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First-Time Fines





" ... the fear that you will be pulled over for a first time infraction probably haunts you. " [/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center]

Whether you are a newly licensed driver, a veteran behind the wheel or a lucky person who's avoided tickets all your years, the fear that you will be pulled over for a first-time infraction probably haunts you. And that fear will play out in the worst ways if you are ever pulled over for two of the worst violations -- speeding and drunken driving.

If the day comes when that ringing in your ears and the bright spots before your eyes are not a passing case of the vapors but the stomach-rolling light and sound show from a police cruiser, you'll want to know what to expect if you are hit with a first-time speeding ticket or worse, a DUI. We did some research to find out what penalties you could face. Take our advice: Avoid putting yourself in such a predicament and drive responsibly.

First-Time Speeders
If you let that needle slip past the posted speed limit and into the danger zone you might very well find yourself pulled over by the mighty blue or khaki-clad hunter. Depending on your speed and your local area laws (Also Read: Worst States for Speeders), it is going to cost you plenty, one way or another. But if it is your first offense things could be a bit different.

There was a time, not so long ago, when one or a combination of the following could help get you an "I'm letting you go with a warning this time" statement from the officer:

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[ul][*][align=center]a coquettish smile from a winsome damsel [/align][*][align=center]a flash of flesh from a not-so winsome one [/align][*][align=center]a ten dollar bill folded behind the driver's license [/align][*][align=center]a pleaded hospital, airline or toilet emergency [/align][*][align=center]a fire/law enforcement decal or license plate insignia [/align][*][align=center]a befuddled senior-age motorist [/align][*][align=center]or a dewy-newy driver [/align][/ul][align=center]
These days that kind of leniency is becoming a vanishing species. At a time when things are tough all over, they're getting a lot tougher for traffic law violators on our streets, roads and highways. Safety-focused state legislators and law enforcement officials are putting their fists down -- on your wallet and driving privileges -- when it comes to what it potentially could cost you legally, financially, professionally and socially to break traffic laws.

Speeding fines and penalties are, excuse the expression, all over the map; how fast you were going or where you were speeding (school zone or construction zone for example) and whether you are a first-time offender all factor in. More than half the states use a points system to record driver infraction data -- the more points, the higher the fines and possible jail terms.

Although Forbes Magazine reports that the national median for a first-time offender's fine is $200, many states are quite entrepreneurial in their penalties for first-time speeding-related offenses:

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[ul][*][align=center]In Georgia, first-time speeders can be fined up to $1,000 and sentenced to 12 months in jail. [/align][*][align=center]In Nevada, first-time speeders can be fined up to $1,000 and sentenced to six months in jail. [/align][*][align=center][b]In 14 other states, ranging from Iowa to Wyoming, jail time for first speed-related offenders can ran

 

I've had many many tickets in my life. Mostly for speeding, and mostly for just over the point they usually let you get away with.

These tickets were accumulated in my younger days, when a ticket, did not constitute a loss of points, which here in Canada, can lead to a number of other deterrents, not the least of which, are substantial increases in your insurance rates. (At that time in my life, they also weren't near as expensive as they are today)

Luckily, I have matured, and I now rarely exceed that point where the Bears will actually stop you. Somehow, as you get older, time seems togo by a lot faster, and getting anywhere in that much of a hurry isn't that important. Besides, the growl from the V8 is enough for me. I know she will go if I want to, thats enough.

 

i'm scared to jinx myself.... no comments

 

I had actually many years ago compiled 6 failures to appear.

Some were on my record for almost 15 years.

I hired a relatively inexpensive lawyer and I ended up with about $2k in fines and only 1 point froma D.A. with a stick up his behind.

Evidently, after so many years, you can choose to fight the ticket, but they probably will never find the original cop to testify.

So they ask my lawyer to plead "no-contest" and just pay administrative fees resulting in no points, including the erasing thepoint for "FTA."

I was very fortunate to end up with a sqeaky clean record after all the problems I caused.

 

i can tell you of my dads younger days..

one of his tickets was 140 mph on I-4 in Florida when only 2 miles of it across Lakeland, FL were open.

another time he got pulled by 2 cops, one in front and one behind.. the one in front got out, opened hte back door and said "get in"

he once got so many tickets that he got the notice the "surrender your license for 30 days". by the time thaat was up another ticket went thru the system (they took about 6 months to make their rounds in the day) and he lost it for another 60 days, and before that was up another 90 days was added... all together he lost his license for 6 months.

one cop who was very pissed with him after pulling him a couple of times had it arranged so my dad got 3 tickets within 2 blocks. he backed out of his driveway and got a ticket for improper backing onto a roadway (you're supposed to actually pull past your driveway and back in if you can't turn around in it.) the next one was for failure to stop at a stop sign (he says he did), and sense he had to cross a 4 lane road, he pulled straight from a stop sign onto the left lane and got a ticket for an improper lane change. well all he was doing was going to get a gallon of milk and some crackers.... when he came out of the store the cop who was ticked off and arranged it all was sitting next to his car laughing it all up.

BTW, my dad had a body shop at the time, and when wrecked cars came in that somebody didn't want he would buy them and fix them up. He had a 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge (blue with an orange stripe), a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 ( can't remember the color), and a 1966 Chevrolet Corvete. (red metallic, when the red and blue lights hit this thing at night it was pretty, supposebly.

 

 

yes space, but i don't intend to be caught he was just out having fun and goofing off, doing 140. he said he had been going faster before he reached the cop, thats just all he got clocked at.

 

[align=center] [/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Cowboy, I didn't expect to getcaught either [X(][/align][align=center][/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Duane, we didn't expect to get caught,[/align][align=center]but here we are [X(][X(][/align][align=center]Wanta join us [/align][align=center]We love CowBoys LOL ~ LOL[/align]

 

Let's see, one warning for 66 in a 55, South Dakota has some crazy speed limit changes around the Black Hills. Someone once told me that there are over 15 speed changes between my house and Rapid City, about a 80 mile drive, not sure how close that is but I know that there are definatly over 10. One ticket for 90 in 75 - $109 - in South Dakota not long ago...

Like the second night I was here in Bozeman, right after dorms opened up, I was parked on Main Street and had a city cop tell me to turn off my lights when I hit the road (underglow). I asked about colors and he told me no Green, Yellow, Red, or Blue. So I asked if I could use white, he said no. I wasn't even gonna try Turquoise as it's both Blue and Green, so I asked if he would let me do purple and he said allright. No problem with having them set to a pattern or anything so I drove around with purple. The Monday I got back here after that $109 speeding ticket some other city cop pulled me over and said no lights what-so-ever, only headlights, side markers, blinkers, and tail/brake lights provided that they were all within a certian color range. Wouldn't believe me that someone else had told me that purple was alright as it still looked as if I was impersonating an emergency vehicle so he wrote me up with a warning saying that if I ever had those lights on again while on a public road that I would get a fine. Never been stopped for my tint, but it's only over by 5-15%. Just waiting to get pulled over for my music now 'cause my friend told me that if a cop with his window down can here your music you can get ticketed, even if his car is right next to yours and both windows are down.

 

Got stopped back in my somewhat younger days for going 120 in a 55 and 97 in a 45. got clocked on 1-64 and an adjacent road first thing he said was you dont't know how long i have been waiting for you, i replied without thinking i got here as fast as i could and he couldnt stop laughing and told me to go home, change my pants, and never go that fast on a public road again.. and that the only reason i didn't get a ticket was i used my turn signals and made him laugh.. was in my 76' trans am w72 bandit. miss that car bad.. got a ticket for 64 in a 45 supposedly clocked by one officer written up by another, went to court and only officer who wrote the ticket was there... judge asked how fast was i going i said no more than 50 and he asked the officer what he read off of radar and he said that he was radioed by abother officer with description and speed of vechicle... judge let me go no fines or anything because cop could not vouch for what radar gun said.. enough rambling on for now!!