Automotive

Pleading not guilty for speeding ticket.. what shall I do ?

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  • Nov 4th, 2015 7:52 am
Sr. Member
Nov 30, 2012
975 posts
1572 upvotes
MONTR

Pleading not guilty for speeding ticket.. what shall I do ?

Thank you all for your replies !
15 replies
Deal Addict
Nov 4, 2013
2078 posts
2140 upvotes
Buenos Aires/Monaco
Early in the post you say you weren't going over 130 but then later you estimate that you were going at least 135. You need to get your facts in order if you're planning on going to court. Anyway, always fight a ticket that includes demerit points. There is a lengthy thread regarding this topic somewhere in the forums. Perhaps someone will link it here for you.
Never trust someone who tells you that their favourite show is Corner Gas.
Newbie
User avatar
Dec 18, 2012
17 posts
1 upvote
PETERBOROUGH
First, the laser speeding device is incredibaly accurate. It is pointed directly at your car, the trigger is pulled, and the speed is displayed. There is no obligation for the officer to show you the device, this is because they may pull the trigger multiple times to see if the speed is continuing to increase and the final speed may not be the highest they observed.

Fighting the ticket will cost you time so you have to take that into account.
You may get lucky and the officer doesn't show and it gets withdrawn.

Unfortunately you may have already made your decision. If you don't send the request for trial in 15 days it's presumed you will not dispute.

Overall it sounds like the officer didn't have the best people skills or language shills to take two minutes to educate you. The officer doesn't have to use discretion and lower the fine, however, traffic fines are meant to be a deterrent not a punishment. Safety is the overwhelming concern.

I am going to suggest despite the officers communication and lack of discretion, 142km/h is a touch fast.

Lesson learned with a fine, the real hard way could have been much worse.
Deal Fanatic
Jan 2, 2005
5236 posts
813 upvotes
kingkam92 wrote: Speed 142km in a 100 zone (I admit I was speeding, but not over 130km) Highway in montreal, police tolerates up to 119km (this is what I have heard from many).Also got 3 demerit points taken.
I was driving around 115km on the left lane. There was another car right on my a&&. I could've went in the middle lane, however It was packed with other cars.
So I decided to increase my speed. I must of went up to 135km/h ...
All the way on the right lane, I noticed the highway cop parked.
I decided to slow down .... and this was about 15-20 cars ahead of the cop car.
Cop pulled me over and the driver who was behind me.
Comes overs and says " Je vous attrapé le deux " or somewhere along "I caught you both"
I asked him to speak english as my french is not so good (in french I asked him). He says " Vous parle tres bien francais"
Gave him my license and registration
Came back later with a 300 $.
I tried explaining him that I didn't go over 130 after I saw he marked 142km.
and his answer was to get my speed gauge fixed.
He left, thats that.
He didn't even show me the "cinemometre"
Since it was my first ticket, I had no clue what to do.
What should I do ?
Pay the ticket, loose my points, get an increase on my insurance.
plead not guilty, explain everything in court, get ruled guilty and pay my fine plus court fees ?
plead not guilty, explain in court, try to lower the fees and demerit points ?
Is it worth the hassle and time in the long run ?
For starters how about slow the .... down. You chose to speed, you got caught, man up and pay the fine. You were travelling at 115 which is usually safe but then you said you sped up to 135 and got targeted for 142 by the cop and finally (let me guess) you whined to him that you weren't going over 130 hoping for a lesser fine and less demerits. 142 in a 100 zone is ridiculous,you got what you deserved so man up and pay the fine.
Sr. Member
Nov 30, 2012
975 posts
1572 upvotes
MONTR
I don't mind paying the fees. I'm not saying I didn't speed.
Yes I did say 130, perhaps 135 to the max. That extra 7 km, does raise up the fee and the points.

The only thing is what are my chances of actually winning if I do decide to take it too court ?
Does the court allow you too speak with the prosecutor and you come in too an agreement and ask to not see the judge due to court/judge fees; would a scenario like this be possible ?
Deal Addict
User avatar
Nov 7, 2007
3260 posts
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Northern Hemisphere
You should be thanking the cop for saving your life. If you want to drive that fast go be a race car driver and drive somewhere that your not bound to kill anyone. Hate idiots that speed like they think they are immune to death.
For wars they come and go, but my soldiers stay eternal.- Tupac
Temp. Banned
Jun 18, 2008
5095 posts
4664 upvotes
Montreal
kingkam92 wrote: I don't mind paying the fees. I'm not saying I didn't speed.
Yes I did say 130, perhaps 135 to the max. That extra 7 km, does raise up the fee and the points.

The only thing is what are my chances of actually winning if I do decide to take it too court ?
Does the court allow you too speak with the prosecutor and you come in too an agreement and ask to not see the judge due to court/judge fees; would a scenario like this be possible ?
Your chances of winning are less then 1% in QC. You are in QC not Ontario. Cop does not have to show up and will likely not show up and you will still lose because basically you have no defense, except of course to smear the officer and start questioning his ability to calibrate and use a device he probably uses daily for years. Speeding is tolerated to more of an extent here than in any other province I've been in. If you get stopped you must have been flying. If you weren't speeding then the other car also wasn't speeding. You even admitted doing 130 to him which I'm sure are in his notes. A reduction, if you get that, is useless as insurance looks at convictions. Pay the fine, move on and slow down.
Deal Addict
Sep 19, 2015
2282 posts
874 upvotes
Kleinburg, ON.
kingkam92 wrote: Speed 142km in a 100 zone (I admit I was speeding, but not over 130km) Highway in montreal, police tolerates up to 119km (this is what I have heard from many).
Also got 3 demerit points taken.


I was driving around 115km on the left lane. There was another car right on my a&&. I could've went in the middle lane, however It was packed with other cars.
So I decided to increase my speed. I must of went up to 135km/h ...

I tried explaining him that I didn't go over 130 after I saw he marked 142km.
?
LoL Wut?

You say you weren't speeding over 130 but you say you were going 135.... :cheesygri
Sr. Member
Sep 19, 2009
686 posts
613 upvotes
Ottawa
You seem to be pretty adamant that you were going no more than 135 and not 142. Do you by any chance have wheels that are larger than what came stock on your vehicle?
Newbie
Apr 25, 2011
54 posts
3 upvotes
Ajax
fboybcb wrote: You should be thanking the cop for saving your life. If you want to drive that fast go be a race car driver and drive somewhere that your not bound to kill anyone. Hate idiots that speed like they think they are immune to death.
Modern cars are meant to go 200km/h easily. All of europe has speed limits of at least 130 kmh with some, such us germany, that have no limits. For some reason north americans are brainwashed that anything over 100kmh is fast :cheesygri
Deal Addict
Jan 13, 2007
4831 posts
361 upvotes
Looks like English is not your best language either. Here in ON is worth the hassle to fight the ticket but in QC insurance is ridiculously low so maybe not. Check the sticky threads at the top about fighting tickets and demerit points, you may find some good advices.
Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2001
18946 posts
10527 upvotes
CuteThief wrote: Modern cars are meant to go 200km/h easily. All of europe has speed limits of at least 130 kmh with some, such us germany, that have no limits. For some reason north americans are brainwashed that anything over 100kmh is fast :cheesygri
It's always interesting when people compare North America to Europe thinking everything is the same. Are these same people wanting congestion charges too since they exist all over Europe?

That said, the United Kingdom has speed limits of 112KM/H:
https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

While they are considering increasing them, it does not look like any increase has happened as of yet. Surprisingly to you, that puts Canada right in line with them :)
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Nov 24, 2012
5909 posts
2223 upvotes
Space
Meh, you won't get off scot free. Even if they drop the speeding to 10 over, it's still classified as a minor ticket. Anything up to 49km over, is a minor ticket. I'd get a first attendance first and try to get the fine/demerits reduced or removed.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Aug 27, 2014
8474 posts
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Canuckland
There is a sticky thread all about this, go there before these jerks rip you apart.

Up to 49km/h over the limit is still a minor, if I were you I would go to trial and ask for disclosure.

Not sure how it works on quebec
Sr. Member
Sep 10, 2014
533 posts
89 upvotes
Dartmouth, NS
kingkam92 wrote: I don't mind paying the fees. I'm not saying I didn't speed.
Yes I did say 130, perhaps 135 to the max. That extra 7 km, does raise up the fee and the points.

The only thing is what are my chances of actually winning if I do decide to take it too court ?
Does the court allow you too speak with the prosecutor and you come in too an agreement and ask to not see the judge due to court/judge fees; would a scenario like this be possible ?
So you didn't go over 130Km/h; Ok maybe you went 135 but definitely not 142! If that's your best defence argument; you'll only waste yours and the courts time.
Sr. Member
Sep 10, 2014
533 posts
89 upvotes
Dartmouth, NS
CuteThief wrote: Modern cars are meant to go 200km/h easily. All of europe has speed limits of at least 130 kmh with some, such us germany, that have no limits. For some reason north americans are brainwashed that anything over 100kmh is fast :cheesygri
It's not the cars people worry about; it's the drivers operating those cars. Go check out the dashcam thread for references.

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