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got a ticket and the cop said I was driving 35 miles over the turnpike limit of 45 mph. He claimed I drove up to 80mph. I was willing to pay the fine, but when I checked the ticket it stated that the limit was 45mph
It was around 7:00 pm between 16W and 15W on turnpike south...I checked several times and noticed the limit was 55mph.
I am thinking whether I should fight the ticket...
Was it a variable speed limit sign? The Turnpike has them and they're enforceable, so it's possible that the speed limit was 45 mph when you were caught speeding, but the times when you checked it was 55 mph.
I've always wondered what the ticket was for going that much over. I frequently see speed limits of 35 mph and 45 mph on the Turnpike. It is often safer to drive 75 mph than 35 mph, but I worry that I'll get pulled over and get a huge ticket.
Usually on speed tickets the NJ "custom" is if you walk into court and plead not guilty they will offer to knock down the speed to the lowest category which I think is 1-14 over. So that would mean they would change it to 45 + 14 59 mph instead of 80. So yes the least thing you can do for yourself is go in rather than just pay the 80 mph ticket.
Yes, it was variable speed limit sign, but I checked everyday since the ticket and it has always been 55 mph, obviously I cannot prove that on the date of the ticket it was 55mph as well.
I knew they may change the ticket, but I doubt they will just knock down the speed as IMO they are there to make money... given it is a 35 to 40 miles over, I don't know what they can change to
As far as the ticket itself goes, if you or someone is going 80 on a local street where some kid on a bicycle can roll out then yes that would be very wrong, but going 80 on the limited access highway that you pay tolls for, no that should be the minimum speed. Problem is they don't care what we think, just fork over the money. You are paying their salaries for them to steal more money from you. that isn't exactly safety related. But we dont make the rules, although often we should.
They will at least knock it down to the next lower level or they will offer you the what I call Jim McGreevey special since he was the gov who started it.
They offer you a no point "unsafe driving" special which will cost a lot more $$ about $480 or so. They offer that to just about everyone. You can only use that about twice in 10 years or so.
They will at least knock it down to the next lower level or they will offer you the what I call Jim McGreevey special since he was the gov who started it.
They offer you a no point "unsafe driving" special which will cost a lot more $$ about $480 or so. They offer that to just about everyone. You can only use that about twice in 10 years or so.
I think the "unsafe" option is a god deal, but I would throw in an extra hundred just to not have to go to court. That is the worst part of it. If you get lucky, you may only have to be there an hour, but if you are towards the end of the list, it can be 3 or 4 hours. They know you are taking the deal the minute you talk to the prosecutor anyway, so why make you wait to see the judge?
Actually, they should just let you plead "unsafe" via the mail and send in a check. Like I said, I would throw in extra money for that option. On top of that, think of all the money it will save the taxpayers while keeping the court open and available for REAL cases.
Actually if you really wanted to plead not guilty all the way that would mean they would have to bring the cop who wrote the ticket in. Then you could cross examine him and since he said you drove up to 80 you could ask to see the papers for his speedometer being calibrated etc. A friend of mine did that many years ago and was found not guilty when the cop could not prove his speedometer was calibrated.
In reality 99% of the time the "court" just shakes you down, the prostitutor takes 10 seconds to look over your case before anything goes to court, then they offer you one or the other deals, often leaving the choice up to you. They save money and time by not having to call the cop in and not having a trial. That is why they offer the knockdown on the speed, to efficiently collect the "taxes" and then get to the next "donation".
Also I wonder if the signs say "Speed Limit" or not since if it doesn't say that then that would be a speed SUGGESTION instead of a LIMIT.
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