Pay ticket vs defensive driving class

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Hollow

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Got popped in a speed trap this morning. Options are to pay the $102 ticket or go to the 4 hour driving class.

The class is $105 and I'll have to take off work to do it, but it does clear the moving violation off my driving record.

Am I correct that the ticket will be reported to my insurance company no matter which option I take?
 
I have taken the class instead of paying the ticket 4-5 times and do not believe that the ticket has been reported to my insurance even once (3 different states).
I'm pretty sure the last time it happened with a town's police force, they just threw the writeup away after I finished the class and nobody even knew about it. Not quite that simple when it's a state trooper, but I think it was still wiped off my record in the end.
 
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Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi
I have done this 4-5 times and do not believe that the ticket has been reported to my insurance even once (3 different states).


Done what? Paid or the class?
 
Originally Posted By: Hollow
Got popped in a speed trap this morning. Options are to pay the $102 ticket or go to the 4 hour driving class.

The class is $105 and I'll have to take off work to do it, but it does clear the moving violation off my driving record.

Am I correct that the ticket will be reported to my insurance company no matter which option I take?


Laws vary from state to state.

I was cited for speeding years ago (58 in a 45) and was offered an online driving class. I actually paid the same as if I were to pay the fine for the class. The case was dismissed.
Do the class. If you get another speeding ticket, your insurance will definitely go up.
 
Originally Posted By: Hollow
Got popped in a speed trap this morning. Options are to pay the $102 ticket or go to the 4 hour driving class.

The class is $105 and I'll have to take off work to do it, but it does clear the moving violation off my driving record.

Am I correct that the ticket will be reported to my insurance company no matter which option I take?


Either take the class, or go to court and dispute the ticket. If you have a clean record, you may get a deferred judgement. Just paying the ticket is a sure fire way toward higher insurance rates.
 
Yes, there are many traffic law firms in my area that will do this. I paid $90 to a lawyer for a mandatory court appearance ticket and gave him the fine money as well.

I was placed on 30 days traffic probation. If I wasn't popped for another ticket in the 30 days, nothing would appear on my driving record.

The $90 to the lawyer was less than my time going to court and/or traffic school would cost me, so it was a win-win solution.

I deserved the fine. I paid someone else to work the system to a solution that was mutually satisfactory.

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
I've never done either. Always hired a lawyer, and done nothing but wait for my dismissal to come in the mail.
 
Florida law does not allow insurance companies to raise your rates if you go to driving school. Also, going to school prevents points on your license. (a good thing, trust me)

Florida allows 5 lifetime schools. Not counting the ones a judge sends you to.

I've done the school thing with good results.

Note example: while having 3 points on your license may not seem like much, if you get into a very minor wet weather accident, and the officer writes you 2 or 3 tickets, such as excessive speed for conditions (rain) , failure to yield, and failure to wear a seatbelt, you can find yourself with a year long license suspension.

Taking the class prevents future risk.
 
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Do whatever you can do to avoid points on your license that might trigger an insurance hike or, as Cujet pointed out, bring you closer to a license suspension. The fines are almost always insignificant next to those problems.
 
Take the school. If it prevents points on your license, it's worth the money and time. And you get to learn about the people you share the road with. That's incentive enough to drive more carefully.
 
Defensive driving class for Speeding on a highway!?

Really? They should give tickets to all those ninnies HOLDING UP TRAFFIC during rush hour by travelling 5-10mph below posted limits (which are typically LCD for heavy haulers)< Tickets to folks not taking a right on red after stop when safe, Jail to those who brake check tailgaters in the interstate, and, I could go on and on

I drive 80-100mph on the Interstate up here.
 
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Defensive driving class for Speeding on a highway!?

Really? They should give tickets to all those ninnies HOLDING UP TRAFFIC during rush hour by travelling 5-10mph below posted limits (which are typically LCD for heavy haulers)< Tickets to folks not taking a right on red after stop when safe, Jail to those who brake check tailgaters in the interstate, and, I could go on and on

I drive 80-100mph on the Interstate up here.

Heartily seconded.
 
Take the class.

Personally, I'm all for brake checking any d-bag who uses the slow lane to pass where I'm traveling at 65 mph and comes up on me at 85-90 mph a foot from my bumper. Actually, I'm more for him being ejected through his front windshield than any jail time. If I'm traveling 65-70mph in the appropriate lane, I don't exist to get out of this f-stains way.
 
For me it would depend on how much, if it would go on my insurance or not also.

I know in Texas if it's 25 and under the speed limit you can take defensive driving. But you still have a court fee plus the defensive driving.The plus side is Insurance gives a discount for defensive driving as well.

If my ticket was close to the 125 it would cost (for court and class fees) I would just pay it.

Also, my insurance does not go up for moving violations, which if its a cheaper ticket for say like 5-10 over I would just pay it.
 
Originally Posted By: Vuflanovsky
Personally, I'm all for brake checking any d-bag who uses the slow lane to pass where I'm traveling at 65 mph and comes up on me at 85-90 mph a foot from my bumper. Actually, I'm more for him being ejected through his front windshield than any jail time. If I'm traveling 65-70mph in the appropriate lane, I don't exist to get out of this f-stains way.

Hooray! Let's cause traffic jams and personal injury just for the privilege of acting out some self-righteousness, and then call OTHER people d-bags!

Civilization exists at the direct expense of attitudes like this, and vice versa.
 
Take the class and then send the completion certificate to your insurance company. Not only will they not hold it against you, the insurance company will give you a discount for passing for multiple years that will more than pay for the course fee.
 
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