Got my first ticket.

[LookBehindYou]

Damn, got my first ticket. Ran a red light, barely, but still ran it. Is there any chance at talking the judge into deferring it or anything since I've never had a ticket before? If so, do I just ask the judge or how do I approach it. Or should I just pay it?

Advice please.

 

[dmcowen674]

Damn, got my first ticket. Ran a red light, barely, but still ran it. Is there any chance at talking the judge into deferring it or anything since I've never had a ticket before? If so, do I just ask the judge or how do I approach it. Or should I just pay it?

Advice please.

Stop running red lights

 

[EagleKeeper]

How do you barely run a red light.

If the light turned red while in the intersection; you chose to ignore the yellow.

Ask if you can take a drivers ed course in lieu of points.

You will still have to pay the ticket and for the class; but nothing on your record the first time. Second time; you usually will get no option.

 

[highland145]

Just ignore it. It'll go away.

 

[edro]

lol, just pay the ticket.

If you don't want points on your license, go to court and ask the magistrate.
Tell him you won't go to trial if they take points off your license.

If they have a full docket, they won't want to waste time taking a red light case to trial, so they will let you pay the fine and won't put points on your license.

In my state, the points are what the insurance company can see to raise your rates.

 

[z1ggy]

plead not guilty, write the county DA or who ever takes care of that stuff, telling them it's your first offense, etc etc. Generally, they write you back when you send in all your paper work and it will hopefully say it got reduced.

I got a ticket 3 years ago for speeding, and I did that process. About 2 weeks later I got some paper work saying I got the ticket taken down to a non moving violation and I had to pay a $200 fine.

 

[Tweak155]

Plead guilty but ask for leniency since it is your first offense. I'd recommend showing up in court in suit pants and a shirt, or at least khakis.

 

[SandEagle]

obey the law.

 

[bruceb]

If it was from a Red Light Camera, just pay it, as there are no points on these tickets. But if it was written by a police officer in person, then you should fight it, get it reduced or take the AAA Driver Ed course to keep the license points down.

 

[EagleKeeper]

obey the law.

Someone hijacked the SE account

 

[rasczak]

Pay the ticket, and go to traffic school. Obey the traffic laws.

 

[wirednuts]

If it was from a Red Light Camera, just pay it, as there are no points on these tickets. But if it was written by a police officer in person, then you should fight it, get it reduced or take the AAA Driver Ed course to keep the license points down.

heh, that is so shady. they cant use machines to prosecute you legally but they can legally take your money.

i remember an article where some police department flat out said that red light cameras were being installed for a money grab. they have nothing to do with safety.

 

[LTC8K6]

Yeah, was it a real ticket, or a fine from a red light camera?

One carries points, and one doesn't.

 

[wirednuts]

Pay the ticket, and go to traffic school. Obey the traffic laws.

:/ ive ran many yellows. sometimes even red. as long as theres no peds around, all youre doing is possibly pissing off some other driver. big deal. just pay attention to surroundings, and if you get pulled over just be nice and dont argue why.

 

[LookBehindYou]

It was a real ticket, cop was at the intersection. Doh!

I freaking hate that intersection. I live outside of town and there is small city that I go through and then I'm on a ten minute stretch that connects the small city to the main city where I work. That light is halfway through the stretch and and I seem to always get stuck at it.

 

[Baked]

Don't drive at all.

 

[rasczak]

:/ ive ran many yellows. sometimes even red. as long as theres no peds around, all youre doing is possibly pissing off some other driver. big deal. just pay attention to surroundings, and if you get pulled over just be nice and dont argue why.

running yellows is not defensive driving. driving like the above, is just an collision waiting to happen.

 

[darkxshade]

The next time you drive... stop on a green for a few mins, document/record it and let the judge know you did it to make up for running the red.

 

[slayernine]

How do you barely run a red light.

If the light turned red while in the intersection; you chose to ignore the yellow.

Ask if you can take a drivers ed course in lieu of points.

You will still have to pay the ticket and for the class; but nothing on your record the first time. Second time; you usually will get no option.

Wait a second, over here the rule is if you enter on yellow you don't get a ticket and if you cross the stop line on a red you do get a ticket.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Adjust your speed so you will have a green on the light.

Learn the timing of the light, unless it is a re-active to the cross street.
If re-active; you should be stopping anyhow for potential cross traffic.

If timed; spend 3 minutes off to the side to determine the cycle with an accurate watch.
The next day; log the time you clear the previous light and the time you get to the signal.
If green; remember the time and constant speed you used.
If red; figure out the time missed from the green and then re-adjsut your speed.

After a week; you should be able to hit it on green all the time.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Wait a second, over here the rule is if you enter on yellow you don't get a ticket and if you cross the stop line on a red you do get a ticket.

If you have not cleared the intersection before it goes red; you should have stopped before entering.

Otherwise, you were going too slow while in yellow and are liable if a person punches it when their light goes green.

Double check your laws; otherwise anyone with a green light is at fault for you not clearing if they Tbone you.

You should not enter when RED, nor should you be in the intersection while Red.

 

[Rumpltzer]

Talk to the judge. Explain how the lights and signs are merely suggestions. Try to win him over.

 

[MontyAC]

Pay the fine. Life lesson learned the hard way.

 

[alkemyst]

How do you barely run a red light.

If the light turned red while in the intersection; you chose to ignore the yellow.

Ask if you can take a drivers ed course in lieu of points.

You will still have to pay the ticket and for the class; but nothing on your record the first time. Second time; you usually will get no option.

Technically the light would have to be red prior to getting halfway through the intersection.

Likewise if you enter an intersection (to turn) on a green and it finally turns red, you are expected to complete your turn and not back up to the light.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Appeal it to a Clerk/Judge.

Ask for leniency as you haven't received a ticket before.

I did this a while back and the Clerk told me that he didn't want to ruin my perfect record and rescinded the ticket. Though the intersection I got the ticket for going thru a red light is so large and the yellow so fast that unless you're in the intersection when it turns yellow, you're not able to make it thru before it turns red.