record. Who the hell would want to throw more money at the situation for something that takes you maybe an hour to do yourself.

In New Hampshire we don’t have a points system. ( that I know of). Very generous with the laws here. Unless you’re out of state. Then better not get a Trooper nailing you. Very protective. I know a lot of Staties and Locals up here and everyone is cool as shit! Great guys. I’ve been nailed at 120 in my Challenger. $200 fine and no insurance increase, as Trooper dropped it to 20 mph over the 65 limit. Great musclehead that one. We chatted for an hour.

Because it’s easy. Very difficult for me to get time away from work. Never met the attorney. He has my credit card on file. I call and they pull the ticket electronically. Charge my card (most I have ever paid is $200 that covers all fees). Next day I have a dismissal by email. Would cost me more to miss work.

And this is for a full dismissal. Less likely to happen if you represent yourself. It’s just how the system works.

So I understand it’s not how you would handle it but it works best for me.

Family friend here in canada , caused a small fender bender and after being with the same insurance company for 20 years with no claims, cancelled his policy altogether .
To get insurance he now qualifies as a new driver with any other company. 10 times the price to be insured.

My son was eligible for a Georgia Super Speeder grand prize from the friendly city of Tifton. I told him to hire an attorney to get it taken care of. Charge reduced to the old "impeding traffic" penalty from an 86 in a 65. No points and no insurance increase. Fine reduced to $200.00 and the attorney fee added was equal to the original ticket fee plus super speeder $200.00 bonus.

Well worth the expense since the insurance increase would have been horrible.

Example: You're a college student on a vacation during Spring Break and get caught in a speed trap. You can't go back a month or so later a thousand miles away and risk still losing a case. Well worth the Attorney fee.

Also, when I was 20 and got a 12 over
(67 in a 55 during the bullshit national 55 speed limit era) speeding ticket 20 miles from home; I went to court and lost. Had to pay the ticket plus a $25.00 "court cost" fee. Then my insurance shot up. I learned a valuable lesson right there.

The jurisdictions that offer the "safe driving online course for $200.00 or so in exchange for charges dropped are offering a sweet deal. It seems like extortion but it's a great option for those who have car insurance.

I've got my class A with full endorsements. I've had tickets in the past but none in the last ten years. Last one was 75 in a 55 on my motorcycle. I drive like a saint now because I can't risk points on my trucking license. We were trained to come to a full and complete stop and then spell S T O P before taking off! Good thing I drive a speed governed truck or I'm sure I would have points by now! I have 3 cars and 3 drivers now on one policy. I have another car through hagerty. I have myself, my wife and my 19 YO daughter on my 2007 Honda pilot, 2001Mustang GT and a 1972 Porsche 914. The pilot has full coverage even thought it's paid off because I was only going to save $18 a month if I dropped the full coverage. I pay around $240 a month for those 3 cars. I also have a 65 Volvo that I pay $120 a year through Hagerty. I know none of this is about points on your license but figured I'd throw it out there.anyway!

This is why I never speed. It's all too risky and too much hassle and whats the big hurry anyways? Plus your putting yourself and everyone around you in danger. Its just not worth it.

John

Absolutely right. I've seen some nasty accidents and avoided a few that would have been ugly had I been involved. During AG season trucks regularly run over weight. Employers pay the over weight tickets to get the harvest done. There are also AG exceptions that allow you to work up to 16 hours a day, 12 of those driving, and up to 7 days a week! Tomato season is particularly grueling. I worked from early July through September 28th this year with 3 days off total because the cannery closes for 1 day every 3 weeks for cleaning. If people would stop cutting off semi's we sure would appreciate it! Those suckers don't stop on a dime.

People are always in such a hurry to get no where real quick....

Last time I got a ticket (a long time ago) went to court in a suit - they thought I was an attorney, as I was the only defendant dressed that way. Found the prosecutor, short chat and he put me at the front of the line. Court costs equal to the ticket, suspended. Was out in 15 minutes.

Went to higher deductibles a long time ago. Have saved in insurance costs way more than the higher deductible will cost me.

Knowing what I pay (over 50, married, homeowner, 800+ fico, clean driving record) I gotta assume a very large percent of people on the road cannot even afford to carry insurance.

When I worked sub-prime auto financing for Wells Fargo in the early 2000s we would always see 90yo ladies from Florida applying for loans on their 5th Mustang GT and get 'auto approved' based on excellent credit. Unless the government or industry cracks down on straw purchasers & straw insurers you will always see the 'good' customers carrying a disproportionate cost.

Your lien holder can require a certain deductible level so its always wise, if you have a loan, to review your policy to see if you agreed to a specific level. Chances are nothing would ever come of it but willfully lying to your insurance company could be used as a reason to deny any claims.

Tifton is notorious for speeding tix! I think they make all their money off the ATL folks heading to Disney.

I guess my only question would be, why do you feel the need to be going 90mph? If an actual emergency situation, I get it, anything else, there is literally no reason for it.

If in a rush, leave earlier then. There is no reason, to put you, or anyone else’s life in danger, just because someone wants to get somewhere 30 seconds faster.

Not saying this is you, heck not even saying I’m a saint(had my learning curve at a young age), this is to anyone in general. Getting home to my wife and kids each day, is my absolute top priority. Nothing else will be above that. Doesn’t matter what everyone else around you is doing, you can only control you. There’s always consequences for one’s actions. Either do the best you can to avoid those scenarios, or don’t complain if the person can’t show discipline and responsibility.

With that said, younger years set me on my path I follow now. With following the law and being mindful of my driving over the years, our insurance has been doable. It’s never going to be cheap, that will never change. Don’t put yourself in those scenarios, and you generally won’t have to worry about the aftermath. All you can do now, is adjust your thinking to driving, and give it time. Much like building credit, you have to show a long history of no issues, before you start getting the additional benefits. Penalties suck, but they are also a life lesson.

As for rates, we’ve been pretty happy with State Farm. All of cars, house, and misc under one policy, and I think we’re under $200/month. We even get refunds from them yearly, if our charges were higher that what should have been.

As for driving records, it’s always been 3 years for DMV, and 5 years for any insurance I’ve had throughout the years. My driving record also affects my job, so yet another reason I stay within the limits.

Sucks about the price hike on you, wish you the best finding a solution to the issue.

Yeah and don't even get me started on the people that tailgate so close I can't see there headlights. I'm always that guy that's hanging waaayyy back from everybody in front of me. If someone slams on the breaks all of a sudden I don't want be that close behind them for any reason. Cracks me up the people that are passing and putting everyone in danger and in the end they didn't get no further then I did. Weather your six feet from someone or sixty feet your not going to get there any sooner. Driving is a serious business but people don't take it serious whatsoever. It's all about me me me!!!!

John

Man, they really do things different in your state than they do here in CA.

1) Good luck finding an attorney for $200 bucks here. You better have a few thousand dollars. Furthermore, the DA's office has almost nothing to do with infraction tickets which are handled in a traffic court with you, the cop and a commissioner (not even a real judge) hearing the case.

2) A ticket reduced? Do you mean the fine or the charge? A red light ticket is a red light ticket to an insurance company. It doesn't matter to them if the fine is $500 or $20. And how would you reduce a red light ticket? Reduce it to jaywalking? Not here in CA.

3) If a cop doesn't show up here in CA, most of the time, the commissioner will schedule a new court date at least once, especially if the cop had an excuse. It's never "automatically" dismissed.

4) There are ways to get out of speeding tickets in school and work zones. It's called due process. No way would a court ever say there is no way to get out of something. That would go against our constitution.

Well. Really glad I’m not in CA. It’s been probably > 10 years since I had a citation but even now you don’t pay those kinds of fees for a traffic attorney here.

And at $6 a gallon for gas I would not be driving much anyway!

In my Georgia example, the 21 over speeding ticket was changed to an "Impeding traffic" charge. No points, no report to the insurance company.

Had the same thing in Michigan and Nevada. Take the online "course" and the speeding ticket is changed to impeding traffic with no points nor insurance company notification.

I use to defend CA when people talked it down. I have to admit, this state has gone to absolute shit with its' politics and coddling of criminals. The only thing keeping me here, is the weather and money I've made on real estate. Paid $375k in 1998 for my now worth 2 mil dollar house and I can work in my garage in the dead of winter wearing shorts. And I'm not trying to brag. House is nothing special or big and on a small 6500 sq ft lot.

Get out of the passing lane!

Exactly! People not paying attention to faster cars behind them. Not getting the hell out of the way and letting people pass them. Michigan is the fucking worst.

actually MO is the worst with that. MI is a treat compared to that state. Those idiots don't move over at all and linger in the left lane.

Wisconsin would like a word with you. Ugh... when I see that Wisco liscense plate I know some dumbassery is about to occur.

Speeding itself isn't inherently dangerous. Its people on the road who are in their own world and not aware of their surroundings who are the biggest danger. For example if you're driving slow and everyone else on the road is having trouble getting around you, the slow driver is the one creating the dangerous situation.

IL is the one that drives slow. As soon as I cross the boarder. There is someone going EXACTly the speed limit or 5 under on the road. On the hwy, you guys drive nice and fast and move your ass. But on any of the regular roads, you guys drive like your 100 years old.

Maybe it’s because the locals know where the potholes are.

with all the toll money they screw you for, there shouldn't be one pothole in the whole damn state.

For some reason Ohio is the gold standard around these states. Don;t know if it's worth all the Troopers on the highways though; fuck those guys

Here its the opposite, slow cheeseheads taking up the left lane in my flatlander territory! Regardless, I didn't say WI drivers were slow (at driving at least), just bad

The tolls only pay for the interstates, which tend to be pretty nice with lots of lights and whatnot. I used to dread hopping off 90 in IL and getting onto whoop section 43 in Wisconsin. I'm with you though, they are still a huge ripoff scam. Trust me. I'm WI>IL all day every day, except for the drivers

Best ticket ever for me was in Maumee, Ohio; 91 in a 55. 1981 when the national speed limit was 55.

There's a bridge, in Vermont I think? If you go through an EZ pass lane and your version of EZ pass isn't supported, or you simply don't have it, they nail you for~$50 or $60.

For those of you who have AAA, it can get kind of expensive if you are paying for your entire family. Most insurance companies have a AAA equivalent service that costs just a couple bucks a month to cover everyone.