Speeding Ticket Question

[Butch]

So a month and a half ago, I got a speeding ticket going through Idaho. The officer clocked it at 66 in a 55, and the ticket is $75. I live in NY, and the state does not add points to your license for out of state tickets.

Question . . . Idaho has an option called "Bond Forfeiture," which the prosecutor can choose to offer to people with speeding tickets. Essentially, what happens is I would pay $150 (instead of $75) and the ticket would be dismissed. Seems like legalized extortion.

I have a perfectly clean driving record otherwise, right now.

What would you do?

To recap . . .
Pay ticket:
$75
Goes on record as conviction
No points on license

Do Bond Forfeiture:
$150
Goes on record as dismissal
No points on license and no conviction on record

[Daedalus]

Trial by declaration?

$150 for any speeding ticket with no points is a gift. That's like 2-3 parking tickets in some places.

Aside from the points, are you certain your insurance rate won't go up for any reason with the conviction? Always good to have a clean record...you might have to move out of state for some reason within the next 3 years.

Consider getting a radar detector, especially since bankrupt states are starting to collect more revenue from the highways. I know several people who, whithin a few week's time, all got speeding tickets for less than 10 over on the (same) interstate. Two were for 5 over, and they say they really were going 5 over.

[ray]

$150 no doubt.

[InfiniteNothing]

:stupid: Just consider it a non tax deductible donation to the state. Pay it and forget about it.

[clutchy]

i'm with everyone else $150 and nothing happened? amazing.

[mechmike0034]

I was cited for 74/50 this past week - to the tune of $195 and two points...

Wish I could make that go away for $150...

[Butch]

Thanks for the input. I'm in agreement with all - just wanted some more opinions.

I'm going to just do the bond forfeiture and have it *poof* go away.

. . . and then I'm going to have a very hard time finding a reason to go to Idaho ever again.

[Jeffbx]

This seems like a new trend...

Around me in metro Detroit, there are WAY more cops doing traffic duty lately, and they have this neat new trick. You get pulled over for (whatever - 2mph over), but the officer "cuts you a break" by writing a ticket for 'impeding the flow of traffic' - $150 fine, but zero points. Here's the best part:

- No sense in fighting it, there are no points
- Even if you DO go to court, the judge will see that the officer 'already reduced the ticket' & is less likely to do anything
- Go to court and win? You still have to pay court costs.

So bottom line is once you get this ticket, you WILL be paying, regardless of whether you did anything wrong.

I'm sure this is directly related to the budget crises that many cities are facing - easy way to raise some extra cash.

Questions for discussion -

1) How long until someplace goes too far & gets called out for this shady practice?

2) Anyone still think that traffic tickets are to make the roads safer?

[attgig]

tickets are all about getting money during a budget crisis. extra tax, if you will, if you don't follow the signs to a T.

They've started giving tickets here for 5-10 miles over the speed limit, where they never used to do that.

thank God I haven't been caught yet... *knock on wood*

[Markel]

Here in Illinois, once a year you can opt for "court supervision" (as long as your offense is not insanely serious, like 30+ over the speed limit or such). All you do is send in the ticket form and the payment (to the tune of $75 or $90 or such), and your record stays clean as long as you don't get another violation in the next 3 months. It's a win-win situation: the community gets their $$$, and the motorist keeps their record clean (as far as the insurance companies can tell).

[speedracer120]

Unless you're filing an application for a state bar and you have to list all fines over a certain amount and such. What a pain in the arse that was for me.

[Airencracken]

This seems like a new trend...

Around me in metro Detroit, there are WAY more cops doing traffic duty lately, and they have this neat new trick. You get pulled over for (whatever - 2mph over), but the officer "cuts you a break" by writing a ticket for 'impeding the flow of traffic' - $150 fine, but zero points. Here's the best part:

- No sense in fighting it, there are no points
- Even if you DO go to court, the judge will see that the officer 'already reduced the ticket' & is less likely to do anything
- Go to court and win? You still have to pay court costs.

So bottom line is once you get this ticket, you WILL be paying, regardless of whether you did anything wrong.

I'm sure this is directly related to the budget crises that many cities are facing - easy way to raise some extra cash.

Questions for discussion -

1) How long until someplace goes too far & gets called out for this shady practice?

2) Anyone still think that traffic tickets are to make the roads safer?

Traffic tickets always have been a scam. Nothing new.

[Butch]

Hmmmm. . . looks like the State of AZ will be trying to track me down for a ticket from a speeding camera, too. At least, I got a notice from Hertz that they were looking for me.

At least with these speeding camera tickets, apparently being mailed a ticket does not count as properly being served. As far as I understand, if I ignore the ticket, they have 120 days to track me down in person in NYC, which they won't do, before the ticket gets dismissed. If anyone understands differently, please let me know!

Clearly I enjoyed my Mustang Convertible a bit on the trip! :-)