Speeding Ticket on I-76/70

[Noela]

Hi,

Got a ticket about 7 days ago in Allegheny county area (I76/70) on my
way from Ohio.

I was doing 83 in 55 zone, and got a 185.00 penalty

I live in MD, and this is my first ticket/offense.

a) What should I do ...

-- pay if off
-- plead guilty in court with an explanation

b) for each option, how many points do I get?

c) what will be the impact on insurance, and for how long -- I am with Geico, and I was thinking of finding out whether they use tickets or points as basis for decisions..

d) i understand points will not transfer from PA to MD .. is this true

e) if i plead not guilty or plead guilty with an explanation, do i have to add my payment or wait for a court date. Alternatively, can i delay my payment pending outcome of a trial?

thanks -- Noela

[83-944]

c) insurance companies increase premiums if youy get a 15+mph speeding ticket. If you can take traffic school, DO IT. The cost of traffic school will pay for itself many times over v/s ins increase.

Everything else is somewhat state dependant so that's my help.

[Z_Fanatic]

for future referrence:

keep your eyes and ears alert all the time if you're knowingly speeding. if 4/5 cars around you aren't speeding above the posted limit, don't bother speeding. it makes your car VERY CONSPICUOUS. if you're the fastest of the 4, reduce your speed, again, it makes you VERY CONSPICUOUS if you don't. again, keep your senses alert all the time for the cops. if you don't want to, then just lay back and cruise within the given limit. and sometimes, it completely depends on luck. but I can say with certainty, 90% of the time people who get caught speeding, were putting their attention on something else while dodging cars.

[lwpat]

Maryland does not assess points for out of state tickets but the violation will show on your record for insurance points. Depending on a lot of factors this one ticket could increase your insurance premiums by as much as 25% for three years.

If possible show up on your court date and try to get the ticket reduced.
Otherwise you can contact the clerk of court and get a continuance. Your chances of beating a speeding ticket from a PA state trooper are slim to none unless you hire an attorney.

You can ask the clerk about the procedures for pleading not guilty and requesting a trial. Some states do require that you post bond but I do not think that PA is one of them.

Strangely enough in PA if you can avoid going to court for two whole years they have to drop the ticket.

[quaddriver]

Originally Posted by lwpat

Maryland does not assess points for out of state tickets but the violation will show on your record for insurance points. Depending on a lot of factors this one ticket could increase your insurance premiums by as much as 25% for three years.

If possible show up on your court date and try to get the ticket reduced.
Otherwise you can contact the clerk of court and get a continuance. Your chances of beating a speeding ticket from a PA state trooper are slim to none unless you hire an attorney.

You can ask the clerk about the procedures for pleading not guilty and requesting a trial. Some states do require that you post bond but I do not think that PA is one of them.

Strangely enough in PA if you can avoid going to court for two whole years they have to drop the ticket.

Md will adopt the points if you do not pay the fine. As well as the mandatory 1 year license suspension. (its also a permanent suspension in PA past the one year until you do pay - get caught driving while on suspension then the ante goes WAY up. get caught speeding while on suspension then it could reach felony territory.)

PA will tell every state a fine was encountered in this state so the ins co will get you, you pay the $5 fee for this info as part of the ticket - geico states they will punt you at +20 next renewal.

If you want a trial you have to pay the fine and I think and addtl $25 (read the ticket). PSP job rating is based on the number of appearances they goto. Count on him/her being there and knowing the magistrate by first name and sharing fishing hole info.

PA traffic offenses are handled by district magistrates, elected non-lawyers who can pretty much work out of their homes, they WILL get to you in short order. Failure to appear = forfeiture. Failure to pay = bench warrant. They likely wont enforce a bench warrant for a summary offense (what speeding is in PA) but if you do ever get nabbed again its mandatory time in a county jail being someones prom date.

btw - there is no spot on the PA turnpike where 75+ is advisable. be glad I didnt see you, I would have a) run you off the road into a cement culvert or b) shot out all tires and c) poured gas on you if it was not already flaming wreckage. Its a hard line I understand, but it is justice.

[lamehonda]

I called geico about rates one time and with my one speeding ticket they were going to charge me double,($3200) a half, what my company charges me.They acted like one speeding ticket made me a cold blooded killer on the road. You are going to have to drop kick geico

Good luck

[Noela]

i will drive there on friday morning....exactly the 10th working day of issuing the ticket and see what i can do; i don't intend to fight with the system, just pay a reduced fine and get some points off the record....

lessons well taken..i should be wiser and not listen so much to the adrenaline and speed..but maximas are just fun to drive..and you just don't feel it...

/Noela

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by lamehonda

I called geico about rates one time and with my one speeding ticket they were going to charge me double,($3200) a half, what my company charges me.They acted like one speeding ticket made me a cold blooded killer on the road. You are going to have to drop kick geico

Good luck

Geico seems to have a bad reputation for that sort of thing.

[aojfbn]

b)

I got pulled over on that same stretch of road a couple months ago doing 93 in a 65, they gave me 5 points. I have a PA liscence so it might be different for you. I got pulled over in New York before and I didn't get any points on my PA license. I don't know if MD and PA are different than PA and NY, but that was my experience.

also, the last ticket I got said that you need to pay the full amount as collateral if you plead not guilty, I'd look over the ticket carefully before sending any less than the full amount