Careless driving ticket

[Happy prose]

Yep, got one on my way home from work. I looked it up, and get twp mvs points. Will my insurance go up?

[milee]

No idea. But let's get to what's really important - what were you doing to prompt this ticket?  Spill, please.

[ArchietheDragon]

If it does make sure to shop around.  My insurance went from 177 per month to 250 per month due to my accident.  I shopped around and got the same coverage for 125 a month (wish I had shopped earlier)

[mollyanna58]

Ask your agent. Also, see if there is a zero point ticket you can plead it down to. Most towns don't care how many points you get, they just want the ticket revenue.  For a relatively minor offense, you don't need a lawyer. Just get in line and talk to the prosecutor.   

In NJ, there is a violation called "unsafe operation of a motor vehicle", zero points. When I see that on an MVR, I know that the person got a careless ticket, went to court and plead it down. 

[NoNamePerson]

I know someone who just had to go to traffice school or whatever they call it on a couple of Saturdays and resulted in no points. I think it was for speeding. Is that an option?

[wmpeon]

And if you haven't already, check if your state offers a drivers' class to reduce the cost of insurance, or possibly eliminate the ticket.  In NE their STOP class removed the ticket as if it never existed (and my insurance was none the wiser).  In NY the class will discount your insurance.  In NY the class can be taken online for a $25 or so fee.

[Deleted]

I just got my first moving violation in 11 years, IL standard is 3 months supervision and traffic school but I never take the first deal. I lawyered up and the whole thing cost me double the original offer and was reduced to a parking ticket. No supervision, no traffic school, no getting reported to the state and having my insurance go up. For other tickets I have gotten those reduced myself but this county doesn't roll like that.

The money is worth it to me to not have to spend the time in traffic school or risk getting another ticket on supervision which is where a person would be really screwed. Completely unfair but if you are willing to spend the money you can pay for problems to go away.



I also refuse to do business for five years in any town where I have to pay a ticket.

[toomuchreality]

Nov 5, 2015 20:14:48 GMT -5 milee said:

No idea. But let's get to what's really important - what were you doing to prompt this ticket?  Spill, please.

[andi9899]

Depends. Ask your agent. Some companies charge for point violations and some don't.

[Happy prose]

I don't want to go the court route. If you get them to downgrade the charge, the fines go up. I have no points, so I'd rather pay the regular fine. I have to call my insurance to see if it goes up. 

[Happy prose]

I drove through a road that was closed for road work. (Double fines!) Really, there has been road work there everyday for weeks, but one lane was always open. Clearly it wasn't blocked off properly yesterday, because I was able to drive my car through. Cop was an a-hole. And in this town it happened in, the municipal judge is very pro cop. 

[zibazinski]

Wonder how many others got suckered that way?

[whoami]

Here, if you pay the fine within 10 or so days and behave for 90 days, the ticket goes away. You can also take the drivers ed thing online but my youngest has done it (twice) and its idiotic and several hours long so I just paid the fine. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 6, 2015 5:41:15 GMT -5 Happy prose said:

I drove through a road that was closed for road work. (Double fines!) Really, there has been road work there everyday for weeks, but one lane was always open. Clearly it wasn't blocked off properly yesterday, because I was able to drive my car through. Cop was an a-hole. And in this town it happened in, the municipal judge is very pro cop. 

I would have gone back and taken photos of the road showing it wasn't blocked off properly.

[Happy prose]

Nov 6, 2015 13:13:05 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Nov 6, 2015 5:41:15 GMT -5 Happy prose said:

I drove through a road that was closed for road work. (Double fines!) Really, there has been road work there everyday for weeks, but one lane was always open. Clearly it wasn't blocked off properly yesterday, because I was able to drive my car through. Cop was an a-hole. And in this town it happened in, the municipal judge is very pro cop. 

I would have gone back and taken photos of the road showing it wasn't blocked off properly.

I'm going to pass on my way home today. Yesterday the cop moved his car to drive the 10 feet to me.

[Tiny]

I think it depends on your State and your Insurance agency...

Back in the past in IL - if you kept the same insurance company they didn't always pull your 'information' when renewal time came around - so they wouldn't know about the ticket - or they'd just 'over look it' especially if you didn't have a history of violations.

I live in the Land of Stop Signs (a very urban area designed around the old Roman Grid with 4 way stop signs on EVERY corner of every non-thru way street.  and then really wide open -easy to speed on - thru way streets with multiple lanes of traffic) I generally get a non-parking type ticket every 5 years or so... I've been to 'traffic school' a couple of times over the decades. The last time I had a speeding ticket (doing 45 in a 30 mile zone after 9;00pm) I just paid it and went on my merry way without any repercussions.

You probably need to find/figure out how your State handles tickets and how your insurance agency handles tickets.

I'm sure there's no One Size Fits All.

[midjd]

Nov 6, 2015 14:24:00 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

($1800/yr to $950 or so).

Holy hell.. that's expensive!   Even at your normal rate.  I don't think I've ever paid more than $700/year for insurance.  

Really? I thought $80/month for 3 vehicles was pretty good. The old rate was astronomical, I agree.

[Green Eyed Lady]

Nov 6, 2015 14:39:45 GMT -5 midjd said:

Nov 6, 2015 14:24:00 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

Holy hell.. that's expensive!   Even at your normal rate.  I don't think I've ever paid more than $700/year for insurance.  

Really? I thought $80/month for 3 vehicles was pretty good. The old rate was astronomical, I agree.

I think it's really good. I pay almost that for 2 vehicles - one of which is a piecer that I keep insured but rarely drive unless I'm moving something.  I have nothing on my driving record. Looks like I need to shop around also.

[Deleted]

Is careless driving what they call reckless driving here or inattentive driving?

I've never heard of a careless driving ticket.

[andi9899]

Nov 6, 2015 14:24:00 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

($1800/yr to $950 or so).

Holy hell.. that's expensive!   Even at your normal rate.  I don't think I've ever paid more than $700/year for insurance.  

I'm at about $2300/year right now. But I have 3 cars (two on full coverage and one liability only) and a very new teen driver. I'm getting ready to have another kid driving and am calling every agent friend of mine (which is pretty much one for every company you can think of) to quote it for me at renewal.  It will have to be saving more than the cost - commissions for me to not have it under my agency, but I have to look at the bottom line.

[andi9899]

Nov 6, 2015 14:39:45 GMT -5 midjd said:

Nov 6, 2015 14:24:00 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

Holy hell.. that's expensive!   Even at your normal rate.  I don't think I've ever paid more than $700/year for insurance.  

Really? I thought $80/month for 3 vehicles was pretty good. The old rate was astronomical, I agree.

I would agree. Are you sure that the ticket falling off was the only thing that happened? That seems like a huge difference for one ticket. It seems to me like there had to be a prefect storm of things happening to make that much of a difference. 

[Deleted]

Nov 6, 2015 14:24:00 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

($1800/yr to $950 or so).

Holy hell.. that's expensive!   Even at your normal rate.  I don't think I've ever paid more than $700/year for insurance.  

Just looked at my insurance bill and I pay $576.00. Not bad if I may say so. If I still lived in Lynn it would be about $1200 because of the area alone. Moving to where I am now from Beverly actually dropped it by about $100 as well.

[Baby Fawkes]

Comparing insurance is never an apples to apples comparison though. I may pay $500 per year more because I have more cars or I carry higher coverage. State minimums are always different as well.

[midjd]

Nov 6, 2015 19:35:25 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Nov 6, 2015 14:39:45 GMT -5 midjd said:

Really? I thought $80/month for 3 vehicles was pretty good. The old rate was astronomical, I agree.

I would agree. Are you sure that the ticket falling off was the only thing that happened? That seems like a huge difference for one ticket. It seems to me like there had to be a prefect storm of things happening to make that much of a difference. 

I had an accident claim from about a year before the ticket, so I went from 4 points to 2 last year, but the rate didn't seem to drop much until I was back at 0 points. Maybe we moved into a different age bracket or something? 

[andi9899]

Nov 6, 2015 22:24:51 GMT -5 midjd said:

Nov 6, 2015 19:35:25 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

I would agree. Are you sure that the ticket falling off was the only thing that happened? That seems like a huge difference for one ticket. It seems to me like there had to be a prefect storm of things happening to make that much of a difference. 

I had an accident claim from about a year before the ticket, so I went from 4 points to 2 last year, but the rate didn't seem to drop much until I was back at 0 points. Maybe we moved into a different age bracket or something? 

It's still a big difference. Did you maybe complete another year there for longevity, move,get rid of a surcharge for not having a year of prior insurance etc in addition to all the rest? If not, I'd love to compete against your insurer.

[mollyanna58]

Nov 6, 2015 19:24:27 GMT -5 @xmascookie said:

Is careless driving what they call reckless driving here or inattentive driving?

I've never heard of a careless driving ticket.

I'm guessing "careless" is the same as "inattentive"; the driver is not paying sufficient attention to operating the vehicle.  "Reckless" is much more severe, as in actively doing something stupid that is likely to cause harm to other people.  Careless is a 2-point ticket here, reckless is 5.

[CCL]

Nov 6, 2015 10:44:09 GMT -5 whoami said:

Here, if you pay the fine within 10 or so days and behave for 90 days, the ticket goes away. You can also take the drivers ed thing online but my youngest has done it (twice) and its idiotic and several hours long so I just paid the fine. 

Do you mean you paid the fine for yourself or your youngest has had 2 tickets and you paid his/her fine because the class is idiotic?

[whoami]

Nov 9, 2015 20:59:00 GMT -5 CCL said:

Nov 6, 2015 10:44:09 GMT -5 whoami said:

Here, if you pay the fine within 10 or so days and behave for 90 days, the ticket goes away. You can also take the drivers ed thing online but my youngest has done it (twice) and its idiotic and several hours long so I just paid the fine. 

Do you mean you paid the fine for yourself or your youngest has had 2 tickets and you paid his/her fine because the class is idiotic?

My youngest took the class twice long before I ever got a ticket.  Its a cartoon with characters including one name "Toke" and goes on for hours.  It's online.  You answer questions every couple of minutes so its not like you can walk away and come back later.  Its seriously dumbed down and I wasn't doing it.  I made my kids pay their own traffic fines as it was their decision to get the ticket in the first place.  Its a lot cheaper to do the class and it keeps the ticket off your record.

After getting a brief taste of the online class with my kid, I drove down the the courthouse before my 10 days were up and paid my fine.  

[TheOtherMe]

I've only had one ticket and it was for running a stop sign.  Back in the 80's.  Went to court and said no fine and no points if I went to traffic school.  Showed up at traffic school, but instructor didn't.  All of us who were there and signed in were released after 15 minutes because instructor didn't show and that was the end of traffic school.