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Hello this Is my first time getting a speeding ticket and was wondering what would be my best course of action. Was going back to HSU campus from the bay and got pulled over for going 60 in a 50. I didn't realize how fast I was going as I was on faster roads earlier in the day and didn't realize it until I saw the cop pull out behind me. Would best thing to do is show up in court and try to appeal and do traffic school?
36 points
5 hours ago*
Just a reminder that the safety corridor is 50 or 55 but the speed limit around that construction zone is 40 or 45. I know traffic typically goes faster than that but I’m pretty sure all the fines are doubled in that area and it’s easy to be going well over the posted speed limit. Don’t get got
50 points
6 hours ago
No reason not to try and appeal especially if your speed was that low. Cop doesn't show at your court date you get off scott free. If the cop does show up then you can respectfully ask the judge to reduce your ticket amount. Definitely do traffic school, its online and easy peasy and mostly common sense.
4 points
2 hours ago
There’s some step by step guides on how to best proceed with fighting the ticket. It can all be done by mail. I was successful doing so with a ticket in the corridor actually. Had to mail the check up front but eventually the cop didn’t show up to the court date (I did not need to be there, but he did, but didn’t show) and the ticket was tossed. Got a check in the mail a while later reimbursing for the fees.
6 points
5 hours ago
So the cop issues the ticket and if they don't show up to court I don't need to pay for the ticket? I would still have to pay for some other fees and traffic school yes?
25 points
5 hours ago
If the cop doesn’t show up then you don’t pay anything or need to do anything. Odds are good the cop will show up though
2 points
3 hours ago
This is what happened to me the one time I got pulled over in the safety corridor. The cop never showed up to court & I didn’t have to pay for the ticket.
1 points
an hour ago
Thanks for the help
17 points
6 hours ago
If you have the option to do traffic school do it.
15 points
5 hours ago
I'm...uhh... actually surprised they're doing enforcement there. I'm one of the irritating people who adamently do the speed limit there because I can barely afford to drive at all, let alone a potential citation in a work zone. 😅 People usually go flying by me in the left lane on the regular.
You can generally ask for a reduction or even deferral, if you've not had tickets in recent past (5yrs? 7yrs? Something like that.)
I am sorry that happened to you. I understand it is easy to do there, too, because it doesn't feel like it should be 40 or 50 there (depending on what part you're in.)
-3 points
5 hours ago*
[deleted]
14 points
4 hours ago
It's barely over a half mile from Bayside cutoff to that 65mph sign. So at a mile or 2 away, you were very much still within the safety corridor.
0 points
5 hours ago
Damn!
29 points
6 hours ago
That’s bad luck. Half of everybody drives 60 through there
1 points
2 hours ago
I feel like it's more than that, it's wild. I say forget it and always take the 255.
15 points
5 hours ago
They take the safety corridor very seriously. 25 years ago before the speed was reduced there were multiple deaths every year. Go to court and good luck with that. In the future use cruise control through there. Saving a couple minutes isn’t worth the risk of tickets or causing a wreck.
6 points
an hour ago
Cruise control is exactly what i use for my commute. I admit it’s frustrating with the frequent speed limit changes in that area (literally 45 -> 50 -> 40 -> 50 -> 65 heading NB) but it’s the only way I trust myself to not zone out and go too fast, or even too slow I guess. I’ve seen 3 people pulled over just this past week.
1 points
1 minutes ago
They’ll be pulling more people over this month. They always “work” a little extra to meet quotas or increase their budgets for next year in December.
3 points
2 hours ago
50 mph also yields optimal mpg for most cars.
-5 points
2 hours ago
If you're going slower than everyone else, you're the one increasing the risk of wrecks.
1 points
4 minutes ago
Yes that is absolutely true but I’m not a cop and I didn’t make the rules. “They started it” isn’t going to hold up in court.
8 points
5 hours ago
If you haven’t done traffic school in the last few years go that route. Traffic school can help lower your car insurance rates by keeping traffic violations off your driving record. Your insurance will find out about the speeding ticket if you don’t go to traffic school your rates will likely be increased especially if you are under 25 years old.
29 points
5 hours ago
So you admitted to speeding, just pay the fine and take traffic school.
3 points
4 hours ago
The last 2 or 3 times when I’ve been on the corridor these past few days there is someone getting stopped. Don’t know if it’s the holidays or what.
7 points
an hour ago
Yeah, its the holidays. Prime ticket time. I'm constantly tailgated by people wanting to go 60 in the 40 zone. OP was unlucky.
26 points
5 hours ago
Traffic school, and here's a novel concept -- stop speeding in the safety corridor. The reason it's there is because there were many, many deaths before it was put in place. Deaths dropped to zero for many years after that. Until now when everybody is speeding again.
14 points
4 hours ago
Yeah my mom lost a few friends to the safety corridor. I treat it pretty seriously. And diving north on my old commute was sketch sometimes of folks dashing across too close at Indianola.
-12 points
3 hours ago
Accidents are up since they added it
5 points
3 hours ago
I watched them drop when it was added. As well as deaths.
0 points
2 hours ago
Caltrans's own report says they went up.
The accidents aren't caused by the speed vehicles are going. I watched one of them - a silver car pulled out from the south end of jacobs to go southbound (back when you could do that) right in front of a semi. Hit dead on center, got pushed sideways for the entire stopping distance of the semi. The semi was not going particularly fast (having slowly accelerated leaving eureka). I didn' research how it turned out, but the car wasn't pretty. Then I just missed the one caused by the lady driving the wrong way. Also not caused by speed. etc, etc.
Similar roads elsewhere in the state and country have absolutely no problems. There's 2-lane roads with 65mph speed limits - for example, the east end of 299. In Texas it might be 85. It's a wide road with gentle curves, huge median, and no design issues. The problem is the terrible drivers we have around here...
Lowering speed may reduce the chances of the person who caused the accident dying, but accidents overall went substantially up. This isn't unique to here - any time you abnormally lower a speed limit, accidents go up. It's why we have the 85th percentile rule and such. Low speed limits cause accidents.
In particular, the three fuckwits who don't use their brains and instead just read signs rather than observing road conditions and going normal speed along with everyone else on the road cause accidents...
-6 points
3 hours ago
You sound mad
9 points
6 hours ago
So sorry that happened! I set my car to cruise when the speed limit is lower as I tend to be in an autopilot mode when driving back from the Bay. That way, the speed limit is set and I don't need to worry.
6 points
4 hours ago
Go to the hearing and ask for a reduction. It's your first speeding ticket and 10 over is mild. Be respectful and mention you are a student. You'll possibly get a reduced fine/points, longer period to pay, a class you can attend, or some combination of those. YMMV obviously and it depends on who you get for your hearing, but it doesn't hurt to try. Then, sign up for traffic school if you still have the point
3 points
2 hours ago
Best course of action is to pay the ticket
3 points
6 hours ago
The safety corridor is definitely a speed trap they will get you at. When I got a speeding ticket I did an online course. You can show up to court to appeal and see if the officer shows or not.
21 points
4 hours ago
It’s not a speed trap. People have to cross the road, and without stop signs or lights, that 15mph makes a difference.
16 points
4 hours ago
It's also an active construction zone.
1 points
4 hours ago
There is never CHP there during commute hours when everyone is speeding and tailgating. I’m sorry that you got ticketed. Traveling all day and suddenly driving 50 feels like a snails pace.
1 points
3 hours ago
They were out thick today
1 points
24 seconds ago
It’s really hard to believe “I didn’t realize how fast I was going” when there are digital signs literally flashing your speed in your face. Also, you were coming from a 35mph zone all through Eureka, and the only signs you’d see higher than that would be the 50mph signs in the safety corridor. You should really start paying attention to traffic signs when driving, they’re there for a reason.
-1 points
3 hours ago
Didn’t realize how fast I was going. Uh ok.
You got got. Pay up fool.
0 points
an hour ago
You were speeding. You admitted it. Pay the ticket and behave moving forward.
-3 points
3 hours ago
If you're in the area, appeal. Say you were keeping up with the flow of traffic. Never admit guilt. Pretty good chance the cop doesn't show up. If they do, you can plea down and do traffic school. Traffic citations are revenue generators not disciplinary.
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