Question:
My 17 year old step-son got his first ticket today, he was driving my wifes car, not his own. He's had a clean driving record for over two years. I'm certain the cop stopped him for no other reason, than he was a young kid, with a tye dyed shirt, driving a Buick Skylark. He probably thought it was either stolen or he could stop him and find a reason to search the car for pot. Wouldn't that be considered "profiling"? He was ticketed for going 40 mph in a 35 mph speed zone. I didn't think radar was accurate enough for a 5 mph difference and never heard of a local cop ticketing someone for 5 mph outside of being in a school zone. What do ya'll think?Wayne


Answer:
Radar guns are pretty accurate, assuming they have been properly serviced and calibrated correctly.
5 mph over seems pretty nitpicky to me. More than likely the cop issued the ticket in order to "teach" your son a lesson about speed control more than anything else.
I would consult with an attorney and think about taking this to court. I would think that you can probably get this case dismissed or won pretty easily. If you win the attorney fees will be a lot cheaper than the extra insurance cost for the next 3 years.
Answer:
Speaking as a former electronics technician, traffic radar is quite accurate (probably to the tenth). The same can't always be said about the operator, but in this case, if your son admits to doing 40, then it's all over but writing the check.
_________________________
Remote from Las Vegas, NV

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Tell your "story" to the Judge. Get laughed out of Court with a conviction.
Hire a Lawyer and maybe beat it.
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Radar guns are normally pretty accurate.
Could it be that your son was actually doing more than 5 mph over the speed limit and the officer cut him a break by reducing it?
Was he stopped in a residential area where kids could have been playing?
Why did he feel he needed to speed in the first place?
Interesting.....I ride for those who can't! POW/MIA - You are NOT forgotten!!
Lead, Follow or get out of my way!!!

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Police radar is very accurate to the hundredth place. Some even to the thousandth, though I don't know if the courts would agree, or if many police officers are that proficient at operating their radar units.
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No, he's a very careful driver. Even more so, when he's driving his moms car. A clean record for the first 2 1/2 years is testimony to that. Few teens reach 18 without getting a ticket. I got my first 2 at 16.

Four lane, undivided suburb highway.

His car is a Chevy S-10 Blazer, 4x4, Greta's is a Buick Skylark. He probably didn't realize how fast he was going, at all.
Thanks for all the answers. I really feel the officer was picking on him, being a younger driver. Had I been behind the wheel, the lights would never have come on.Wayne


Answer:
"Thanks for all the answers. I really feel the officer was picking on him, being a younger driver. Had I been behind the wheel, the lights would never have come on."
If it was a Travelers Rest officer you can bet on it. Most of the small towns in this area will target a teenage driver, something they just have to learn to live with. You are right in that it is usually an excuse to check out the driver rather than just the speed.
Radar is extremely accurate but there are ways that it can be challenged, I just don't know if this ticket is serious enough to warrant the effort. It does sound like the officer reduced the violation. Look on the ticket and see if there are any notations as to the actual speed. Most officers in this area will give you 10mph.
You cannot discuss the ticket with the judge before your court date. I would go with your son and see if the city will allow traffic school and the ticket not be reported. County magistrates are not allowing this but some city courts are. You can also ask the officer to drop the ticket or reduce it to a nonmoving violation. Some will do this if you show for court.
Your other options are to plead not guilty and request a jury trial or retain an attorney.Speeding Ticket Central

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The officers I deal with at work say they won't write for less than 5 over cause the judge will probally throw it out......but if you are in a school zone best be 5 under

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guess you guys never heard the reason the california highway patrol doesn't use radars: they keep cloking trees at 5- 10 mph.
taylor
p.s. its a proven fact
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Morris, actually was on Grove Rd. off Augusta Rd. in Greenville, near the hospital. Do you live around here too?Wayne


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My advice is for him to go to court. There's always the chance that the officer won't appear and the ticket will get dismissed. That's really your only hope.
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I tried that once. Officer didn't show up. Judge said he had the officers ticket in his hand, I got a reduced fine. Next time I'll get a lawyer.
-JHappy Dwellers Society
Company Driver Division

Answer:
Quote:
Why did he feel he needed to speed in the first place?
His car is a Chevy S-10 Blazer, 4x4, Greta's is a Buick Skylark. He probably didn't realize how fast he was going, at all.
Well...........let's see here......I don't want to sound like an arrogant professional driver, but.....
Frankly, if "he didn't realize how fast he was going...", the cop pulled over the right kid. He should learn to watch his speed and always know how fast he's going, no matter what/when/where/why....
Knowing several cops - past and retired - most 5mph tickets are issued for going much faster. I know you want to believe your kid's version of the story, but on the other hand, I don't know any kid who'd got a ticket saying he was going 40 in a 35 who's going to admit to his Dad (or anyone else) that he was actually going faster. And if he didn't know how fast he was going, as you suggest, how does he know he WASN'T going faster?
My best bet - your kid was doing more (or something else) beside just going 5 over in a flashy car. The cop gave him a break, knowing full well he'll probably get it thrown out in court. Tell your kid to watch his speed and count his blessings this time. The next time he may not be so lucky.
Harsh, but nothing personal. This is normal kids' driving stuff. I'm sure it's no big reflection of his character or anything. The cops generally know what they're doing with kids behind the wheel. They scrape a lot of teenage body parts off the highway between issuing 5mph speeding tickets. This might be a lesson he needs. If not, I guess it's a lesson not to speed at all, even 5mph. It's illegal.

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I'm in Powdersville.
If you go to court there is a good chance that the officer will dismiss the ticket unless it was a city of Greenville officer. City traffic court is not quite as leinent as some of the county magistrates. Even then you might get a city ordinace that will not show on his driving record and cause your insurance to go up.
Since he is a minor you will need to go with him. Most courts take you in the order you sign in so try to get there about 30 minutes early. Good luck.Speeding Ticket Central