Was on cruise control at 75 MPH in 75 MPH zone (and had been for the last 10 miles since I left the last town) in New Mexico. Trooper pulls me over and claims I was going 87. Doesn't even cite his radar- no mention of that on the ticket. I know I wasn't going over not only because of the cruise control but if I go over 80 in this car, it shakes violently and becomes hard to drive. Red car and out of state plates at night. Didn't sign the guilty line so now I either go to court or pay it within 30 days anyways.
I'm seriously considering contesting this even though it would cost me a lot of time and money to drive 3 states over to contest it in the small town it took place near.
Friends and family have told me I should come to terms with authority and pay it or risk being thrown into some random jail. I think it's unethical to admit guilt to something I wasn't guilty of. Thoughts? Suggestions for next time (i.e. any recorders I can use to track my speed that would hold up in court)? I make it a point of pride NOT to go over the speed limit so this was incredibly frustrating.
Update:RE: Jimmy Whispers X
Good question, I've tried to figure out where he supposedly tagged me since the location he put on the report was 6 miles from where I was actually pulled over. Alas, I can't find the mileposts on the online maps. He did note that he saw me first when I was passing another vehicle and the only vehicles I remember passing were trucks going slow uphill.
And RE: King of Battle, if my odometer's off by 12 MPH, then I'd certainly want it changed!
I'm leaning towards saying to heck with it and just paying it, but I want do know if there's anything I can do next time (if there is one) to support my case. Again, I take pride in being the idiot who drives the speed limit, so any info would be helpful.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
For the life of me I don't know why you can't find mileposts on the online maps either. I have tried Google, yahoo, bing and navteq ????
You can check your speedometer next time you are on a highway without much congestion.
Use your watch to time yourself from milepost to milepost. The most accurate mileposts are on the interstate in the city where they are sometimes measured in 1/10ths of a mile. The easiest way is to set your cruise at exactly 60mph then it will take you 60 seconds to drive a mile.
MPH SEC
50 72
55 65.4
60 60
65 55.3
70 51.4
75 48
80 45
Other things to check, that may generate a speedometer error:
Have you changed your tire size to a larger size than the one on your door sticker? see link below to check your tire circumference. You would have to install a tire with 26% more circumference than original to be off by 12mph at 70. Surely you would have run into trouble before if this was the problem.
Have you reprogrammed a computer chip?
Changed transmission or axle gear ratio?
You also mentioned going uphill. Cruise control has a hard time maintaining your speed either going up or down hill. Check next time you're going up a hill with a similar grade. I actually disengage my cruise going up hills so it doesn't rev the motor up trying to maintain speed - wasting gas.
RE the ticket: My father also got a speeding ticket out of state. He had a perfect driving record prior to this and called the court for the ticket. They told him over the phone to take the AARP driving class in his home town and mail them a form and they dismissed the ticket completely.
No. If what you say is true then no it's not ethical. Is it practical? Maybe.
Three options:
1. It's in another state so F*ck 'em! (Don't pay it, ignore it, don't make another mistake in that state)
2. Pay it. (In other words, let the government F you in the A)
3. Fight it. Legaly. It will cost more than the ticket but if you have the money then fight for all the people put out by dirty cops.
Oh and there is a forth...
Pay it and register a complaint against the cop.
Oh, oh! a fifth...
If you're made of money, hire a private detective to follow the cop and see if he can get some dirt on him. Then hire a third party to deliver the message "If you show up to court on this day this information will be made available to your wife/the public/whatever."
Oh, you must pay. Non-payment causes all sorts of problems that just aren't worth the time and effort. I mean really, it's a speeding ticket. Do you want to go to jail for a speeding ticket? Do you want points on your license? Do you want your insurance to go up?
If you want to prove your point - use the proper channels. Go to court. Make them prove it. Maybe bring a mechanic or a witness in with you that could testify to the fact the car acts up after reaching 80.
Where I live, you have to pay all your fines even if you're going to court. If you win your case, they give you a refund.
Signing a ticket IS NOT an admission of guilt. All you're agreeing to is that you were pulled over and given a ticket. You also agree to appear in court. It has nothing to do with guilt.
Well, you didnt say what kind of car and what kind of tires you have, for example if you put bigger tires on a vehicle then it will go faster than what the speedometer shows. sometimes by 9 mph. You could video your car shaking violently at that speed and take the trooper to court, who knows he might not show up and it would be dismissed.
It would be worth it to fight the ticket. If you don't pay it and don't go to court, they will be after you like stink.
If you think yo uhave a good case, then fight it out by going to court. You may want to consider a lawyer if you have the funds. Otherwise, go to the court and present your arguments to the judge.
One interesting thing is the cop probably won't expect you to show up since your from out of town. If the cop isn't there to present his arguments, you automatically win.
You got to be careful with cruise control. Were you maybe going down hill?
Pay it.
You are fighting a battle you can't win, unless you have plenty of $ & plenty of idle time.
These bastards screw people constantly, because they know damn well they can.
Know this garbage for what it is & treat it as such.
Is your cars speedometer calibrated for accuracy every 90 days?
the troopers radar gun is
if you feel it is unethical to pay it then don't.