DON’T JUST PAY THE FINE
The $30,068 Speeding Ticket in California
Most California drivers know how expensive a speeding ticket can be. Even if they have not received one themselves, they usually know someone that has.
The section of I-5 between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco is the route with more 100+ mph speeding tickets than any other highway in the state. The second-highest number is I-15, between LA and Vegas.
One of those ticketed scooting from LAX to SF was Lebron James. Although it has been a few years, James said, “It’s not a big deal. You just have to abide by the rules. I made a mistake, and I have to live with it.” He then added the Mercedes he was driving could do 200 mph, so he wasn’t really surprised he was going that fast.
Of course, they probably don’t even notice the missing money and the additional auto insurance premiums as we would.
CA law enforcement officers (LEO) issued 15,000 100+ mph speeding tickets between mid-March and mid-August 2020. That’s double the number for the same period in 2019.
The consensus opinion is that most think that they can open it up because there are fewer vehicles on the road. However, fewer vehicles also mean added focus for LEOs.
However, there’s a lot worse than a speeding ticket, as “the National Safety Council (NCS) found the rate of fatal crashes has increased 24%” since the start of the pandemic in mid-March 2020. [1]
California Traffic Law Explained
When cited for speeding 100+ mph, you have a mandatory court appearance by either you or an attorney. Since all California counties maintain their ticket jurisdiction because they want the revenue, you or your attorney will need to return to the county where you were stopped for traffic court.
Say you live in LA, you go to Vegas for the weekend, and as you are coming back, you get stopped somewhere along I-15; you will have to return there or have a lawyer resolve your ticket, which is the wise choice since you must be arraigned, plead not guilty, and return to dispute your ticket.
It would be crazy not to challenge your ticket because, at the very least, you want the judge to reduce the charges if you can’t get an outright dismissal.
What you hear a lot is that a first-time offender convicted of speeding 100+ mph could receive a fine of up to $500, two negligent operator treatment system (NOTS) points, and a possible suspension of their driving privileges for 30-days.
CA Vehicle Code (CVC) Section 22348, Speed Laws proclaims, “A person who drives a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than 100 miles per hour is guilty of an infraction punishable, as follows: (1) Upon a first conviction of a violation of this subdivision, by a fine of not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500).” [2]
Reported Traffic Law Discrepancies on Many Websites
Nonetheless, what has not been stated is that since this section of the traffic code was written and approved by the CA legislature and signed into law by the governor, ten surcharges, fees, and penalties have been added that could make your fine several times higher than that $500.
For instance, there is a 100% state penalty, which would add another $500, an allowable county penalty of 70% that adds $350, a Night Court fee (whether you use night court or not), a court construction fee that adds $5 for every $10 of the base fine, or $250 for the $500 base fine. Plus, a DNA ID fund, a 20% state surcharge, an Emergency Medical Air Transport (EMAT), an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) penalty, and others. [3]
Once the state and county surcharges are added, the $500 base could be closer to $2,600. But the fine is only “the tip of the iceberg.” By the time the ticketed driver learns the truth, it might be too late. Consult an attorney right away.
The DMV is given authority to assess NOTS points in accordance with CVC 12810, Issuance of Licenses, Expiration, and Renewal. Once your auto insurance provider discovers your conviction for speeding 100+ mph, they will likely double or triple your auto insurance premium for the seven years the conviction will remain active on your motor vehicle driving record (MVR).
Since the average Californian pays $1,962 per year for auto insurance, according to ValuePenguin.com, if the price of your coverage doubles, it would cost $1,962 more annually. When your premium triples, it would mean you would have to pay $3,924 more per year for seven years.
Therefore, a conviction would cost you a fine of about $2,600, plus the increased insurance premium of $27,468, or a total of $30,068.
The judge has the discretion to suspend your driving privileges for 30-days automatically. What’s more, if convicted, you are now halfway toward a six-month suspension and concurrent 12-month probation.
Consult a Traffic Attorney
As stated above, you should hire a traffic attorney to represent you. Traffic attorneys spend 30 to 40 hours a week in traffic court, and they know how to get a dismissal or reduced charge. They typically have a free initial consultation and offer a flat fee to resolve your 100+ mph speeding ticket.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) — Traffic Stops, 95% of ticketed drivers who retain an attorney receive either a reduced charge or outright dismissal. Yet less than ten percent of drivers with a citation hire an attorney.
Therefore, you should always, always, always consult a traffic attorney before you decide to pay the fine, and when the traffic ticket is speeding 100+ mph, you should hire the attorney to challenge it.
References:
[2] CVC Section 22348, Speed Laws
[3] https://californiapolicycenter.org/penalty-assessment-fees/
[4] CVC Section 12810, Issuance of Licenses, Expiration, and Renewal
[5] https://www.aceable.com/blog/average-cost-of-car-insurance-california/
[6] Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) — Traffic Stops
Stephen Dalton is a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. Top Writer in Fiction, Short Story, VR, NFL, Design, & Creativity. Editor of Pop Off, Top Dalton’s Blog, 100WordStory, B.O.S.S., and SportsShorts100WordsOnly
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