Traffic Violations

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]To be honest, I'm just looking for advice for myself, but for the sake of making this a community discussion, have you ever gotten any tickets, or been pulled over? What was it for, and (even better) did you get out of it?

I just got pulled over a couple weeks ago for being on my cell phone while driving. It was my first ticket, and it's not the money I was worried about, it was my mother and my insurance. And since I'm determined not to tell my mother (I'm 18 so I don't have to), I can't ask her whether or not I need to inform the insurance company. Do you know if this type of offense would require it? The lady in the court office told me the insurance wouldn't go up from this type of thing, but I'm still not sure if I have to actually report it. =/

What about you? Ever have to pay a ticket? (Or did you challenge it in court?) Points on your license? Share.[/color]

[Nomad]

[FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="1"]Hmm, actually, in about 5 or 6 hours or so I'm going to be heading downtown to pay off a ticket that I had gotten. It's due by Saturday, so I have to do it today (procrastination...)

My friend and I were driving to school (I was the passenger) and we got pulled over on the highway for speeding. We were doing about 70 or so. He has a few unpaid tickets... *cough* a few... yeah. Anyway, neither of us were wearing seat belts (always wear your safety belts kids ;)) so we both got tickets. He got 50 cents for speeding, $25 for no seat belt and $250 for unpaid tickets. I got $25 for a seat belt.

Cell phone doesn't seem too bad to me. I'd tell my mom if I were you, but that's just my opinion. She shouldn't be too freaked, really. Not too sure about the insurance company though (no car = no insurance.)

But tickets do suck...[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]Only 50 cents for speeding? That's whacked, if you ask me. A girl I know was speeding and she practically had her license taken from her (I forget what happened. They kept postponing the court date until before she left for college in Washington so that it wouldn't matter she couldn't drive...)

I always wear my seatbelt - it's like an automatic thing for me. And anyone who's not 18 in my car... I make sure they wear it, too (or I'm responsible for the ticket).

Love the peeps, btw.[/color]

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]Anyone who doesn't wear a seatbelt is a dumbass. Not only is it an expensive ticket in most parts of the country, it is common sense to wear it, lol.

Eh, I've been pulled over. The last time I was taking my girlfriend home through her University's campus. I went the wrong way on a roundabout because it was 12:30 at night and we were in the boondocks part of the campus far from the core dorms and buildings. They had a damn undercover campus police officer who radioed in a marked police car, lol. That was terribly surprising. He let me off with a warning after we chatted for a bit. My girlfriend and I thought it was a pretty funny experience since, as I went through the roundabout the wrong way, she jinxed me with a joke about getting pulled over.

No anti-cell phone legislation here yet, but I think it is being discussed. Might want to talk to your Mom if it would be only a minor blowup to see what she wants you to do. You are under her wing still even if you are 18, lol.[/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]I have yet to get a single violation aside from a $20 parking ticket for not being faced in the stall properly. My god that was such a load of-

But other than that, no speeding tickets, probably because my car begins to go insane if it goes over 85 miles an hour anyway and thus, I keep it around 80. No parking tickets even though I've made mistakes every now and then that were innocent enough. And while there is cell phone legislation in the county I'm in, I have yet to get pulled over, as I usually do most of my cell phone chatting late at night when I'm trying desperately to stay awake on a dark highway. But that's the whole trouble with California. The long LONG stretches of highway between counties makes driving to visit old college friends a 2 hour trip in one direction.

And if you don't wear your seatbelt in California, they slap you in the face REALLY hard with their riding gloves and then drop the national debt in your lap in the form of a ticket you'll have to mortgage your house six times to pay off. Needless to say there is never a passenger in my car without a seatbelt on. And if they refuse, the car stays stubbornly still. It's like magic![/FONT][/COLOR]

[Kenso]

I've been pulled over twice.

The first time was for running a stop sign. I didn't actually run it, but I didn't stop as long as I probably should have. It was one of those annoying places where opposing traffic DOESN'T stop, and I needed to make a left, so I kind of gunned it when I could.
I got out of that one thanks to my brother. The cop noticed that the inspection stickers were months overdue, and brought that up too. However, I explained that I'd just bought the car from my brother (after it should have already been inspected) and had to pay to get the transmission fixed, on top of getting the brakes done so they'd pass, and he was kind enough to let me go, figuring I didn't really need the extra costs of a ticket. (The brake system went entirely 4 days later, and I got rid of the car.)

The second one was for having NO inspection stickers. Again, I'd just bought the car, and the friend I bought it from managed to go an entire year with no stickers and never got pulled over. I had it for ONE MONTH and got nailed. It wasn't even transferred into my name yet. That was expensive, as I got forced to transfer it within a week and get it on my insurance, and had to pay the ticket for $100.


NOTE: The number of times I should've been pulled over are MUCH higher than this. I like my gas pedal. I only keep the speeds low in the car I have now because it has an oil leak and doesn't shift into overdrive (meaning I can barely afford the gas to do 55, let alone 75-85).

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]I've never gotten a ticket. I got too use to keeping to the speed limit when I was driving a semi since the fees for that range from $130 to $600+ depending on how fast you are going. That and only so many and you lose your job. XP

I haven't driven commercial in almost three years now... but it's kind of a habit, sticking close to the required speed limit that is. I've spent far more time following the limit than I ever have otherwise. And considering the price of gas, it's probably just as well. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='MistressRoxie'][color=#9933ff]What about you? Ever have to pay a ticket? (Or did you challenge it in court?) Points on your license? Share.[/color][/QUOTE]I've never gotten a ticket... but then I don't have my own car so I rarely drive. We have a family car that I use from time to time, but most of the time I use the light rail system we have here in SLC.

As for telling your mom... if you're on her insurance I would fess up. Otherwise, I don't see a reason to.

[Nomad]

[quote name='DeathKnight'][color=crimson]Anyone who doesn't wear a seatbelt is a dumbass.[/color][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"][FONT="Verdana"]Thanks for the insult anyway, kid.

[I]I[/I] didn't have my belt on because I was in a hurry to get to class and we had just jumped on the highway. No excuse other than being absent minded.[/FONT][/SIZE]


[quote name='MistressRoxie'][color=#9933ff]Only 50 cents for speeding? That's whacked, if you ask me. A girl I know was speeding and she practically had her license taken from her (I forget what happened. They kept postponing the court date until before she left for college in Washington so that it wouldn't matter she couldn't drive...)

I always wear my seatbelt - it's like an automatic thing for me. And anyone who's not 18 in my car... I make sure they wear it, too (or I'm responsible for the ticket).

Love the peeps, btw.[/color][/QUOTE]

[FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="1"]It was only 50 cents because the officer let him off somewhat because he knew we were heading to class and we were trying not to be late. Oh and the fact that he had a couple of outstanding speeding tickets as well as another seat belt ticket from before. Had the officer not let him off easy, he would have taken him to jail and had the car towed, but he didn't. So I guess the 50 cents + $250 for outstanding tickets wasn't so bad. lol.

I usually always wear my belt. Whether I'm with my parents or any of my friends. 98% of the time I'm one of the first ones to put it on whenever we enter the car. Rare occasions, however, have risen where I didn't put it on anywhere from 10-15 minutes, but eventually I [I]do[/I] put it on.

An yes, peeps are awesome. :D There's never a time when they aren't in season. lol.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[DeathKnight]

[quote name='Nomad'][SIZE="1"][FONT="Verdana"]Thanks for the insult anyway, kid.

[I]I[/I] didn't have my belt on because I was in a hurry to get to class and we had just jumped on the highway. No excuse other than being absent minded.[/FONT][/SIZE][/quote]

[color=crimson]Anytime, pops. Senility is a sad thing at the age of 20, eh.[/color] ;)

[JCBaggee]

[color=darkred][size=1]I got my first speeding ticket back in college, and it was about $90. Insurance rates didn't go up a lot, and really won't unless you're consistantly getting speeding tickets or having accidents.

Also, your friend that almost lost her license, how fast was she going? I know Georgia has a point system, meaning for going so much over the limit you get a certain number of points on your license. I think if you get 3 points on your license, its revoked.

--Chris[/color][/size]

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]Not a friend but a school mate. She was driving past curfew on a provisional license and was speeding to make it home quicker. Something like 95-100 mph on the highway in two different speed zones (2 different tickets), which is probably why. *shrug*[/color]

[JCBaggee]

[quote name='MistressRoxie'][color=#9933ff]Not a friend but a school mate. She was driving past curfew on a provisional license and was speeding to make it home quicker. Something like 95-100 mph on the highway in two different speed zones (2 different tickets), which is probably why. *shrug*[/color][/QUOTE]

[color=darkred][size=1]Ew, yeah...that could be why.

I think 25 MPH or more over the speed limit is an automatic 2 points here.

--Chris[/color][/size]

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"]I've been pretty lucky about not getting tickets. >_> I don't know why the last cop who pulled me over on my way to visit my parents decided to let me off with a warning. I was certainly speeding enough to deserve a ticket. But he did and I lucked out. I try to keep it down and most of the time I do. It's just those long stretches of freeway on the way home that tempt me the most. It's a six hour drive to get home after all! XD[/FONT]

[Odin M Yggdrasi]

I've been pulled over once, following too closely (Even though I was riding as-specified by NYSDMV 3 second following distance in good conditions)

They reduced it to no seat belt, which was no points no insurance increase, and nothing more than 2 hours in town court waiting for my turn and a $150 fine.

Hopefully they wont bother my car right now though. She's all smashed up from a mishap on ice back in february, and though it is safely together and perfectly driveable it's not pretty .

[Morpheus]

I've never been pulled over, but there are many instances where I probably should have been. Luckily cops are few and far between here.

And it really doesn't matter how much of a hurry you are in, it's 3 seconds that might save you money and/or your life.

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Like Rach, I don't drive often due to a lack of a car, so getting a ticket would be a fairly difficult thing to do. I'm a fairly cautious driver too, mainly because not only is insurance in this country an absolute rip-off, but the police will crucify you over practically anything, particularly minor stuff which gets you points on your licence.

I've no idea how driving with a phone would affect your insurance Roxie, I know over here it's something like 3 points on your licence and will most certainly affect your insurance.

I recommend telling your mother, these things have a habit of getting around whether you want it or not, so better to fess up than have to face it unprepared. As for telling your insurance company, again probably would, if it's not going to affect your insurance, there's no harm in telling them, better to be safe than sorry.[/SIZE]

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]Ouch Gavin. That sucks. Three points on your licence for a cell? >_<; I know someone who got three points -- for literally crashing into another car! (low speeds, 20mph or something, no one died.) I, personally, didn't get any points on my licence. Phew!

I spoke to the insurance agency and they practically told me to go away. I told them what happened and the woman goes, "No, we're not interested in cell phone violations. Only accidents and moving violations such as speeding. Good day." I didn't even get to the part where I tell them my name. lol. So I guess that worked out. *shrug*

I'm getting a hands free for Easter. *grin* So I'll be chattering away again real soon. [/color]

[Gavin]

[quote name='MistressRoxie'][color=#9933ff]Ouch Gavin. That sucks. Three points on your licence for a cell? >_<; I know someone who got three points -- for literally crashing into another car! (low speeds, 20mph or something, no one died.) I, personally, didn't get any points on my licence. Phew![/color][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Well, Ireland has a pretty bad road deaths rate, so the Department of Justice and the police are coming down hard on people to get them to drive safer. I don't know how effective the mobile phone ban is, as I know plenty of people, my own parents included, who answer their phones will driving.

What's the points system like for you guys Roxie ? Over here it's 12 points within 3 years for an automatic 6 month ban, though more serious stuff like drink-driving can get you banned for longer instantly.[/SIZE]

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"][quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]Well, Ireland has a pretty bad road deaths rate, so the Department of Justice and the police are coming down hard on people to get them to drive safer. [/SIZE][/QUOTE]Wait... does this mean you are in Ireland? Uh... hold on, that brings to mind a question... are we suppose to stay semi on topic? To avoid things becoming nothing more than a chat room? And why am I asking this when I can just go and whack Crystia? *wanders off for a sec*

... Okay never mind, Crystia cleared that up. XP So... getting back on topic, I did get pulled over the other day, but one of my friends was driving so she got the ticket for going too fast instead of me. XD Can we say ouch? Especially since I told her to slow down less than five minutes before the cop spotted us. [/FONT]

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]Gavin: It generally varies from state to state. Here in NJ, the rules are almost about the same as yours. 6 points in three years makes you pay extra surgarges on violations. 12 points in three years suspends your licence. And you have to pay a charge to get your licence back once the suspension period is over.

For full overview, see here: [url]http://www.dmv.org/nj-new-jersey/point-system.php[/url] [/color]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Sabrina'][FONT="Tahoma"]Wait... does this mean you are in Ireland?[/FONT][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Heh, yeah, I'm OB's sole Irishman.[/SIZE]

[quote name='MistressRoxie'][color=#9933ff]Gavin: It generally varies from state to state. Here in NJ, the rules are almost about the same as yours. 6 points in three years makes you pay extra surgarges on violations. 12 points in three years suspends your licence. And you have to pay a charge to get your licence back once the suspension period is over.

For full overview, see here: [url]http://www.dmv.org/nj-new-jersey/point-system.php[/url] [/color][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Thanks for the info Roxie. Seems to be pretty similar to what we have over here, even though I don't think that many people have been banned for accumulation of points as opposed to direct bans for other stuff, like drink-driving. Still, it keeps people on their toes, or at least, a little more away of the traffic laws, even if they're going to complain about it a lot.

On my end, a friend of mine was caught for speeding today on one of the national main roads. Not unexpected really with all the people going back to see their families today, he wasn't going too much over the limit, has no record and the officer was pretty decent about it so he just got off with a warning. Hope his mother's cooking was worth the fine he nearly got. Heh. [/SIZE]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]Heh, yeah, I'm OB's sole Irishman.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]He's also OB's resident terrorist so I'd watch out Sabrina. :p Just as Crystia for the details. Hehe. *pokes Gavin*

As for tickets, I've had the same thing happen that you did Sabrina, I let one of my friends drive last year and they of course were going too fast. I told them several times to slow down and they were flippant about me being an over cautious driver. Ten minutes later... we got pulled over and they got the ticket not me. Though after ignoring my directions to slow down while driving my car no less... That's one friend who doesn't get to drive it anymore. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[quote name='SunfallE'][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]He's also OB's resident terrorist so I'd watch out Sabrina. :p Just as Crystia for the details. Hehe. *pokes Gavin* [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"][CENTER][IMG]http://wasteddomain.com/gallery/d/568-1/picard-sigh.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

That's about all I have to say on the matter Beth. ^_~[/SIZE]

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"][quote name='SunfallE'][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]He's also OB's resident terrorist so I'd watch out Sabrina. [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE][CENTER]o_O What!?! O_o [/CENTER]
Uh... *remembers the poor member that Gavin shot in the introduction thread.* Oh hell! It must be true then! >_<

*laughs uncontrollably* Hehe! :catgirl:

Anyway... moving back to Traffic Violations, one of the ones that makes me laugh the most is one that my friend got when he was visiting Portland Oregon, by virtue of those automatic cameras they have downtown. It took a picture of his license plate and later he got the ticket in the mail. But what made it too funny was it clocked him going five miles under the speed limit. Naturally he was able to get that ticket revoked. Hehe.[/FONT]