How to Get Out of a Speeding Ticket

2012

I've previously written about how to avoid a speeding ticket by choosing the best lane to use on a multi-lane highway (certain lanes are targeted by police when using radar). I'll soon be posting a four-step process for how to get out of a speeding ticket once you are actually pulled over by an officer. Police officers do have discretion, after all, and they don't always give out that ticket. Of course, using a radar detector helps too.

But then there is a sneakier, somewhat subliminal technique which can work without the officer knowing that you are manipulating him or her. This one is only for those readers who feel confident they can pull it off. Following that you'll also find a trick for keeping a speeding ticket off your record for a while.

When You Are Pulled Over

First, you acknowledge that you were speeding, while hinting at a reason without it sounding like an excuse. For example, you might chuckle at yourself and tell the officer, "I guess my speeding is going to make me even later for my son's basketball game." Notice that you do not present an excuse in a way that suggests you had good reason for going over the speed limit. You also are not claiming that you were not speeding or did not know you were. The police on the highways here those kinds of excuses all week long. You just let the officer know you had some reason for going a little too fast, without suggesting that it means you should be let off. In other words, you let the cop know he is right to pull you over even as you aim for sympathy.

Then--and this is the trickiest part--you use a subtle challenge to his authority as a way to get him to let you go with a warning. This can backfire if you don't get it right, but the basic idea is to be very polite and nice while "wondering" aloud if the officer actually has the authority to decide what to do. This is what you might say:

"I knew I was going too fast, and I deserve that ticket. Maybe you don't really have any choice in the matter, but is there any way you are able to let me off with a warning?"

The key is to suggest he can't decide to let you go ("Maybe you don't really have any choice..."), so he'll feel compelled to prove he does have that authority. This challenge to his authority has to be subtle enough not to be recognized as such or it will just irritate the police officer. It will irritate him subconsciously anyhow--that's the point--but if combined with a pleasant demeanor this can work before he realizes that he has been played (if he ever does realize).

Keep a Ticket Off Your Record

What if you don't get out of that speeding ticket? In the "More Secrets" section of "You Aren't Supposed to Know" I also describe a technique for keeping a ticket off your record. It does not work in all jurisdictions, but (from what I have read) has worked successfully in some states. You'll have to get the Secrets Package to read about that one. Meanwhile, here are two more tricks I have recently researched online for getting out of a speeding ticket after you get one, or for keeping it off your record.

One woman decided to contest her citation, and so had to make a pretrial appearance at the courthouse. The prosecuting attorney, who had looked at her spotless driving record, cut the fine in half and arranged it so no points would be put on her license. That kept her insurance rate from rising. Note that this was in part because she did not have any black marks on her record. Also, when these deals are made the court sometimes requires that you take a safe driving class (she didn't have to). In any case, the lesson is clear: contest that ticket to see if you are offered a better deal.

Another trick is to delay paying the fine. One man noticed a box on his speeding ticket which he could check if he wanted a written report about the citation. He checked the box and because the court did not send out a report within the legally-mandated 30-day deadline, the case was dismissed. Others have suggested that you might get out of a speeding ticket by finding a legal way to postpone your required court appearance, under the assumption (or hope) that the ticketing officer will forget about the case and not bother to show up for the appearance later, resulting in a dropped case. If nothing else, delay tactics can mean delaying higher insurance bills. You might also use that time to pay your policy up a year in advance, since some insurance companies only raise the rates at the time of renewal.

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