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[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/IMG] got my first speeding ticket. Anyway, I need info as to how I should respond.

here's what happened:
It was around 2pm,I was going home from UBC. I took the SW Marine DR. If you've been there, you would know that it is a nice road. Anyway, the speed limit for most of the road is 80kmh but near the 41st, it goes to 60 then 50. I was caught doing 84 in the 50 zone I was trying to slow down but was too late. So now I have to pay $173.

now, should I just pay it?? or try to dispute it?
I am still a "NEW" driver. My friend said that IF I paid, I will admit that I'm guilty and "NEW" drivers can only have 2 speeding tickets on record, then it's suspension.

IF I don't pay, I will have to dispute the ticket, but I dont really know how good of a chance I have to successfully dispute the ticket.
Like if I lose the dispute, would I actually have to pay more(like, ticket fee + court fee)? And what the process is like?

And would this affect my chance of getting a full lisense or my insurance???

So what do you guys do if/when u got a ticket??? *touchwood*


thx for any help in advance



Mike


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dude that sucks. if you do dispute it, be on ur best behavior till the the court date cuz if you don't they will use it against you. jus dispute it and if they ask you whats ur profession then say your curantly unemployed and they sometimes reduce ur amount. cuz my friend jus went to court on monday and they reduced it from 175 to 75.

 
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well, I'm a student so I'm unemployed by default.

But is the dispute process long and complicated?

edit: good for ur friends [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]

 
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you don't need to pay any legal fees. Just say that you were in the process of slowing down cuz from 84 to 60 to 50 you can't just stomp on the brakes, and say maybe that someone was tail gating you and you didn't want them to slam into you so you slowed down gradually. Where exactly did he pull you over? JUST over the 50 mark? or over the 60 mark? How much into the 50/60 zone? Was there a lot of traffic? Were you faster than the flow of traffic? The judges are lenient of you make sense, but if you don't, then it's not good. It's just a one day hearing and the judge will make a decision on the spot.

 
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It was little bit over 60, I was slowing down, I just didn't press on the brake to save brake.
hehe, there weren't lots of traffic and the only reason I think I was caught was because I was first in the traffic.

Anyway, I'm just probably going to pay [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/IMG]

 
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if u have the time, i think you should dispute it. tho it's true that ALOT of tickets are issued on that section of the UBC highway, u could still try and argue it and say that ppl behind you were going the same speed and slowing down too quickly could have caused an accident. going 80+ in that 50 zone is actually pretty common for most ppl, ESPECIALLY when there's little traffic.

just my 2 cents... [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]

 
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thx guys, appreciate the responds. I'm probably going to pay since school take up all my time, and I probably shouldn't be going that fast
well, better poor than dead [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]

I will be driving really slow from now on

 
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damn that sux.
y not dipute ur ticket? u might have chance reduce ur fine.
i also got ticket near UBC last April.
i was going 90 km/h in the 50 km/h zone.
i was taking my gf home from UBC. i didn't see the 50 km/h zone sign.
other cars were going like 80 km/h but i was ahead of them.
anyways my fine was $345. i was like wtf.
i dispute my ticket and still waiting for court date.

 
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ouch that suck. That's the exactly same thing that happen to me. I did know about the 50 zone but I just wanna let the car slow down by itself rather than using brake. There was like no car in front of me and the cars behind me are coming up pretty fast as well.
but $345!!, I got $173(the cop said i'm doing 84). why did u get so much???

btw, how long do u have to wait for the court date???

 
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40+km/h counts for "excessive speeding" which has a minimum fine of like $300+

 
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wrong, dispute it, you'll have a good chance the officer wont show up... which automatically means you win, otherwise if the officer is there you can bargain with him to reduce the fine, and you'll win time.. so hopefully by that time you'll have your full license and the ticket won't weigh as much..


(it'll take about 6-9 months before you hit court, it's really backed up right now)

 
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6-9 months!!! Sweet, it should be summer by then. And I should be out of school!!!
Thx Lukas!

The only thing I was worried about was having the courtdate the same as one of my midterms.
I think I will dispute it now. Guess the worst is actually paying the fine after 6-9 months.
once again, thx, u all!!!

 
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Whatever ticket u get, just dispute it.

I got my very first ticket when I was a learner ( I drove >6months before I got my learner[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/IMG]).
I was doing 70 in a playground zone by myself.
which cost me 115 for speeding, 83 for drive driving alone when i was a learner, and 6 points, which is another 300. + lisense prohabition for sure if i pay the ticket. So I disputed it, and the cop didnt show up because he had some hearing on the next courtroom at the same time.
So, I got out of the courtroom without paying anything and got to keep my lisence.

Just try to dispute it, nothing to lose.
U can even change the court day if u cant show up, so why not?

just my $0.02

 
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anyway, it's over.

my mom wont let me dispute so i have to pay the ticket
oh well, [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/IMG]

life goes on, i guess

 
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then it's too bad.........