Speeding ticket advice

[benVFR]

1) Yes in my experience

2) Even if the cop is right everyone is going to tell you to fight it. I'll let someone else explain why. My thinking is to not fight when you know the cop is right but most disagree and they have plenty of good reasons.

[dhuze]

how is your driving record? Most states. NH excluded let you plead good driving record and drop the ticket ,but only if you have no offenses in the past 3 years.

[mikeb]

63 mph , must have had that thing topped out huh? i would fight it, just tell the judge you ride a trumpet and he'll throw it out. ok i'm done being an asshole i would fight it. you have a good record and i can come up with some great stories to tell the judge. see you tomorrow -mike

[Rice-rocket1]

Tickets from NH never followed me back to MA.

[Rhonda66]

Do you know if they got your on radar or if it was an estimate? I got an estimated on Route 2 in that same area (that cop is ALWAYS there if that's where you got it too). I fought it, but I had to go someplace far (can't even remember where now) to fight it - it was worth it cuz they dropped it - the cop estimated and I said he estimated wrong based on the speed the car in front of me was going when I had actually just moved into the fast lane before going over the hill. They would probably drop yours cuz it's pretty minor. The day I fought my ticket, there was a kid contesting his ticket for doing 120+ and running from the cops in Daddy's Mercedes - the people in the room all actually burst out laughing when the kid said the cop was wrong - you probably don't want to bother contesting something like that!!!

[Rhonda66]

In MA you don't get any points added to your SDIP step so your insurance isn't effected for your first ticket. I heard that it's your first ticket anyway, but when I got one a couple of years back, it never showed on my insurance record either so it may be every so many years or dependant on your record...

It really doesn't matter if you think you were or weren't speeding - you can show up and say you don't think you were, cite your good driving record, and they will often throw it out. Depends on the person you go before though - my Man God got a ticket for not having the stupid registration sticker on his Corvette plate (it was in the glove compartment and just needed to be stuck on), he went to court to fight it, and they wouldn't budge - now that's being a little ridiculous!!!

[Kham]

Originally posted by Rhonda66
In MA you don't get any points added to your SDIP step so your insurance isn't effected for your first ticket. I heard that it's your first ticket anyway, but when I got one a couple of years back, it never showed on my insurance record either so it may be every so many years or dependant on your record...

are you absolutely certain? i read somewhere it was 2 points. i hope you are right because i just paid my ticket.

[HBerry]

Mass tickets are reported to NH. Dont listen to anyone who says otherwise. I listened, and got a letter from the state a month or two ago letting me know about my Mass ticket. It will increase your insurance rates on the first ticket because it adds three points to your license. Fight every ticket you ever get.

[Rhonda66]

Originally posted by Kham
are you absolutely certain? i read somewhere it was 2 points. i hope you are right because i just paid my ticket.

This is outdated now, but this is exactly how it was for me - this was put out in 1990...

http://www.textfiles.com/fun/autogide.txt

Just taking out what we're talking about in the thread, this is what you would care about...

"Surcharge Points are not assigned to a non-criminal
minor motor vehicle traffic law violation if it is the first
motor vehicle traffic law violation in the operator's policy

Experience Period. No Surcharge Points are assessed for the
incident but no Credit Points are calculated for the year in
which the surcharge date is recorded, since the operator does
not have an incident-free year."

My latest insurance break-down of my SDIP step looks like this:

Starting Step 9-19-98 15
Speeding 8-10-02 0 (see, nothing added)
Credit points -5
Operator SDIP 10

You'll notice though that I didn't get credit for 6 years of incident-free driving because I had the speeding incident. Otherwise, I would be a step 9. This also is not the only incident I've ever had - I used to be like a step 23!!! When I was younger and stupider!!! MA just looks at the latest 6 years of your record for insurance purposes (thank goodness for that!). So, the system is very forgiving as time passes and you improve your record!

My husband on the other hand is (what I would have been without the speeding incident):

Starting Step 9-19-98 15
Credit points -6
Operator SDIP step 09

Hope this helps...

I also just read that MA reports incidents to other states so it's unlikely it's not going to get back to NH...

[HBerry]

He lives in NH

[Rhonda66]

Originally posted by HBerry
He lives in NH

If you're talking to me, I know that - I was answering Kham's question...

As for Leebo, you're right, it will get back to NH, but I have no clue how the NH insurance works and whether or not he'll take a hit there too...

[Kham]

Originally posted by Rhonda66
If you're talking to me, I know that - I was answering Kham's question...

oh thank you.

i see you're not too far from my location. see you at bike night sometimes? does your Man God ride?

[HBerry]

Originally posted by Rhonda66
If you're talking to me, I know that - I was answering Kham's question...

As for Leebo, you're right, it will get back to NH, but I have no clue how the NH insurance works and whether or not he'll take a hit there too...

Oh, sorry! He will get raped in the bum in NH

[Rhonda66]

Originally posted by Kham
oh thank you.

i see you're not too far from my location. see you at bike night sometimes? does your Man God ride?

I just started riding this year, but yeah, we will probably stop by a bike night sometime. I think the first one is like Memorial Day weekend and we'll be at the Cape, but perhaps another one...

Yes, my husband rides too - a GSXR750. You might spot us on Route 3 or 3A sometime!

[SwiftTone]

I got a ticket about 3 years ago. I just got my license and was doing 53 in a 30. Didn't fight it, just took it. My steps didnt go up, and I'm at step 12 or 13 now. Either your 1st ticket doesnt increase the step, or you are allowed a ticket every few years and your step won't go up.

I say, appeal it. Say that you were speeding, but according to your driving record(no ticket since 1985), you are a very good driver that hasnt had a ticket in 10 years. And say that this is unusual for you to go that fast.

The judge might just see that you're honest and throw it out, which is pretty much likely.

[HBerry]

Originally posted by SwiftTone
I got a ticket about 3 years ago. I just got my license and was doing 53 in a 30. Didn't fight it, just took it. My steps didnt go up, and I'm at step 12 or 13 now. Either your 1st ticket doesnt increase the step, or you are allowed a ticket every few years and your step won't go up.

I say, appeal it. Say that you were speeding, but according to your driving record(no ticket since 1985), you are a very good driver that hasnt had a ticket in 10 years. And say that this is unusual for you to go that fast.

The judge might just see that you're honest and throw it out, which is pretty much likely.

NH does not have steps it has points. If you get your first ticket or your 50th ticket your points go up it doesnt matter. You will get three points on your license they will stay there for 3 years and your insurance will go up for 3 years.

[Rhonda66]

That's what you get for not having a sales tax

[Rhonda66]

Originally posted by Kham
oh thank you.

i see you're not too far from my location. see you at bike night sometimes? does your Man God ride?

I guess the first bike night is 5/24? What time do people usually get there? We might be able to make it after work, but I get out at 7pm on Tuesdays...

[WOTEugene]

Originally posted by Leebo
OK, Here are there the details.
I got a ticket for 55 in a 45 in Petersham Ma today. The LOE said I was doing 63 in a 45 but only wrote me for 55.
He is probably right. I was thinking we seemed to be going a little fast for the area.
Anyways I have 2 questions from all the “lawyers” in the group.
1. Do Mass tickets hit my New Hampshire license?
2. Should I appeal? A lot of people say to contest every ticket but I got a feeling the LEO is right.

Any help would be appreciated.
Leebo

Yes, they will show on your NH record. And, yes, APPEAL APEAL APPEAL. Here, read this, may be helpful... I got 5 tickets last year ... got out of 3 of them.

http://www.cycleforums.com/forums/sh...ghlight=lawyer

[kmobrien76]

Mass tickets are reported to NH. Appeal all tickets, guilty or not.

[Kham]

Originally posted by Rhonda66
I guess the first bike night is 5/24? What time do people usually get there? We might be able to make it after work, but I get out at 7pm on Tuesdays...

around 5:30 - 6:00 i believe.

[Suf Daddy]

Who knows if they carry over, your insurance company may have more to do with that than the state of NH or the Commonwealth of MAss.

COntest the ticket. Its probably only $50 but it may hassle you later on. If its radar give us the info and make a copy of your ticket so we can see how its filled out and if your due a break or EZ out.........
-Suf Daddy

Originally posted by HBerry
Mass tickets are reported to NH. Dont listen to anyone who says otherwise. I listened, and got a letter from the state a month or two ago letting me know about my Mass ticket. It will increase your insurance rates on the first ticket because it adds three points to your license. Fight every ticket you ever get.

[benVFR]

FYI the safety course (through DMV) I took when I lived in NH for some reason did not reduce any points from my license. Not sure why but it didn't. They said it would but then had some excuse or something.

Not to mention the safety course was utterly useless too.. it was just drivers ed over again in one day, and everyone in the class except me was a multiple-DUI worthless piece of crap who had failed out of high school, so the class had to cater to the lowest common denominator. The instructor was shocked I even bothered to take it after just getting some tickets.

I think I'm back to step 12 now or something... 4 years clean.

[Kham]

you'r automatically enroll in the safty course when your point/step hits 32?

[Rhonda66]

Originally posted by Kham
you'r automatically enroll in the safty course when your point/step hits 32?

It's lower than that cuz I had to go and my step was in the 20's, but I think it was more to do with 5 offenses in a certain amount of time or whatever...

benVFR is so right too - I had to go to the class in Arlington, MA and it was full of DUIs and that was pretty much what it focused on, while none of my offenses were DUIs. However, it was so bad I decided I never wanted to have to go through it again so I traded in the sports cars, slowed down, and will be a step 9 this year - yeah!

Interestingly enough, I was the only gal in the class