speeding through school zone (insurance, crime, attorney)

[retitredarmy]

This morning, taking an alternate route to school, I received a ticket for going 39 through a 25mph school zone, and another ticket for an illegal window tint. I only recently bought the car and it came with that tint, which did not know was illegal. I've never been even pulled over before and I'm a very safe driver, so this was a shock to me. I had no idea that the area I had just passed was a school zone. I was going with the flow of traffic, the same speed as the person in front of me (of course I would be the one to get pulled over). I hear that speeding through school zones is particularly awful.
Any information to help me out in court?

[celewis6780]

So, you admittedly were speeding through a school zone, and now you are going to court to fight it? If you hear that speeding through school zones is awful, wait until the daddy of the kid you hit one day gets ahold of you. Here is some info for court: Be humble, admit you made a mistake, pay your fine, and don't speed through schools zones. This will much easier than you being charged with a serious crime for hitting a kid while you speed through the zone.

[irvm]

Originally Posted by retitredarmy

I've never been even pulled over before and I'm a very safe driver, so this was a shock to me. I had no idea that the area I had just passed was a school zone.

Someone who can't read or can't be bothered to look at signs isn't my idea of a 'safe driver'.

If indeed there WERE no signs, document that, and the judge will likely toss out the citation. But I am willing to bet that the signs were, and still are, there.

[retitredarmy]

I don't appreciate the hostility in the first reply, because I do respect school zones. The reason I didn't this time was because the area is NOT clearly marked. They have signs up, this is true, but the sign I had passed was quite a distance before the school, not to mention the fact that the school is located on the corner of a fairly large intersection, and cannot be seen because there are other buildings in front of it. I had already passed the school a fair distance back when I was pulled over.

Would it be possible to request a safe driving school in lieu of points when I go to court?

I know that speeding through a school zone is obviously not safe by any means, but I do have a soul and when a school zone is properly marked, I slow down.

[celewis6780]

Didn't mean for the post to sound hostile...but, I see folks every day rejecting any form of personal responsibility and accountability. Your post appeared to be of that nature, at least in my opinion.

[deja-zebbie]

retired army,

Personally, I find some of the school speed limit signs confusing on the routes we take, but for a different reason. We're used to signs that give the speed for school zones with the TIMES they are in effect. Just a day or so I had to mention to my husband (since I don't drive) that I don't think it makes any difference as to the time of day since the signs don't. We were travelling WELL past the time anyone should be at school.

That said, I would go to court on the tint. and I'd be sure to take the purchase paperwork in so it's clear you just bought the car. And, exactly HOW is one to know that the tint is WRONG?

On the school zone, I'd go back find the sign, take someone with you and MEASURE the distance from the sign to where you were ticketed. First, though, I'd see if there is anything in the state drivers handbook (or whatever it's called) about the DISTANCE from the sign that one has to drive at that speed, since **I** don't recall seeing signs around in our neck of the woods like, "end school zone".

If you can find some data that pertains to the distance and the distance that you measure sounds like you might have been wrongly ticketed, then I'd try to find an attorney -- expecially if you can find an attorney that someone you know has used. It can be terrible to get a jerk attorney, so I'd be VERY cautious about this. I'm not kidding about this an attorney who is a JERK can really irritate a judge.

Sometimes it can be better for insurance purchases to spend a bit to TRY and keep your driving record as clean as possible.

And, yes, I'd be humble as can be without obviously trying to suck up.

All the best,
zebbie

PS I think using the reason that you were going with the flow of traffic will just make MORE trouble for you.

[deja-zebbie]

BTW, in reflecting on your situation, I think I sure WOULD opt for an attorney right off the bat. However, if I were in your shoes, I'd do my homework and take pictures of how far the school is set back at the intersection, etc. the distance from the sign to the school and where you were ticketed.

An attorney might have better luck than you in trying to get some kind of arrangement like traffic school. I'm not persoally familiar with such alternatives.

Since it is SO easy to end up in a bad traffic situation in the FUTURE (because one cannot control the actions of others) I think it's worth doing what you can with THESE tickets. Even after years and years of a clean driving record one can watch that good record disappear in a FLASH.

In reference to your comment :
"I know that speeding through a school zone is obviously not safe by any means, but I do have a soul and when a school zone is properly marked, I slow down."

With NO hostility intended and advice from the heart it might help you (particularly if you end up in court), if you could see that when you make the comment above about "when a school zone is properly marked" it appears that you are blaming the way the zone was marked. Can I suggest what I think might be a better way to approach this? You might try: "**I** didn't understand the way in which the zone was marked because....(you fill in the blank)"

I suggest this because I don't think a judge would look to kindly on you attributing fault to the way the school zone is marked. After all he's/she's in court and may have never been past this particular zone. This particular school zone might be oddly indicated, and that COULD be worth illustrating.
I imagine that this whole incident must be very upsetting for you and I wish you the very best outcome.

zebbie

[retitredarmy]

Thanks so much for taking my situation into account and giving such wonderful advice. Yes, it is my fault in the first place and I do take responsibility, but I feel very reluctant to because it felt so much like I fell into a trap. A big part of this is going to be phrasing my argument so that I don't sound like I'm blaming everything but myself.

I don't think we're going to find an attorney, though it is something to consider. We will definitely be taking some pictures of the intersection.

Again thanks so much for the suggestions!

Also, I just realized that there is a typo in my username....wow, impressive.

[deja-zebbie]

Well, I READ your name as "retired"...which just shows MY great attention span.

Again, all the best.

[GAmedic35656]

I work in the field of law enforcement as well as EMS. School zones are measured as to the number of children present in the area in relation to the school. In the town I work for, we have a school zone that stretches for almost a mile b/c of the proximity of two schools to each other. I know in my jurisdiction it is clearly noted that the school zone is in effect from 7:30 to 8:30 and from 2:30 to 3:30. State law defines that this must be on the sign but the law states further that a school zone speed can be enforced anytime ANY function is being held at the school. The law also says that local LE is not required to give you the 10 MPH increase given to normal speed limits, which is to say that an officer can right you a citation for 26 in a 25 MPH school zone if he wished.

As far as the tint law goes, the state requires the minimum tint to be at 32%. If you explain to the judge that you bought the vehicle that way and were unaware of the tint law, I don;t see why the jusge could not be leniant with you. If it was me that would have stopped you, I would have given you a break on the tint and explained the school zone situation to you while on the stop. If you have anymore questions, please let me know.