Mike187

Hey everyone, just thought I'd share the results of last months ticket after everyone gave me such helpful advice. Cliffnotes at bottom, but it's more fun to read. Knowledge is power.

Last month I was paced by a state trooper going 90+ on I-95 right outside of Richmond in the Highway Safety Corridor. I could have been arrested right there but the officer let me go because I had a clean record.

Shortly after consulting with the guys on this forum I hired a lawyer, really nice guy named Joseph Sadighian for $300, which from what I hear is a pretty good deal. I was advised to take driving school before the date as well as get some letters from employers and friends for character defense.

Today was the hearing and I showed up dressed in a decent suit, everyone else was wearing Rocawear at 9 in the morning. I don't mean to sound condescending but damn, anything would have been better. My lawyer had talked to the commonwealth attourney before facing the judge to work out an agreement, in which I would not do any time in jail (Sounds stupid but at the speed I was going and where I was, it's very common) and that I would pay a fine of $350. I showed the judge all my neat papers and he agreed with our sentence.

I got off very lucky, no community service or anything. Now I'm just wondering if my insurance will go up. I had 3 points before the driving school and the school added 3 giving my 6 total, then the ticket takes 6 away. So if we use subtraction skills, I have 0. I hope that won't hurt my insurance too much.


CLIFFNOTES:
I was doing 90 in a 55 Safety Corridor
Pulled by state trooper
Hired lawyer
Only paid $350
Had 3 points on license, Went to driving school which put me at 6, and the ticket takes away 6 I think... So I have 0.
How will that affect my insurance?

Mike187

Bumpsterbation is healthy.

VAevo9

I take it that you got reckless driving ticket on your record now? Your insurance is going up no matter if you got those extra points from driving school. The points only work on your dmv record so when they know when to take your license or not according to your points.

Don't quote me on this though.

Yamamaha

well, it might go up because insurance will look at your driving record and see that you have a moving violation. If it were to get dismissed because of driving school, i would say it wouldnt matter because the charges were dropped. Seeing that you will have 0 points on your record....i would lean towards they wont do shit, but i dont know cause you still have the moving violation.



edit: ^ this guys probably right.

Mike187

Yea I mean I expect it to go up, but I think that having less points from driving school helps too. They say after you get a reckless and go to driving school, insurance will start to go down, I just don't know if it does the same thing if you go before. I pay about 180 a month.

Computer_Nerd

There is a max of 5 good points, so you're at -1, not bad. Insurance looks at the reckless ticket for a moving violation. Underwriter will make a determination. You can call the 800# for your insurance and put in a request to have the underwriter call you to explain that your record is only -1 and that you have attended a driving school. Don't do it now, only when you get your 6 month bill since there is no reason for them to pull up your record until then.

Mike187

I hope this doesn't push them over edge. My sister is the worst damn driver. I mean she wrecked the first car she drove within the first 10 minutes of driving it, second car running into someone who stopped on a ramp, just recently was ticketed with unsafe lane change after she accidentally rammed into a Murano causing a decent accident, and even backed into my girlfriends car a month after that just backing up in the driveway. I've been on my family's plan because it's supposed to be cheaper but maybe I should look into being on my own...

and Not Stock, you don't think the rate will go up until the next 6 month review? I see how that could work, and that would be nice but what an awful surprise 6 months from now.

MSeunos

you probably could have gone to driving school and dressed nicely and gotten similar results without dropping 300 on a lawyer

ThroatyStang

I have about 10 Serious moving Violations and my insurance has NEVER ONCE gone up. Thank god. Allstate is the shit!

Mike187

Damn, if they did commercials like that, business would be booming. I'll look into them. I'm only 20 anyways so they like to rape me with crappy rates.

And as far as not needing a lawyer, I don't know, this guy really saved me I think, from talking to the officer and commonwealth prosecutor and just generally telling me what I needed to do, he was really helpful and considering my speed and where I was, I think I was looking at a lot worse, the "easygoing" judge that I got was even biting his tongue as he agreed to the fine. Who knows, better safe than sorry.