speeding ticket question??

[disco1776]

Just got a speeding ticket for 72 in a 60. Had the cruise set at 67 but i guess my speedo is off by quite a bit due to the lift and tires. The fine is $116 if I pay it outright. I got out of a speeding ticket this summer, my first one, due to a faulty equiptment charge in a different vechicle. Just wondering what the best idea would be to do. Have the truck calibrated and go to court or just pay off the ticket? Just wondering if I can have two faulty equipment charges used back to back? Any help would be great. Thanks

 

[Joey]

I would have it calibrated.... you said the other was a different vehicle

 

[rangerhughes]

Brad: No limitations on faulty equipment just as long as it?s not the same equipment, but still up to the DA?s office and the judge. Get it calibrated, if any discrepancies take the results to court or go to DA?s office sometime before court. If the District Court ADA will not dismiss the charge then ask for a PJC. PJC will work if you have no other points on your driving record.
John

 

[road1will]

$116 isn't that bad, so I would just pay the ticket and learn the lesson. Whenever I drive my disco I keep in mind that my speedo is off and drive accordingly.

 

[DiscoS2]

$116 isn't that bad, so I would just pay the ticket and learn the lesson. ...

Wrong. Unless you were pulled over in a jurisdiction that is inconvenient for you to return to for trial, ALWAYS enter a "not guilty" plea and appear in court. There's a decent chance the officer will be a no-show, especially if he's not on duty to work that day. Most departments don't pay overtime for court.

If he does show up: before you enter the court room, pull him aside and negotiate a plea deal for a lesser offense. Unless he's a dick, he'll play ball. You saved some $ and maybe a point or two; he got his conviction. Everyone's happy.

I have done this on several occasions and I learned it from a state trooper friend of mine.

Mark

 

[road1will]

Interesting, well I just find it easier to just pay the ticket and learn my lesson rather than waste my time going to court. To each his own

 

[Chris-St Louis]

Wonder why you wouldn't have had it repaired when you knew it was inaccurate.

 

[disco1776]

didn't know it was off at the time. Im having it calibrated on monday.

 

[Chris-St Louis]

didn't know it was off at the time. Im having it calibrated on monday.

Thats fair.

If the speedometer shop isn't familiar with it, let them know it has a 6 pulse sensor.

They likely will have to build a cable to connect to the transfer case and splice a ratio adapter in line, then connect a generic 6 pulse sensor to it.

Thats how most of them are done.

 

[disco1776]

sounds good. I'll tell them when I get there. Thanks

 

[Roverlady]

I wonder if my speedo is off.......how much would it cost to have a calibration done?

 

[Chris-St Louis]

If you change your tires size or Diff Ratio from stock, your speedometer will be off.

To do the cable way is a little costly to do right. Depends on the market, and the skill of the speedometer shop. I would expect to pay about $200 here in St Louis.

 

[disco1776]

They told me $80 to have it checked and notarized for court. But I'm pretty sure that dosen't involve actually fixing it, just letting you know how off it is.

 

[Roverlady]

Hmmm, that's gonna have to wait until I fix a few more things. But I drive slow most of the time in fear that it is mis-calculating.

 

[rangerhughes]

I?m a Cop and my wife is an ADA here in NC, Brad once the ticket is posted with the Clerk the police officer has very little to do with it (except to testify in court if it makes it that far). Advice don?t get no better then that!!

 

[Chris-St Louis]

http://www.magsensors.com/vss.html

These guys make the kind of sensors I'm talking about. They dont list a 6 pulse, but they may still have them, or can make them.

Or, the speedometer shop can make up for it with the ratio adapter.

 

[Eric N.]

Temp fix is to use a GPS as your speedo.. That's what I do.. My speedo is about 5 mph off at 60 ( reads 60 but, I'm actually doing 65 ).. I have 265/75 tires and stock gears. I tend to go the actual posted speed limit though so even though my speedo is off it's not a big deal since most cops won't pull you over for 5mph over the limit..

Although, around here people get pissed cause you aren't doing 90 in a 25..

 

[disco1776]

I understand. Ive got 285/75's with stock gears so Im hoping its atleast 5 or more off. I really need to get out of this one. Done have the extra money to pay for insurance increases.

 

[Chris-St Louis]

Don't forget. Speedometer errors of this type are off by a percentage, not a set MPH.

 

[rmuller]

It will probably be off exactly what the radar showed it being.. Radar showed 72, you thought you were going 67.. that's almost exactly how much my truck is off with 265/75's (measured by GPS). I don't know the math/reasoning behind it, but at 20mph, its accurate, at ~60mph its off by 5mph.