Have to do traffic school

Just print/snapshot everything, and check the court’s system to make sure they submit it/the court processes it.
My experience with cheap school is there’s a lot of up-selling fees to process or guarantee timely submission to the court.

CA forces everyone to teach the same curriculum.
It seems to be an entry business for web publishing. There are a few hundred schools.
 
I looked up my case. I'm pretty sure I'm fine but I didn't see it in the mail yet. 1/25 was the day that I filed the request for reduction with a guilty/no contest. 2/15 was the day that I paid the fine and traffic school processing fee. Not sure what else is here, but the no contest letter specifically notes that if I request traffic school and it's approved, I have 60 days from the day I request traffic school to complete. Not sure what the "date extension" means. I should probably just check this in a few days to see if the traffic school completion certificate is received. But the traffic school wants to charge $7 as an add on for verification that they've received it.

Events and Hearings​

  • 10/11/2022 Citation​
  • 10/11/2022 Traffic Citation Image​
  • 10/11/2022 Notice of Bail Sent​
  • 01/25/2023 Appear By Date Extension​
  • 01/25/2023 Advisement and Acknowledgment of Rights; Entry of Guilty or​
  • 01/25/2023 Referred Letter​
  • 01/26/2023 Decision on Referred Letter​
  • 01/26/2023 Traffic School Requested​
  • 01/26/2023 Fines & Fees Due Extension (No fee)​
  • 01/26/2023 Correspondence Sent to Defendant​
  • 01/26/2023 Notice of Decision - Fine Reduction with Traffic School​
  • 02/16/2023 Traffic School Due Date Extension - Special​
 
Everything is done now. Not sure what all these "extensions" were.
  • 02/16/2023 Traffic School Due Date Extension - Special​
  • 02/28/2023 Traffic School completion submitted​
 
I got curious about how much this traffic school "administrative fee" is for each county in my area. San Mateo County seems to be high, and I'm wondering if they're just getting a lot of people going to San Francisco International Airport. This may just be another revenue stream given that there's not a single rate. I remember back with parking fix it tickets, I had one that was reduced to $10 while another was reduced to $30.

For the "administrative fee" I found:

San Mateo: $82
San Francisco: $52
Contra Costa: $67
Marin: $52

Couldn't find it for Alameda County, Napa County, Santa Clara County, Solano County, or Sonoma County. I guess they only show it once someone actually requests it.
 
I have a radar detector - was a good one when I bought it. I don't try to speed, but there are lots of speed traps in the south especially in small towns, and since thats where they put factories, I have to drive through all of them. When it fires near a small town - I assume I missed the 30mph sign hidden behind a tree and slow right down. Its saved me a few times.

Good news is small towns all have old Ka band tech - for now at least.
Your radar detector didn't save anything. If the cop got you on radar he chose not to stop you, for whatever reason.
I used to explain this to all the people I stopped with radar detectors in the car. When your radar detector "tones" because of the radar signature being detected, that means the signal has already been sent, has hit the car, and returned to the sending unit. So two things happen simultaneously. At the same time your radar detector goes "beep", the sending unit is displaying the "target" speed in the patrol vehicle. So, as you're driving past thanking you radar detector for saving you, the cop is laughing because he has watched your vehicle speed drop off a cliff as you were slamming the brakes.
Radar units in patrol cars are in a "standby mode" when cops are actively looking for speeders to cite. In that mode, the sending unit isn't displaying a radar signature, so the radar detector has nothing to detect. When the officer is ready to obtain your speed he pushes one, or a series of buttons to tell the unit which direction the sending unit should "fire" the signal and which direction the target vehicle is traveling. At that point, the vehicle speed has been detected and locked in, at the same time your radar detector beeps. So if the cop wants to stop you, he has your speed.
On the other hand, if the cop is only looking to slow traffic down in general, he/she will activate the radar and leave it on so that the radar signature continues to fire.

Retired Trooper.
 
Your radar detector didn't save anything. If the cop got you on radar he chose not to stop you, for whatever reason.
I used to explain this to all the people I stopped with radar detectors in the car. When your radar detector "tones" because of the radar signature being detected, that means the signal has already been sent, has hit the car, and returned to the sending unit. So two things happen simultaneously. At the same time your radar detector goes "beep", the sending unit is displaying the "target" speed in the patrol vehicle. So, as you're driving past thanking you radar detector for saving you, the cop is laughing because he has watched your vehicle speed drop off a cliff as you were slamming the brakes.
Radar units in patrol cars are in a "standby mode" when cops are actively looking for speeders to cite. In that mode, the sending unit isn't displaying a radar signature, so the radar detector has nothing to detect. When the officer is ready to obtain your speed he pushes one, or a series of buttons to tell the unit which direction the sending unit should "fire" the signal and which direction the target vehicle is traveling. At that point, the vehicle speed has been detected and locked in, at the same time your radar detector beeps. So if the cop wants to stop you, he has your speed.
On the other hand, if the cop is only looking to slow traffic down in general, he/she will activate the radar and leave it on so that the radar signature continues to fire.

Retired Trooper.
Thanks for the input but not so much use.

When you "tone" for the car a mile ahead of me - I see the signature, and the SSID frequency - so I know its not something else. I can capture it miles away on the interstate where there isn't much other interference, even with small hills, curves, trees, etc. Also a good radar detector can pick up the residual signal long before the signal is strong enough to get a bounce back to the gun - all the detector has to do is see the signal - the gun has to shoot the signal, get a bounce where much energy is lost, and the signal needs to return to the gun with enough energy for the receiver to remove the phase error and output a value.

Some cops around here don't "tone" anything - they turn it on, sit at their speed trap and surf their phone - I see them going by. My guess is there about as interested in handing out tickets as I am to get one but there boss told them to go do it. They probably only pull over the worst offenders. I pick them up at known speed traps all the time well out of their range, even around a corner or through trees - favorite hiding spots of LEO. When I come back they have someone else pulled over.

So yes, if the cop is doing their job diligently, and I am the only one on the road, and you have a crappy gas station detector, then your analysis is correct. But with any amount of traffic and a good detector, its not that simple.

Like I said, not trying to speed, just avoid the speed traps and speed signs behind the bush.
 
Thanks for the input but not so much use.

When you "tone" for the car a mile ahead of me - I see the signature, and the SSID frequency - so I know its not something else. I can capture it miles away on the interstate where there isn't much other interference, even with small hills, curves, trees, etc. Also a good radar detector can pick up the residual signal long before the signal is strong enough to get a bounce back to the gun - all the detector has to do is see the signal - the gun has to shoot the signal, get a bounce where much energy is lost, and the signal needs to return to the gun with enough energy for the receiver to remove the phase error and output a value.

Some cops around here don't "tone" anything - they turn it on, sit at their speed trap and surf their phone - I see them going by. My guess is there about as interested in handing out tickets as I am to get one but there boss told them to go do it. They probably only pull over the worst offenders. I pick them up at known speed traps all the time well out of their range, even around a corner or through trees - favorite hiding spots of LEO. When I come back they have someone else pulled over.

So yes, if the cop is doing their job diligently, and I am the only one on the road, and you have a crappy gas station detector, then your analysis is correct. But with any amount of traffic and a good detector, its not that simple.

Like I said, not trying to speed, just avoid the speed traps and speed signs behind the bush
Yeah, you're right. I have no idea what I'm talking about.
Thanks for clearing it up for me.
 
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Go to the traffic school because it sounds like you really need it because, you are spending more time trying to circumvent doing the right thing. -No kidding. Ed
Maybe 2008 I got 52 in a 25. Went to court revised to 30 in a 25. Fine $120. I pulled my record 1 year later, nothing. Here comes the boom. I was very remorseful because it was in the area of my own neighborhood. For 5 years at least I always made myself aware of the speed limit. Same road in SoCal would have a 55 speed limit. Day in day out people blow school bus reds. I bet a good% isn’t even thinking. Not an excuse but they should be made aware mandatory suspension in Pa if convicted.
 
Yeah, you're right. I have no idea what I'm talking about.
Thanks for clearing it up for me.
Such a condescending person.

Yes only troopers can understand how radar works. Oh wait, you really don't understand how radar waves work.
When your radar detector "tones" because of the radar signature being detected, that means the signal has already been sent, has hit the car, and returned to the sending unit
See, you yourself indicated that the radar has to return to the gun. It also has to be corrected because of the phase error. Radar waves penetrate the surface of the material they hit. Metal works best. Plastic or other soft things the wave penetrates distorting the wave and the echo signal. The gun has to read this echo signal and correct the resultant phase error. So you have to be within reasonable range for it to work. They say a mile. Maybe on a perfect day with a large vehicle that has a steel bumper, but really likely half that at best on a modern passenger car . However the detector simply needs to detect the its existence of a microwave signal in a specific range, and since the FCC only licenses a few frequencies for this use, a good detector has the ability to detect the wave at much greater range than a LEO has to use it.

Simple physics.
 
Such a condescending person.

Yes only troopers can understand how radar works. Oh wait, you really don't understand how radar waves work.

See, you yourself indicated that the radar has to return to the gun. It also has to be corrected because of the phase error. Radar waves penetrate the surface of the material they hit. Metal works best. Plastic or other soft things the wave penetrates distorting the wave and the echo signal. The gun has to read this echo signal and correct the resultant phase error. So you have to be within reasonable range for it to work. They say a mile. Maybe on a perfect day with a large vehicle that has a steel bumper, but really likely half that at best on a modern passenger car . However the detector simply needs to detect the its existence of a microwave signal in a specific range, and since the FCC only licenses a few frequencies for this use, a good detector has the ability to detect the wave at much greater range than a LEO has to use it.

Simple physics.
Nope, not at all.
Just know that after many years of shooting radar that radar detectors are easily defeated, did it every day.
Had this same conversation, or variations of it, for many years. Often told that "x" or "y" makes it impossible but 10 hours a day, every day, not a problem.
I don't know how a tv works either but definitely know when the program isn't any good.
Doesn't matter to me either way. If your radar detector makes you feel safe then use it. Science or no science, physics or no physics, I beat them every day for years.
I was a dumb___ knuckledragging beat cop for a reason. Not smart enough to do anything else. But I know what I've seen and what I've done. And this is one of them.
 
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Nope, not at all.
Just know that after many years of shooting radar that radar detectors are easily defeated, did it every day.
Had this same conversation, or variations of it, for many years. Often told that "x" or "y" makes it impossible but 10 hours a day, every day, not a problem.
I don't know how a tv works either but definitely know when the program isn't any good.
Doesn't matter to me either way. If your radar detector makes you feel safe then use it. Science or no science, physics or no physics, I beat them every day for years.
So since your such an expert - answer me one question.

If there was a small amount of traffic - and my detector spotted your gun 2 miles down the road hitting someone in front of me and before you could even see me, and I slowed down - how would you know?

Just because you pulled over some pimply kid with a $59 detector from Pilot and the radio too loud to hear it if it did work - which it doesn't - doesn't mean there all like that.

GA troopers love pulling people over. They will have one stationary gun and several LEO's in cars, and one spots and the others pull over many cars often in succession at a time. I95 and I16, especially weekends. I have been in a long line of traffic for miles, my detector will flag and I will slow down, everyone behind me goes around, and 2 miles ahead a bunch are pulled over.

The reality is you have no idea how many detectors worked and didn't - because you never got to pull over the ones that did. You don't know what you don't know.

Its been an interesting conversation though, always good to know how the other side thinks.
 
So since your such an expert - answer me one question.

If there was a small amount of traffic - and my detector spotted your gun 2 miles down the road hitting someone in front of me and before you could even see me, and I slowed down - how would you know?

Just because you pulled over some pimply kid with a $59 detector from Pilot and the radio too loud to hear it if it did work - which it doesn't - doesn't mean there all like that.

GA troopers love pulling people over. They will have one stationary gun and several LEO's in cars, and one spots and the others pull over many cars often in succession at a time. I95 and I16, especially weekends. I have been in a long line of traffic for miles, my detector will flag and I will slow down, everyone behind me goes around, and 2 miles ahead a bunch are pulled over.

The reality is you have no idea how many detectors worked and didn't - because you never got to pull over the ones that did. You don't know what you don't know.

Its been an interesting conversation though, always good to know how the other side thinks.
Yep, you're right.
Thanks for clearing it up for me.
 
I know my old V1 on the open freeway has saved me more times than I can count. I agree the quality of the radar detector has to be in the top tier category. My V1 has detected Ka 35.xxx in excess of 4 miles. On the open road, it can out-range the effective range of the radar gun. In the city environment, I would prefer the Redline 360c.

To be fair to the traffic officer, I generally don’t go too far over the limit to make myself an easy mark. I know the speed margins of the local law-enforcement agencies. Any idiot going 15+ over the limit has a higher chance of getting nailed. Likewise, I dare not brag of how many years I’ve gone without a ticket, because the moment I do is when I’ll get pulled over on the way to my mailbox. 😐
 
So what’s the deal with YouTubers like “wheres981” where he compiles vlogs of every time he outran the police? Isn’t he setting himself up for prosecution, while adding subs? Is he that good of a driver? 😂
 
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