Speeding is something we’re all guilty of doing at some point. Maybe you get stuck in the passing lane with someone tailing you, or maybe you’re just a free spirit who can’t be held down by oppressive speed limits. Either way, you’ll probably be pulled over at some point. Whether you get a ticket, a warning, or a free pass is at the discretion of the officer who catches you.
Here we’ll cover everything you need to know about speeding tickets. From simple funny facts and those that could be helpful, over strategies, advice, and possible excuses to avoid one, to their prices and possible deeper ramifications.
Let’s start off on a more relaxed note, shall we?! This section will show you that there are always people worse off regardless of severity of the trouble you’ve found yourself in. Let’s just hope you never get a citation like some of the folks below. We’ve got the most expensive speeding ticket ever (and it’s huge), the fastest and slowest tickets issued, and even the best and worst states to get caught speeding (hint: both begin with the letter N).
You might also be interested in crazy traffic laws from all U.S. states and around the globe, or funny road signs that make no sense, yet make all the sense in the world.
8 Mind-Blowing Facts About Speeding Tickets
Minnesota Rider Clocks 205 on a Honda Super Bike
Just over a decade ago, a rider by the name of Samuel Armstrong Tilley set what is believed to be a world record for speeding on a motorcycle while racing along the U.S. Highway 61. No doubt concentrating on the road in front of him, Tilley failed to notice the police aircraft above him which clocked him at 205.11 mph.
Tilley’s bike was a 2003 Honda RC51 (maxes out at 133 hp stock) which the highway patrolman who pulled him over has gone on record as stating was “highly modified.” Ya think? Not only was Tilley clocked at 140 mph over the limit of 65 mph, but he also did it without a motorcycle license.
The Whining Millionaire’s $60,000 Speeding Ticket
Finland adjusts speeding ticket fines based on equity. In other words, based on the driver’s annual income so some poor working schmuck isn’t paying the same fine as a rich fat cat, who would be barely bothered by a couple of hundred Euro fine. The problem is people with lots of money like to hold onto their money.
Take the case of Reima Kuisla. He was ticketed for 65 mph in a 50 mph zone. As Kuisla rakes in about $7 million per year, his fine was set by the court at nearly $60,000, or about .0085% of his annual income (the same percent as $510 is to someone making $60,000 per year).
Kuisla decided to use Facebook to take his case to the public, posting “Finland is impossible to live in for certain kinds of people who have high incomes and wealth,” expecting the support of thousands. Instead, he received derogatory comments telling hit to shut up, stop being a whiny millionaire, and pay the fine.
The Ferris Bueller Lamborghini Gallardo Remake
This could have been a scene from a remake of the classic 1986 John Hughes film. The owner of a Lamborghini Gallardo dropped his car off for service and the mechanic decided to take it out for a joyride. Instead of just rolling up the odometer, the mechanic was named by the cops doing 99 mph in a 43 mph zone.
In accordance with Australian law the car was impounded, even though the Lambo was “borrowed” when it was pulled over. The owner did get his ride back and its probably unlikely he ever returned to that repair shop.
The Accused Ignored Elementary Traffic Rules With a Powerful Vehicle Out of a Pure Desire For Speed
Some years back, a Swedish man was pushing his Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG at 186 mph on a major highway in Switzerland. Unlike the Autobahn that has areas with no speed limits, Switzerland is one big speed limit.
He was actually able to drive some distance before being detected as older equipment couldn’t register speeds as high as what he was driving. When finally stopped, the cop reported that it took the driver a third of a mile just to slow down.
The 37-year old multi-millionaire was arrested and later released. Like Finland, Switzerland too assesses speeding fines based on the driver’s income. He faced fines of up to $1,001,400. In explaining the severity of the fine, the judge stated that “the accused ignored elementary traffic rules with a powerful vehicle out of a pure desire for speed.” Harsh!
Get this: the driver’s excuse was that his speedometer was broken! I guess the blur of the other cars he’s passed hadn’t clued him in.
Highest Speed Speeding Ticket (Urban Myth Department)
During the 2003 Gumball Rally, a competitor driving a Koenigsegg CCR was clocked by the Texas Highway Patrol at 242 mph. Depending upon which version you read, the driver either talked his way out of the ticket of paid a fine totally into the hundred of thousands of dollars.
You’ll find sites that report this incident as fact, but further investigation has not uncovered a single shred of evidence to what is best described as an Urban Myth.
Slowest Speeding Ticket
A retired teacher from Scotland was fined about $300 for driving carelessly and without due consideration. Police reported that she slowed down to just 5 mph every time she reached a curve in the road, collecting an ever-growing backup of angry drivers stuck behind her. She later explained that she usually didn’t drive in the dark, and that she’d been wearing new glasses.
I can imagine myself being one of those drivers who’s day (or night for that matter) she’s ruined – and let me tell you – what I’m yelling is not fit for public’s eyes.
Worst State for Collecting Speeding Tickets
New Jersey, which has speed traps every 30 miles (the most in the U.S.), collects about $30,000 per mile in road use fees, and has a law on the books that if you’re caught “racing” doubles the fines on any highway with a posted speed limited of 65 mph.
This wouldn’t be that bad hadn’t their definition of “racing” state: driving 10 mph over the speed limit. This virtually means that every speeding ticket on NJ’s highways would be charged a double fine.
Best State for Getting Stopped for Speeding
North Dakota is the best place to get nabbed speeding. It has the lowest speed trap activity of any state and fines for exceeding the speed limit in an area with a 55 mph speed limit are $10 for driving 10 mph over the limit.
On highways that range in limits form 65 mph to 75 mph, the fine is a straight $5 for each one mph you’ve been caught driving over the limit (i.e. the ticket for driving 85 mph in a 75 mph zone is $50).
Speeding Tickets are a Bigger Business than Instagram
Speeding tickets written in the U.S. generate up to $5.8 billion in revenue for the respective municipalities. The average ticket costs the driver $150, and there are 41,000,000 tickets issued annually or around 112,000 of them per day. Plus insurance companies tack on an additional average of $300 to your policy for a speeding violation, generating an additional $10.2 billion in revenue for the companies.
Together, that makes for a $16 billion industry, which is more revenue than Instagram generated in its last fiscal year. Maybe they should rethink their business model.
7 Strategies for Talking Your Way out of a Ticket
So what can you do to keep from getting a ticket, if you’re unlucky enough to be pulled over? Below I’ll outline 7 strategies that might work for you some day – choose wisely!
Just remember that there’s no foolproof method here. Every cop and every situation is different. Sometimes, you may try your luck with one approach but end up disappointed. You may have to feel it out. But with a little creativity and some harmless fibbing you might be able to avoid getting a ticket on your next traffic stop.
I’ve Really Gotta Go!
I read a book when I was a toddler called Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi. It taught me some valuable lessons about the digestive system that have stuck with me to this very day. When you gotta go, you gotta go. Maybe the cop will view it as a valid excuse.
Make sure you’re bouncing around and looking like you’re in pain. Try holding your gut. How you confess your problem is up to you – I suggest you mention how that spicy Indian food is affecting your IBS. The more details, the better.
Shed Some Manly Tears
You’ve probably heard of a woman crying to get out of ticket, but what about a man? Logic indicates that the cop could take a male more seriously if you’re crying simply because it’s not as common.
It might be novel – a reaction the cop doesn’t expect or encounter very often. If you think you’re above this tactic, just consider how much your ticket (and possible insurance premiums) could cost and maybe you’ll reconsider.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Only try this after complying with the police completely. If the traffic stop is going well, maybe some humor could break the monotony and get the cop on your side. If you can make him laugh, maybe he’ll let you off with a warning out of sheer appreciation.
Officer: You in a hurry tonight?
You: Just trying to drive the common speed.
Officer: What common speed? There was no one else around you.
You: That’s how far behind I was, just trying to keep up!
Officer: (shakes his head)
If he doesn’t laugh, you can always proceed with a different approach. Maybe a combination will work.
Sweet Little Lies
Keep in mind that you take a serious risk anytime you lie to a police officer. You could perjure yourself or make the situation worse. But as long as what you’re saying can’t be proven false, it can be a viable solution.
You could make up a story about the reason you were speeding – maybe some idiot in a giant SUV tried to run you off the road (don’t forget the make, model and color.) Maybe he was drunk or high! Make it seem like you really care about public safety and maybe the cop will go off looking for this fictitious drunk before he kills someone.
The Truth Could Set You Free
Cops hear a lot of BS, but they’re also human. If you have a legitimate reason for speeding – maybe you’re late for an important meeting, you’re having a baby, or if you really do have to use the bathroom (see above) – then the officer might take mercy on you.
You never know unless you tell them. Keeping quiet about the reason usually means you don’t have a reason, which is a great motivation for the officer to go through with the ticket.
Some Technical Difficulties
How sure is this police officer that he’s nabbed the right suspect? The more befuddled you look the better. Be absolutely sure he’s got the wrong guy, that he should’ve pulled over the lady in the sports car pulling away in front of you. Maybe you can get him to think his radar system is on the fritz.
The more he questions whether he’s got the right guy, the more likely he is to let you off.
Be His Best Friend
The polite approach gets my top spot on the countdown. This one’s all about compliancy and making the cop’s job easier. Pull as far off the road as possible. Put on your hazard lights. Turn off the car and take the keys out of the ignition. Roll the window all the way down. The cop knows you’re not going to do anything stupid, and this puts him at ease immediately. Always say “yes, officer” and “no, officer.” They like this.
They also like it when you don’t talk back, so be as sweet and friendly as possible. He’s probably heard all the excuses ad nauseam so maybe he’ll appreciate a more respectable approach.
10 Things You Should Never Do When Stopped for Speeding
At the same time, there are some things you should NEVER do when you see flashing lights in your rear view mirror.
We pulled together information that’s been shared by police officers and defense attorneys as what to do (and not to do), say, and respond when you’ve been pulled over by a cop for a traffic violation to give you the best chances for getting out of the ticket – either there on the side of the road or later in court.
Don’t Ignore the Cop
If you’ve just passed through what you believe to have been a section of road that a station officer was measuring traffic speed with a radar gun, wave to the officer. Just a little QE II double-wave of the hand at the wrist.
Cops tell us that it’s an acknowledgement that you see them and recognize that you need to lower your speed (but isn’t sufficient to be used in court). The cop may also think that you’re someone you know who was waving at them and decide to take a pass and wait for the next speeding car.
Don’t Select a Dangerous Spot to Pull Over
There’s enough tension in the cop’s mind when they pull over a driver. Don’t add to their anxiety by stopping around a blind curve, a narrow shoulder, or over rain puddles.
Make sure there is plenty of room between your car and the road surface for the officer to stand safely. There are two really good reasons you want a traffic stop to go as quickly, smoothly and remarkably as possible, which we’ll get to in a minute.
Don’t be Memorable
Try to be as inconspicuous and compliant as possible. You want the stop to go even better than routine. Don’t make a joke with the cop without feeling him up, ask if he’s related to someone else you know who has the same last name (unless you’re 100% certain it’s your friend’s cousin), don’t ask what you were stopped for, and for goodness sake don’t argue with the officer (that includes wanting to inspect his radar gun).
The goal is to create a situation where if the cop saw you in a 7-Eleven 10 miles down the road he wouldn’t even recognize you.
Don’t do Anything to Throw the Cop Off His Routine
This includes getting out of the car (very bad, and you may have a gun drawn on you), starting to rummage through your glove compartment for your registration and insurance card, digging through your purse or wallet for your driver’s license, etc.
All of these actions make the hair stand up on the back of the neck of a cop because, through the sliver of a view they have of you through your back window, all those actions could also look like you’re going for a gun.
Don’t Take Off Your Seatbelt
This has happened to me personally. Pulled over for speed, I took off my belt as soon as I stopped and shut off the engine. After running all his checks, the cop approached the car and we had the usual conversion.
He came back with a ticket for speed AND for not wearing my seat belt. I tried to explain, but to no avail. It’s easier just to keep your belt on unless you take it off in front of the cop.
Don’t Talk
The police officer might start asking you the sort of questions whose lack of a definite answer could imply guilt, like: “Do you know why I stopped you?” Or, he or she might ask: “Do you know how fast you were going?”
Your answers, if any, should be non-committal and brief, like a simple “No” to the first question or a very confident, “Yes, I do,” to the second. If the officer then tells you how fast he or she thinks you were going or what he or she thinks you did, don’t argue. Remember, the goal is to be as forgettable as possible and not incriminate yourself.
Don’t Make Statements That Can be Used Against You in Court
Police officers have been trained to solicit an admission of guilt. Read that line again. The process isn’t just to stop you and give you a ticket, but also document everything you say. In essence, you’re already on the witness stand. Questions like: “Do you know how fast you were going?” aren’t just idle chitchat.
If you say “no” the officer can claim in court that you were being negligent by not knowing the speed limit. If you say “yes” you’ve all but admitted to speeding, which drastically decreases the number of ways you can defend yourself.
Never admit to doing anything wrong at all but at the same time, never admit ignorance. Instead, give a noncommittal answer, like, “I see,” or no answer at all. Silence is not an admission of guilt and cannot be used against you in court.
Don’t Make it Worse
The interview with traffic cops that we researched found that across the board, the officer has pretty much made his or her decision as to whether to write you a ticket as they approach your car. If they’re going to write you a ticket, there’s not much more you can do, other than follow the advice on these pages.
If, however, you’re one of the lucky ones the cop had decided to just give a warning, don’t screw it up. This is not the time to be difficult, uncooperative or rude, as the cop will change his or her mind right on the spot, and you would have never even know that until you opened your mouth, it was your lucky day.
Don’t be Shy to Ask For a Warning
This is always a long shot, but it’s actually worked for me twice. You do have to have some knowledge of the police force with which you’re dealing. I’ve never heard of the California Highway Patrol just handing out a warning when a ticket could be written.
Many places rely upon the revenue stream that tickets generate. On the other hand, I was able to request a warning from an officer of a police force for a mid-sized city in the SE USA known for its hospitality. Just be polite and respectful in your request and accept the officer’s negative response with grace.
Don’t Just Drive Off With Ticket in Hand
Just as the officer sits in his or her cruiser and makes notes about your mutual encounter, so should you. Write down what the officer said and what you said. Did anything unusual happen? What were the weather conditions and time of day?
See if you can spot a mile marker or crossroad so you can identify where the officer was parked when you were zapped with radar. Whatever notes you write immediately after being handed in court have the same weight as what the officer wrote, as long as they are true, accurate, and made on a timely basis.
Otherwise, weeks in the future (delay as long as you can, BTW), you’ll be facing that officer again, this time in court, him or her reading from their notes and you only having your memory to rely upon. Whose testimony do you think the judge is going to favor?
The 20 Best and Worst Excuses for Speeding, Straight From Real Cops’ Mouths
A recent survey of real police officers asked them to share the best and worst excuses they got from drivers to explain their speeding. We’re happy to share.
The survey results come to us courtesy of the site PoliceOne.com, which reports on the issues police officers have to deal with each day (i.e. not fun). We are glad they took the time to put together this survey and share the results, as it sure made our day (as I hope it made theirs).
The Bad
A drunk guy told me he was pregnant then urinated all over himself claiming his water broke.
I stopped a girl with all the Goth black stuff on herself and little figurines on her dash. I asked what is all this stuff. She said: “I’m a Wicka.” I said: “A what?” She goes: “You know, a witch.” I said: “Oh yeah.” Then she asks: “Are you giving me a ticket?” I said: “Yes, I am.” She said: “I’ll put a spell on you.” I told her: “Too late. My ex-wife beat you to it.”
DRIVER: My buddy, who is a police officer, is gonna kill me!
OFFICER: Who is your buddy?
DRIVER: David Pollino!
OFFICER: Ohhhh, you know Dave Pollino? Well in that case, you should thank him when you see him!
DRIVER: You bet Officer, I will do exactly that!
I stand there in awkward silence until the driver chimes in and says can I help you?
OFFICER: Just waiting for my thanks.
DRIVER: I don’t understand!
OFFICER: Can you read, ma’am? Can you read my name tag out loud?
DRIVER: Officer! Sgt. David Pollino!
OFFICER: Ma’am, since we are such good friends and all, and you were going to thank me, I was just waiting for my thanks.
“Oh, I thought the sign I 95 meant the speed limit… Glad you didn’t catch me over on SR 210 earlier.”
“I wasn’t speeding, I just got a haircut and it makes me look fast.”
I checked a 17-year-old kid on I-71 near MP91 just south of Grove City, Ohio at 101 mph. He was driving a gold Ford Explorer 2-door. When I told him I checked him at 101, he threw a fit and wanted to argue with me, saying he was only doing 85 mph. Me, being the curious cop, asked him why he thought he was only going 85 and his response was: “My speedometer only goes to 85 and I had my gas pedal pushed all the way to the floor.”
One of my cop friends told me a story: he pulled over a couple for speeding, asked why the driver (male) was speeding. The male said his wife (the passenger) was pregnant and they were going to the hospital. The officer said that was fine (even though he knew the truth) and followed them to the hospital to “make sure everything went alright.” When they got to the hospital, he escorted them in and made sure they got a room right away. Finally the male admitted to lying. The officer didn’t write him up, figured the hospital bill would be enough.
“My car has a recall on it for unexplained acceleration and I’m on my way to get it fixed!”
It snowed 6-inches and I radar a car driving 54 in a 30. Stopped her and she very matter-of-fact told me: “Duh, I know I was going fast. I was trying to get the snow off my windshield so I could see where I’m going!”
“I have a cold and when I cough, my foot mashes the pedal.”
I stopped a guy for doing 71 in a 50 because he wanted to get to McDonald’s before the breakfast menu ended!
I had someone tell me that he put too much oil in the engine of his vehicle, and he had to drive really fast to burn the extra roll out.
I was told by a lady her accelerator was broken and it always went that fast, no matter what.
The Good
Pulled over a Corvette doing 100 in a 55 zone. Late at night on highway, no traffic. I told the driver: “You were flying, unless you have a pilot’s license, you are going to jail.” Yes, he handed me a pilot license… Yes, I let him go.
I stopped a lady who was crying when I walked up. I asked what the problem was. She said she had gone shopping for the first time after having a baby and nothing fit right. I handed her her license back and slowly backed away. Nothing good was coming from this!
DRIVER: I was just keeping the 2 second buffer time between me and the car behind me.
OFFICER: There was no one behind you…
DRIVER: Good job, huh?
“I wasn’t speeding, I was qualifying.”
The box says: “If you have an erection over 4 hours, see your doctor IMMEDIATELY!”
A 17-year-old was going 23 (mph) over. When I asked him why he was going so fast, he looked me dead in the eye and said: “Because I’m just all kinds of stupid.”
I got tagged for doing 54 in a 45 years back. The officer laughed when he told me and I said that my dyslexia was acting up again.
The Other
Here are a few more examples of all kinds of crazy excuses you could try out (but don’t say we didn’t warn you).
DRIVER: Sir, I think it’s time you get an eye exam because the sign said 55, not 45.
OFFICER: Nice Try!
“Sir, it’s just an imaginary number on an imaginary sign. Was I really that wrong violating something so intangible?”
OFFICER: Sir, I clocked you at 79 in a 45 mph maximum speed zone.
DRIVER: I have a note from my doctor…
OFFICER: I recorded you going 13 miles over the speed limit.
DRIVER: I know you were, but what was I?
If you’re one of those that can easily make yourself vomit, simply roll down the window and proceed to gag yourself so that you vomit out the window as the police officer is nearing your vehicle. There’s a good chance that they won’t want to get covered in additional vomit and you might not even have to say a word.
“I’m sorry, sir, but my GPS unit said that the speed limit was 70, not 45. I didn’t see a sign for a long time, so I assumed that it was correct.”
“Well, everyone else was doing it!?”
“I have an early onset of Parkinson’s which only affects my right leg so far. Fortunately, it’s not bad enough to restrict me from driving, according to the DMV!”
“I’m sorry, but the car behind me was following me too close, so I kept speeding up to avoid a catastrophic wreck!”
“I’m sorry, Officer. I saw you doing about 80 and thought for sure that you would be abiding by the laws that you enforce – unless your lights were on, of course!”
“I just received a call 5 minutes ago that my wife’s water broke and she’s in labor at the hospital. Is there any way that you could give me a police escort to Exit 86?”
In the event that you’re a woman that is getting pulled over by a male officer, use this one and you may just make the officer uncomfortable enough to let you go: “I’m sorry, sir, but my tampon desperately needs to be changed and I was trying to get to a place quickly so that I can safely change it.”
“My apologies, sir. I accidentally farted, shit my pants, and began to rush home as fast as possible before it starts to soak into my fabric seats.” (This one works best if you’re able to produce some really raunchy smells to make it seem authentic).
Like we said, these excuses aren’t going to win you any awards, but they may just get you the laugh you need to get off with a warning in place of a ticket!
Traffic Ticket and Insurance Penalty Costs
Calculating the cost of a speeding ticket is rather complex due to a number of factors included. It depends on state and local laws, and on the actual offense itself. On average, however, Americans are paying around $150 per traffic ticket, and that also includes court fees. Bear in mind that some states are less forgiving and you might end up paying close to $2,500 in some of them.
Although $150 doesn’t seem like much, the actual ticket fee is probably the least of your worries should you get pulled over. Your auto insurance premium is likely to increase significantly if you get slapped with a ticket.
According to Insurance.com, reckless driving and highway racing are by far the worst possible types of speeding with insurance rates increase of 73% and 71% on average across six leading insurance carriers respectively. The only worse offense in that respect is DUI/DWI first offense which will bump your car insurance premium by 79 percent on average.
Speeding 30 mph over the limit is the next worst thing that can happen to you and will result in insurance premium increase of 30% on average. Speeding 16-29 mph over the limit will result in a 22% increase, while 1-15 mph over the limit will set you back 20% on average.
Remaining infractions mostly fit in a region between 15 and 25 percent with an exception of seat belt infraction (3%), driving without insurance (10%), driving without a license or permit (12%), and reckless driving (26%).
Needless to say, those are all percentages for first-time offenders and all subsequent repeated infractions lead to much more severe penalties and even jail time in some cases.
All things considered, you’ll never be able to calculate the exact amount of a speeding ticket fallout until it happens and all the envelopes find their way into your mailbox. One insurance company might be cheaper than the other depending on infraction so it’s often advisable to shop around.
Fighting a Speeding Ticket
Contesting a speeding ticket on your own is doable but not recommended. Especially if this isn’t your first traffic infraction and you face potential lost or suspended license.
Contesting a ticket and hoping that the officer doesn’t show up in court is an easy way out in theory, but it’s only recommended if you have a backup plan at hand because the officers actually show up more often than rumors would suggest. What’s more, they aren’t required to appear in court for minor violations in some states, making this type of defense impossible.
In most states, you’ll be given an option to attend driver’s training or traffic school in order to avoid getting points on your license, but that won’t save you money. It is a viable option to consider if you already have some points accumulated in your driving record and are threatened with suspended license.
Appointing a traffic ticket lawyer could go a long way in boosting your chances of successfully dismissing a ticket or at least negotiating it down to a lesser charge which reduces the fine and all accompanying ramifications.
They can also secure probation which ultimately clears the offense off your record. Not to mention that they are your representative in front of the court which goes a long way if you have to appear in one that’s far away from your home. Needless to say, this can save you a lot of money on travel and other related expenses.
It’s also important to understand when to enlist a service of a traffic ticket attorney. This might not be necessary in case of a statutory or petty infraction like moderate driving over the speed limit, but serious misdemeanor violations like reckless driving or DUI are a no-brainer for hiring a lawyer. Not to mention felony violations like repeat DUI or hit-and-run offenses which result in a criminal record – not to mention high fines and jail time.
I hope that this covers most of your questions about speeding tickets (and traffic tickets in general), and that you’ll have a better grasp on this unpleasant topic from now on. If not, take a look at the FAQ below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to fight a speeding ticket?
There are a number of ways and one with the best chance of a good outcome includes an experienced traffic ticket lawyer. We’ve covered this topic in the “Fighting a Speeding Ticket” section.
Are speeding tickets misdemeanors?
Yes and no. More serious traffic infractions like DUI, driving without a valid license, street racing, reckless driving, etc. are misdemeanors, but most traffic violations are only petty infractions. This includes moderate driving over the posted speed limit, running a stop sign or red light, illegal passing, failure to yield right of way, etc. Then again, the most serious traffic violations are labeled traffic felonies and they warrant the most strict penalties (repeat DUI, hit-and-run, vehicular homicide or manslaughter, etc.).
Do speeding tickets affect insurance?
Oh, yeah! Some insurance companies might look the other way on the first minor offense, but they’ll usually be happy to charge a hefty extra to your insurance premium. By how much is covered in the “Traffic Ticket and Insurance Penalty Costs” section.
Does speeding ticket go on your record?
Yes it does. In some states your driving record remains forever but in most cases, traffic violations will impact your car insurance for “only” 3-5 years.
How many speeding tickets before suspension?
This varies from state to state and from severity of traffic violations themselves. Most states can be grouped in two categories when counting traffic violation points.
First group counts 1 point for minor violations and 2 points for more serious violations. License suspension occurs when a driver earns 4 points within a year, 6 points within two years, or 8 points in three years.
Second group counts minor violations as 2-point incidents, while more serious violations earn 3, 4, or even 5 points. Driver will get his/her license suspended when he/she accumulates 12 points within three years.
Do speeding tickets go away?
Yes and no – depending on a state and severity of traffic violation. Minor infractions usually disappear from your DMV record after three to five years (which coincides with their effect on your insurance premium), but some states keep your driving record forever. Also, some traffic violations take longer to disappear from your record in one state compared to the other. Finally, some more serious traffic violations remain on your record forever.
Can speeding tickets be paid online?
Yes.
Is speeding ticket a moving violation?
Speeding ticket is obviously a moving violation since in order to be caught speeding you have to operate a moving vehicle. Traffic tickets in general, on the other hand, can also be non-moving violations i.e. all sorts of illegal parking, blocking the sidewalk, etc. It’s important to note that in case of a non-moving violation, tickets are issued against the vehicle instead of a driver.
