Traffic Ticket for speeding. Need Advice.?

I got a speeding ticket for going 20 mph over the speed limit in New York. I'm a young male driver and my court date is this wednesday. This is my first ticket. I know i was speeding and am willing to pay a fine (the smaller the better), however i'd rather not get points seeing as my insurance rates will increase. Is it worth going to traffic court and trying to reduce the fine / charge or should i just plead guilty by mail and accept the fine? What kind of fine should i be expecting?

Public Comments

1. You will have to pay a fine...the government likes to take your money. If you have the option of avoiding points in return for taking a safe driver course then go for it. If you are not required to appear in court, then don't.
2. I would say go.. If you didn't give the officer any trouble he/she may not even show up, if so you win automatically. From now on, just stay under the speed limit. Speed limits are there to protect YOU !
3. A 20 mile over ticket in most states is Reckless driving. Yes it is worth fighting with an lawyer. Most of the time if you have nothing else on your record you can go to traffic school. That way it will still show up on your mvr (Motor Vehicle Report) but only what the court reduced it too. Good Luck
4. Ask for driving school and your insurance should even be reduced. I had a stupid accident myself last Thursday. In Texas. I was trying to get on the entrance ramp for the thruway here. I had the right of the way but this old woman talking constantly on a cell phone crossed right in front of me and clipped me. We both got ticketed. Believe me unless your a millionaire there is no point in trying to drive a perfect car. There are just too many idiots out there. And too many bad areas of any city. Accept it your gonna get hit sooner or later no matter how careful you drive.
5. I cannot speak about New York, but I have lived in Arizona and Florida. In both states, I checked with my insurance company and asked whether rates go up if a person gets a speeding ticket. In both cases, the answer was no. It is too much trouble for the insurance company to check everyone's driving record. Usually, they check it only if you do something that costs the insurance company money. For example, you have an accident, are at fault, and injure someone, and they have to pay out to the other person. In that case, they might check your driving record, and see what else you have been up to. In the case of a speeding ticket, in which no claim is made against the insurance company, they can check your record, and they might, but they usually don't. At least in the case of my insurance company in Arizona and Florida. There are laws that say if you go to the defensive driving class, the insurance company is prohibited from raising your rates. But that does not necessarily mean that they would do so in the absence of such a law. If you have a chance to go to the defensive driving school, and avoid the assessment of points, though, you should. And, . . . slow down! Take care.
6. The points have nothing to do with insurance. That is how the state keeps track of your driving behavior. All the insurance company looks at is the number of convictions, not the number of points. If you get the ticket reduced, it still shows up as a ticket. Your best bet is to work a deal and see if they will ammend it to a non-moving violation.
7. Just suck it up and go to court. Most of the time the City Attorney offers you a plea bargain to a lesser charge which often means less points against your license. But if you don't want to deal with the whole court thing mail it in......it would be worth it to go. If you blow it off, you'll have a warrant for your arrest issued! I can't say for sure about the fine cost because I don't live in New York, but in my city you are responsible for the fine+ court costs. Good Luck