How to Get Out of a Speeding Ticket
So you want to know how to get out of a speeding ticket. Join the millions of Americans in the same predicament. To try getting out of a traffic citation, you’re going to need to understand the person you’re dealing with.
Police officers are human beings, just like the rest of us. Yes, they survive on a substrate of coffee sludge, donut holes and regret. Yet, deep down, beneath all those layers of uniformity and repression, they will crack like your grandmother if the right tactics are applied.
Here’s four ways to get your way out of a speeding ticket. All are driver-tested and most of them are cop-approved. Remember that the best way for avoiding speeding tickets is to drive safely and not break the law.
1. Know What to Say (AND What Not to Say)
When you do finally get busted for speeding – and you know it will happen eventually – there are a few things you should and should not say and do.
Never admit to guilt — the cop will ask you “Did you know you were going xx miles per hour back there in a school zone?” or “How fast were you going back there?”
These are both trap questions that are admissions of guilt in the eyes of the court. There is no law that says you must give a cop an answer to a question in this situation. This doesn’t mean be rude to the cop: speak with respect, call the cop “officer” and cooperate with all his commands.
Don’t fall into the trap and say “No, I wasn’t going 78 mph, I was going 70” or anything like that. That’s just being argumentative, and he’s going to trust his radar over your word. You may as well write yourself the ticket if you do that.
If you don’t give them something to use against you in court, the officer might decide it’s not worth writing you the ticket and going to the trouble of a court date. Act savvy and don’t admit anything, and he might think you’re going to get a lawyer and fight it. No admission of guilt really helps that lawyer.
2. Say the Right Things
How to Get Out of a Speeding Ticket
In some cases, acting “dumb” could help you out. Play up your unfamiliarity with a certain road, or say that you’re just really tired after work and wanted to get home.
Apologize and outright ask for a warning. Your honesty, combined with a bit of heart on the cop’s end, could get you out of this ticket.
Don’t argue with the cop. If he’s writing you the ticket, he’s not going to take it back. If you are getting a ticket, don’t say a word, sign the paper, and prepare to fight it in court if you must.
3. Use Your Feminine Charm (If You’ve Got Any)
Here’s one area where the ladies (sometimes) have an advantage. Since most traffic cops are red-blooded American males, sometimes women have found that showing a little skin (in an underscored way) or crying at just the right time can help get them off easy.
Some people may say this is degrading, but I say you should use the tools God gave you. Don’t go overboard and don’t outright bribe a cop, but there are subtle ways you can convince the cop that you don’t really need a ticket.
4. Last-minute Tricks
I have heard some crazy last minute ticket avoidance strategies. I had a friend of mine who soiled himself and told the cop he “really needed to find a bathroom”. I knew of someone who kept bees or other insects in jars in their cars and letting them go to convince the cop that they were speeding because of a bug in the car.
Sometimes these dumb tactics work, but most of the time this is effort simply better spent on being a better driver.
Remember, if all of the above fails, you can still challenge your ticket in court. About half the time the cop doesn’t have the time to show up and give his side of the story, so your ticket will be wiped away. Only every now and then will you win your case if the cop actually shows: the police are considered good witnesses for the state.
5. Don’t Break the Law
The easiest, cheapest and least humiliating way to get out of speeding tickets has always been to simply obey the law. Don’t go over the speed limit, check all your driving actions before you make them, pay attention to the road around you, and (if nothing else) don’t speed around cops.
There’s nothing wrong with being aware of when police officers are around you: it just means that you are a cautious and aware driver. A way for avoiding speeding tickets, is just to think about simply not speeding.
6. Never Try to Run
The worse to get out of a speeding ticket is to try running. That’s going to take a minor traffic ticket and turn it into a major set of fines and a stay in jail. Never try to run from the law.