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Today I received a ticket for "Disobeyed traffic device HOV lane". This occurred Eastbound exit 50 on the LIE.
I have been doing some googling and came across this statement on the DMV website:
"Points are not assigned for the following violations
any bicycle violation
any pedestrian violation
any parking violation
any violation related to unregistered, unlicensed or uninsured operation
any violation related to motor vehicle inspection, vehicle weights or dimensions or vehicle equipment other than inadequate service brakes
any violation related to a business or the sale of goods established in the Vehicle and Traffic Law or any local law a violation related to the improper use of High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes in Suffolk County, between exits 49 and 57 of the Long Island Expressway
any other violation not resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle
I am wondering what my best course of action should be. I made and mistake and got caught so I should pay the fines. However, I'd want to avoid having my insurance go up. If the above statement is true, should I just plead guilty and pay the given fine?
If someone with more experience can chime in, it'll be greatly appreciate it.
The Suffolk traffic court system is a tough one. They don't use real judges/courts - they use administrative law judges. In practice, this means there is little chance of beating the ticket. One possible option is a traffic lawyer... for a few hundred dollars they can often get the fine reduced and you don't need to go to court.
With no points on the line, I think your best option is to simply pay the ticket. It's not like you are legitimately disputing the charge. That will start the "clock" ticking to get it off your record that much sooner.
It is always possible that your insurance company will find out. That seems to be luck of the draw. Unless you are changing companies or have some other special situation, it seems unlikely that they will pick up on it. At least, that has been my experience.
You can also take one of those Defensive Driver courses. Most libraries on LI have them. You have to do it every few yrs. to keep discount in effect. Just did ours. But we don't have any tickets/violation/accidents on record. Lucky I guess. But you do get discount. Worth the low cost class & time. You get a discount on insurance. Can also get point reduction.
You can also take one of those Defensive Driver courses. Most libraries on LI have them. You have to do it every few yrs. to keep discount in effect. Just did ours. But we don't have any tickets/violation/accidents on record. Lucky I guess. But you do get discount. Worth the low cost class & time. You get a discount on insurance. Can also get point reduction.
The thing about the defensive driving courses is that, if you report it to your insurance company, your insurance company often pulls your driving abstract when applying the discount and will be alerted to the ticket. In other words, your premium will not go up now unless a claim is made against your policy because the insurance company is not aware of the ticket (they do not actively monitor your driving record), but if you try to apply a defensive driving discount, they will see your ticket and change your premiums accordingly and the discount might be less than the increase to your premium (resulting in a net increase).
The thing about the defensive driving courses is that, if you report it to your insurance company, your insurance company often pulls your driving abstract when applying the discount and will be alerted to the ticket. In other words, your premium will not go up now unless a claim is made against your policy because the insurance company is not aware of the ticket (they do not actively monitor your driving record), but if you try to apply a defensive driving discount, they will see your ticket and change your premiums accordingly and the discount might be less than the increase to your premium (resulting in a net increase).
hmm, this is pretty tricky.
Okay, so I'll pay the fine and unless my insurance goes up, will not take the defensive.
Wondering if I should still plead "not guilty" to see if they'd offer me a lower fine... maybe I'm getting greedy =P
You can also take one of those Defensive Driver courses. Most libraries on LI have them. You have to do it every few yrs. to keep discount in effect. Just did ours. But we don't have any tickets/violation/accidents on record. Lucky I guess. But you do get discount. Worth the low cost class & time. You get a discount on insurance. Can also get point reduction.
point reduction is to lower your DMV points...as in to avoid getting your license suspended....which is different than avoiding insurance from seeing it. I believe there was a whole thread on this topic here somewhere
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