I had read a long time ago about how when you get pulled over for speeding the cop will ask questions that cause you to bury yourself such as "do you know how fast you were going?" expecting that you'll say "no" or "is there a reason you were speeding?" expecting that you'll admit to speeding while giving an excuse that otherwise serves no purpose. So, not wanting to be toyed with the last couple times I've been pulled over I said "I believed I was going [speed limit]" and "no, I have no reason to be speeding" but now I'm wondering if that's a bad idea for the simple fact that it makes the cop have no mercy whatsoever and that the right COA is to admit to it sat "oh, ya when I saw you in my rear view mirror I realized I had drifted over the speed limit and was going too fast" even though from a legal defense stand point that's like shooting yourself in both feet.

The biggest mystery to me is why a cop will give a warning versus a ticket. If this being honest thing doesn't work and I get the ticket anyway I've destroyed all hope of fighting it but on the other hand by keeping my options open I look uncooperative in the eyes of the cop. Does anyone have any real world experience contrasting the different approaches?

This can be an issue regardless of wether you were actually speeding or not because if the cop has pulled you over then they believe you were speeding and that's what you have to work with.

 

I've never been pulled over for speeding, but I've already figured out exactly what I'm going to do if (when) I get pulled over.

Since I'm young and driving a nice, modded car, I doubt that I'd get any sympathy from the cop (unless he's somehow middle-eastern or owns a TL), so I'll just be covering my ass, answering only the needed questions. I can fight it later in court.

The ACLU has a little card that you can print out, it tells you what to do when stopped by the police either in the street or in your car.

http://www.aclu.org/FilesPDFs/dwb%20bust%20card7_04.pdf

"Do you know how fast you were going?"
"I believe I was going 65, sir."

"Can I search your car?"
"Officer, I understand that you are trying to do your job, but I do not give you consent to search my car."

The last one my aunt, who's a defense attorney, told me to say word for word if I'm ever in that situation.

 

Ya I said exactly that, "I believe I was going 65" but at that point I was calling the cop a liar however nicely so it's like double or nothing; call the cop a liar and get the ticket or try to get a warning while ruining any chance at an appeal. I think what it comes down to is that there should be no such thing as a warning. It gives the cop a leverage of power that is inappropriate. If there's a non self interested justification for "warnings" I'd like to hear it.

 

He's a cop, he already has that leverage of power 24/7.

Sad, yes.
True, yes.

 

I just always answer no, I do not know how fast I was going. I don't think there's an advantage to saying "yes, I was going xxx" whether you lie or tell the truth, whether its understated or the correct speed.... unless someone can tell me?

And everything I say is in the nicest possible way. "Yes sir/officer, no sir", ask for permission to move (i.e. to reach to get L+R from glovebox/wallet). Keys out of the lock cylinder and on the dash, with both hands on the steering wheel or in plain sight with radio off. Talk in a plesant manner, with a semi-sad look on my face but no pouting/mad faces.

I usually don't speed anyway Most of the time when I get pulled over, its for a fix-it ticket. The one time I did get pulled over I was going nearly double the speed limit (60+ in a 35) but the officer only thought I was going 15 over. I did everything like I said, and got let go with a warning. Best part was I probably had a bit of alcohol in my system.... didn't affect my driving though, and a breathmint helped.

So cliff notes, be polite and nice about it, and it helps to have good-smelling breath before/while talkin to the officer.

 

"With all due respect officer, you just pulled ME over. Shouldn't YOU know how fast I was going?"

 

I just act stupid. It's something i'm good at.

 

I flash my boobies....

 

I learned the hard way... Don't speed. I got caught going 41 MPH over the speed limit in February and I'm still dealing with the consequences of my actions...

 

I've never been pulled over when it has not been my fault. I usually am very respectful. I have gotten off a couple times, and I have gotten ticketed a couple times.

 

Same here, although a couple of times it was a nickel and dime offense. <COUGH>NewBrunswickNJpolicedepartment<COUGH>

 

My nickle and dime offence was with Port Authority cops. I got pulled over, I ended getting a ticket for it, and then yelled at by the cop when he came back with it. After he gave me the ticket, then I told him I was coming form a class I taught at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Same place he was taking classes. He said I was an idiot for not saying it sooner. He hooked me up when I came to court.

 

I've been pulled over 4 times for speeding in my driving career and I usually just acknowledge the fact lightly, like I know I was wrong but at the same time I wasn't out there driving like a mad man either. That usually works for me I've gotten 3 warnings and one ticket. There was no avoiding the ticket since I was doing 110! I admitted it in that case as well, the cop even wrote on the ticket "admitted 110". For that one I had my buddies brother, who is a lawyer, talk to the cop at the hearing and since I was "cooperative" the cop dropped it to 30 over, just under the point where the real penalties would kick in. Lawyer cost me $300 and the fine was $200, so pretty expensive. I didn't really care about the money though, I was just happy that was the extent of the damage.

 

Wow you guys really put a lot of thought into this, if you really want to get out of a ticket just don't speed

 

just say someone was following oyu for a while and you were scared and you tried to lose them lol And then ask him to follow you to wherever you are going.

 

I've been pulled over several times in the last couple of years and have gotten a warning every time. Of course I see alot of the cops where I work (the hospital)....

 

if i was a cop ill pull over all female drivers...eventually one of them will be a freak lol

 

Ha, bet you'd find one the first day!!

 

if it's at night, turn your interior lights on, roll down the windows (if tinted) and keep hands on steering wheel until they instruct you to do otherwise. I hear it's pretty scary for them approaching cars at night, so anything you can do to make it easier on them I'm sure they will return the favor.

 

used to get pulled over alot in my old car...01 PDG CL-S with 15 percent tint, the car was definately noticeable....

anyway, when i used to get pulled over, i'd have my dome lights on (if at night), windows completely down, hands on my steering wheel and registration/lisence on my lap...answer all questions with sir/officer at the end of each answer and ...some times i have gotten my balls broken, others the officer was very polite and professional...luck of the draw...like said earlier, dont drive like a dick and you wont get treated like one

 

It seems like some people think there is a protocol to getting out of a ticket. With plenty of family and friends on the job, i am here to say that there is no protocol. Just dont be a dick, be polite. Its completely up to the officer. Bottome line, if his wife is cheating on him and his dog just died he is probably going to give you a ticket.

 

 

Blasphemy!

 

Man that's cheap. I had to pay $900 for my first ticket. Screw court assessment fees..

 

My mom always told me if the cop starts to lecture you that you're generally in the clear, she said when she was in the police academy she was taught you either lecture them or give them a ticket, but never both.

 

Hmm, now all I have to do is figure out how to ask nicely for the lecture.

 

my 4 year old son had to use the bathroom the other day on our way back from a 4 hour highway trip, I was averaging 90 mph trying to get to the next rest area, that would have been a pretty good excuse in my book. or my wife is pregnant and she freaked out on the phone, just tryin g to get home, that happened too, and I got pulled over, spit that out and he let me go instantly. Don't know how good i would have been if i had been lying.

 

No of this matters.

You sign the ticket, you go to court and THEN you plead your case.

The cop just wants you to acknowledge he wrote you a ticket. Speeding tickets say that they are not an admission of guilt but rather a summons to appear (at least around here they do).

 

If the cop lets you off with a warning do you still have to go to court? Does that matter?

 

Just tell him to write the ticket quickly and that you are in a hurry!

 

I said that once to a cop while he was writing me a tint ticket and he got reaaaally pissed off.

 

peeloff

 

I got pulled over last night but it wasn't for speeding. There was a seperate turn lane to make right that I passed (there was an island blocking me). You could still make a right at the light if it was clear so I did so after waiting for the coast to be clear and kinda stomped on it a bit to make sure I didn't cause the oncoming traffic to need to slow up. Before I know it, I have flashing lights in my rear view.

I always worry about how cops perceive my Civic SI audibly because to get it to move with any sort of urgency you have to crank up the RPMs. High RPMs = a lot of noise and doesn't necessarily equate speeding.

1. So I promptly pulled over.
2. Shut off the engine.
3. Turned on all the dome lights.
4. Placed my hands on the steering wheel.
5. Asked for permission to go into the glove box.

The officer asked for my license and registration. I handed both to him and he looked perplexed and asked me if I owned the vehicle and when I purchased it. I told him yes and it was purchased in Nov 07. It dawned on me that I had my old registration from my GMC Jimmy in my binder, so I went back into the binder and gave him the correct copy.

I mentioned to the officer that I knew that it wasn't a "legal" turn and that I simply missed the turn lane. He asked where I was headed and I answered. The officer went back to his vehicle ran my information, came back and gave me a warning.

I think that making the cop feel comfortable, being respectful and truthful all went into my favor. Also having a spot less record helps. Sometimes I think cops want to keep a good image with decent citizens and will often let you go if you're not a menace to society.

 

I tried something similar when I got pulled over in February (said I had a family member who was in the hospital and I was rushing to make it) Though I fully believe in karma, I figured it might have gotten me off the hook... no such luck, however...

 

I was thinking about the lecture versus ticket theory. I believe the last time I was ticketed the officer asked for my license and registration, then left and came back with the ticket already completed and then asked my twenty questions after the fact so the cop knew ahead of time that this was a revenue stop.

On the other hand if the cop does ask questions prior to actualy writing or handing you the ticket you can probably invoke a lecture by explaining that you were confused by the circumstances, causing the cop to hopefully go into a long explanation about how to not be confused in the future.

I don't think plausible confusion would be too hard to do in sonnyboyacura's scenario because I'm not even convinced the free right turn was illegal if there were no signs forbidding the right turn. It was never covered in driver's ed. I think the cop profiled him based on his Civic and it wasn't really about the right turn.

 

MY officer simply left without invoking any convo.

 

I think he profiled you based on your car. He just wanted to see if he'd find something else once you rolled down your window or when he ran your plate, and once he didn't he stopped wasting his time. I'm not certain you even did anything illegal.

 

just run then let me see you on the breaking news

jk

I always answer every question as polite as possible.

 

I have been pulled over twice.

Time #1 - May, 2006: I weaved slightly in an intersection to avoid a manhole cover that has a nasty dip. About 300 yards later, I realized there was a cop behind me and I was going close to 40 in a 30. As this happened, a car flew by me in the left lane going close to 45. Then the lights came on. I pulled over and the female cop asked me for my license, registration, etc. I gave it to her and she asked me if I knew why she stopped me. I was praying it wasn't for speeding but I said no because I was not even really aware I had weaved. That manhole cover is a bad one so it's habit to try to avoid it. She told me she'd pulled me over for weaving in an intersection and wanted to make sure I wasn't drunk or that something wasn't wrong with the car. I was polite, honest, and calm. Got off with a warning. She was really nice.

Time #2 - May, 2008: I made an illegal left turn against a mostly obscured NO LEFT TURN sign and was pulled over for that. I told him I had not seen the sign and again, was polite, honest, and calm. Got off with a warning although just barely. He said had I blocked traffic for another 10 seconds he would have given me a ticket. Thankfully it was late at night and traffic was very light. Had I waited 10 more seconds I probably would have noticed the sign.

So yeah...be nice and in my experience, you will get off. Again...just my experience. Your results may vary.

 

I have only been pulled over once and I got a warning. The cop was a complete asshole but I was in a tux and had a girl dressed up with me in the car so I guess he decided to let us go. No it wasnt prom although the last thing the officer said to me was "make sure you have a safe prom" and of course it was two weeks till christmas.

Since than this is what I have learned about tickets.

1) Turn off the car and put the keys on the Dash.
2) Roll down all windows and if at night turn on all lights
3) Be polite as possible "Yes sir, No sir"
4) Apologize for speeding but do NOT make excuses
5) Do not move unless you ask first
6) Radio off and both hands on the wheel
7) No sudden movements

I am sure there are others but thats all I have. In the end if he wants to give you a ticket your going to get a ticket.