First ever speeding ticket
 

Got the full American experience last week - first ever speeding ticket! Never had one in the UK (easy to avoid the cameras).

We went to the Hudson Valley in NY for a Juneteenth long weekend getaway, travelling down a 55 state highway. Where I am from in Jersey, everyone is always 10 over the limit. I wasn't paying too much attention to my speed, but I thought I was doing about 60, not really catching up to the cars head (quite a way up), and I had someone behind me who had just pulled off a couple of mins before. Slightly downhill, I crept up to 70 and noticed a small black dot flying up behind me in my mirror. I just started to think 'well, I'm going over the limit that guy is really going for it' just as the lights came up. Young NY State Trooper, didn't say too much but was a very fair cop "I got you at 71" and he issued me a 70 in 55 ticket. His mate came past during too, so they must have been doing a blitz that I fell into. Should be 4 points in NY and 2 points in NJ for > 10 and < 20 MPH over the limit. Was more careful the rest of the trip - they were everywhere on those state highways.

My work has a legal plan so I found an attorney locally who said he'll represent me (fees paid for by the plan) - should be $200ish fine and no points in the end for an otherwise clear record.

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

Why do you think you will now points on your license? Are you not a NYS resident?

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

I was just thinking the same thing. How do NYS points work with a non-New York licence?

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

Seems to be that the prosecutors don't really care about the points, if you challenge the ticket at all (lawyer or not) they'll reduce it to a non moving violation of some kind with a fine but no points. The town just wants the fine revenue and doesn't want to actually go to court for a single speeding offense. I think it's kind of crazy but it is what it is.

I'm NJ resident, so I'd only get 2 points maximum regardless as NJ only gives 2 points of out of state violations.
My understanding is this is dependent on your home state.

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

Late in the month, out of state plates, done deal. DH hasn't had a speeding ticket, but a NJ cop pulled him over, years ago, saying he wasn't using his headlights when it was raining, but it wasn't raining and road was as dry as a bone. Some are on the make, and give other better cops a bad name.

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

It's interesting, because our car's A/C is busted I rented car for the long weekend (very cheap and kept us cool) - so I had NY plates in NY. Trooper was surprised and it took a second for him to see the registration on the windscreen.

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

Was this on the NYS thruway? There's a village on the Taconic Parkway that must make a fortune in fines -- they always have the cops ready to pounce in unmarked cars. A friend with an upstate weekend place got caught so many times, despite the town's history. However, he would show up to contest it, and usually escaped, as the cops didn't bother to come to court.

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

This was on NY Route 32 - I will now be much more careful on the State managed routes in rural NY. We did note that basically no towns up there seemed to have police, it was entirely State Troopers who seem to be very aggressive (at least compared to NJ).

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

I came very close to getting speeding tickets on two occasions in the past few years. Once in Indiana and once in Arkansas. Both times I fumbled my wallet letting my military ID become visible. I got two verbal warnings instead of tickets.

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

Ah nice - I don't have that card to play. Not even my best "Good afternoon Officer" in my Basil Fawlty impression worked this time

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

For the same reason I have no points on my NC license - the lawyer "negotiates" the offence, and you get something like "faulty equipment" (your car wasn't working properly), and maybe a nominal fine. 😁

I was pulled over in MD a couple of years ago. The state trooper "cautioned" me for my speed, but ticketed me because he didn’t like my lane change. He was obviously unaware that British drivers actually use their mirrors, and he thought I cut in front if him (he was driving an unmarked), which I kinda did, but I was accelerating at the time, so he was never going to hit me. The ticket said "unsafe maneuver".

I found a local lawyer in the town where the court was located, who's web site said he handled traffic tickets, had practicing there for a couple of decades, who I figured would know the judge and probably played golf with him.

The lawyer took a copy of my NC record to the court, had a chat with the judge and the trooper, who admitted I had been civil and calm, DL, reg & insurance already out on the dash as he approached, hands visible on the wheel, etc.(I had briefed my lawyer on that specifically), and the ticket disappeared, poof! I had to pay a $26 administration fee, which I admit was a bit odd as I had not been assessed any penalty as there was no ticket/ offense.

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

Ah, that reminds me, I've been meaning to get an NC sheriff's association tag for my BMW. ;)

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

Also a MAGA hat within easy reach could help.

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

It's been a long time since I checked, but it used to be, and I assume still does, depend on which states your DL-issuing state has agreements with. IIRC NY had agreements with several adjoining/ nearby states when I took my test in Herkimer, and also had an agreement with Ontario.

I assume whether a state has an agreement depends on whether there are enough drivers from that state driving in your state to make negotiating an agreement worth the effort - I imagine no state is going to bother having an agreement with Hawaii, and probably not Alaska either.

Re: First ever speeding ticket
 

Come on, I do have some self respect! But in any case, that might not be a good "get of jail free card" to try to play, considering that dozens of the 1/6 mob (literally as well as figuratively), have criminal records, and one of them has already been shot and killed during a traffic stop. :eek:

As was, coincidentally, Edgar Welch, the "pizzagate guy", who missed out on 1/6 because he was in a federal prison at the time! :rolleyes: Welch was shot during a traffic stop in Kannapolis, NC, but was rushed to hospital where he died two days later, ironically on 1/6 of 2025. :lol: