In 15 days, I owe $144 for going 71 on a 60 heading from Seattle to Pullman. Really… do people still get pulled over going 70 on a 60? On I-90E, you either go 55 on the right lane in between semis or you go on the left lane and be tailgated going 75. I had just slowed down to 70 exiting off I-90 onto WA-26 when I was pulled over within 5 miles along with the car in front of me. And must I mention having farms on either side of me with at most three other moving vehicles in my line of sight at all times…

Wrong time, wrong place? Since it’s my first time being pulled over, I thought I’d do some research about what I should have done and what I need to do now. Here’s what I’ve found:

When Being Pulled Over

There’s a common theme amongst the sources I’ve read about what to do when it’s already too late, you’re on the shoulder, and the cop is at your window.

• Be Polite and Respectful
  It’s understandably frightening being an officer coming up to a stranger’s window. Make sure your hands are on your steering wheel and don’t make sudden movements towards your pocket or glove box. Tell them where you’re reaching and what you’re getting and wait for approval.
• Don’t Admit Guilt
  Don’t speak first. The officer’s strategy is to have you admit that you committed a violation or that you were careless, inattentive, or negligent. Let all your answers be short and non-committal. Answer questions like “Do you know why I pulled you over” with “No”. Then when the officer explains to you what your violations are, answer with “I see”. Not sure why this won’t point you to being inattentive but it’s what I’ve been reading. Authorities can use any admission against you when you contest your ticket.
• Change of Venue
  If you’re far away from your home, ask for a change of venue. This is where I got screwed. If I want to appear in court, I’d have to drive 3 hours to get there. I’ve been reading that it’s impossible or way less likely to get a change of venue after-the-fact. Still need to call to make sure.

Resources: here, here, here, here

After Traffic Ticket

There are three options after you get your ticket, pay right away, mitigate (admit guilt and hope for reduced fee) or contest (fight for innocence). Most resources recommend going to court for a mitigation even for the most minor violations — you’ll most likely get a fee reduction. On the other hand, most resources recommend not contesting (unless you’re on a biased traffic lawyer’s site).

• The Fine
  I was billed $144 for going 71 on a 60. Apparently, the cost for going 11-15 over limit should be $52. Not sure how valid this document is, but check here.
• Mail It Correctly
  There’s a suggestion to mail your ticket using certified with return receipt mail. Clerks receive thousands of tickets each day and some may get lost. In the worst case, at least you’ll have proof when you’re standing in front of the judge.
• Other Options
  Some courts allow you to attend a Saturday traffic school session to keep a speeding ticket off your record. Unfortunately, Washington State generally doesn’t allow that. Another option is for you to ask for deferment so your ticket won’t be reported if you don’t get caught again within that year. You only get one of these every seven years.
• Hearing by Mail
  When you mail in your green infraction ticket or up until 7 days prior to the hearing date, you may request a hearing by mail. You will no longer need to appear in court but may receive a notice by mail or phone. To request hearing by mail, complete and send the form here with your ticket.
• Unlikely Choices
  I’ve been reading a lot of these and I think they’re lame, but here they are just for completeness. Many people try to find loopholes in how their speed was detected. They bring to court excuses like whether the radar has been calibrated correctly or whether the officer has been trained properly to operate it. Another lame one is to ask for a contest and hope the officer does not show up at the hearing, in which case, the violation is no longer valid.

Resouces: here, here, here, here, here

Good News

A ticket is a ticket, but here are some things to make you feel better.

• Safety First
  Study shows that speeding tickets do make an impact for a little bit. One statistic finds one moving violation cuts the risk of a fatal crash in the following month by 35% (and then near 0% four months after). — washington-state-speeding-ticket
• Where Your $$ Usually Goes
  Even if you don’t think you deserved your ticket, maybe the fee you pay will help avoid potential harm to your loved ones in the future. “Of the citation fines, 57% are remitted to the local jurisdiction wherein the citation was issued, and 43% are remitted to the Public Safety Education Account (PSEA). These funds are used to promote traffic safety education, highway safety, criminal justice training, crime victims’ compensation, judicial education, the judicial information system, civil representation of indigent persons, winter recreation parking, drug court operations, and state game programs.” — wsp.wa.gov
• Ulterior Motives
  It’s hard not to think this and sometimes you may be right. Apparently, there’s a story covered by AP in 2008 that revealed almost a competition in WSP where they won an award for being the best state police agency of its size by issuing more speeding tickets than the previous year. Some of the ticket fines went to funding that exact agency. In the same article, I found that I traveled between a county ranked bottom third for number of speeding tickets issued (King County) and one that ranks 7th highest in Washington (Spokane County). — washingtontrafficlawblog
• Average Education of a Police Officer
  I think this one gets pulled out the most often. I went ahead and did a little research in case I was following the stereotype. “Applicants usually must have at least a high school education, and some departments require 1 or 2 years of college coursework or, in some cases, a college degree.” (I took the liberty of emphasizing certain parts of the previous quote). Other than this, I’m having trouble finding real statistics. — here

The Rest of My Trip

For the next 2.5 hours heading to Pullman, I stuck to the speed limit on a one-lane freeway. Imagine how slow that must have felt surrounded by nothing but plains on either side. Every car that came behind me decided to pass me at the dotted yellow lines. I just stayed to the very right side of the boundary to make their pass easier. I made sure not to look left as they were passing only to see them staring back at me like I was an idiot. Oh how I envied their luck. However, I did see a few more cars pulled over before entering Pullman. Not sure how I was supposed to feel about that — but it did make a feel a little less of an idiot.