How to get a warning, not a ticket

[MrScorpio]

When you see flashing lights in your rearview mirror, take a deep breath. The next few minutes could make all the difference when your next insurance bill arrives.

State troopers and police officers have 100% discretion. They can write you a ticket, or they can give you a warning. They can write down exactly what their radar gun shows, or they can write down a number that will lower your fine and reduce the number of points on your license.

If you have been pulled over, your immediate fate is in the officer's hands -- and so are your future insurance premiums.

A speeding ticket that qualifies as reckless driving in your state is the single worst traffic violation you can inflict on your insurance bill, according to data gathered by Insurance.com, with premiums rising an average of 22%. But knocked down to 14 mph or less over the limit, that hit falls to 11%.

Of course, the best way to keep your insurance from going up at all is to keep the ticket off your record in the first place.

To increase your chances of a receiving a warning rather than a ticket:

http://money.msn.com/auto-insurance/how-to-get-a-warning-not-a-ticket

[Duer 157099]

1. The actual info, not just a preamble:

To increase your chances of a receiving a warning rather than a ticket:

Make it an easy stop. Pull over quickly, turn your interior lights on and keep your hands in sight on the wheel. When an officer approaches a vehicle, says Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Scott Bright, he or she will be looking at how many people are in the car and where their hands are.

Be respectful. If you were looking for a way to ensure a ticket, being argumentative, angry or rude is a great way to do it. "There is no guarantee that a driver will receive a warning based upon behavior," says Colorado State Patrol Capt. Jeff Goodwin, "but it certainly helps to be respectful and less confrontational."

Save the excuses. Law enforcement officers have heard them all, so save your sob story. Answers to any questions should be brief and noncommittal. (For example, if the officer asks if you know why you've been pulled over, say no, legal experts advise.) Don't argue. This isn't a court.

[pinboy3niner]

2. So getting all up in the officer's face isn't good idea?

NOW you tell me!

[Major Nikon]

3. I did this once and got a warning

I had my cruise control set exactly to the speed limit going down the highway (I rarely speed) and I got pulled over by a municipal cop in an unmarked police car. It took me a while to pull over because I didn't notice him until he pulled next to me. By the time the cop pulled me over he was livid. He kept trying to get me to admit I was speeding and I wouldn't do it. The discussion got more intense until he was yelling at me. I think he finally realized he screwed up and wrote me a warning.

[pinboy3niner]

4. In that situation I am unfailingly polite and respectful

Even when the oficer's wrong, I know better than to make things worse.

Sometimes I got a ticket I deserved. But other times, I talked myself into a warning or nothing at all. I can't say that being nice to cops always worked. But not being an asshole sure seemed to help.

[Major Nikon]

5. I'm the same way

The problem was the cop kept trying to get me to admit to something I didn't do and it wasn't going to happen. The more I refused to admit it, the angrier he got. He could have written the ticket at any time and I would have signed it and drove off and taken the matter up at another time.

He was a municipal cop in a small town in Oklahoma and was very unprofessional. I called the chief of police up the next day and told him about it, for all the good it did.

[RedstDem]

6. stay outta Lynchburg

they cut no slack, even if your late for a funeral

[Cirque du So-What]

7. I knew a cop

for whom no amount of politeness or obsequiousness would suffice. It was said that he would ticket his own mother, and I believe it.

[COLGATE4]

8. As a lawyer, I agree that this is very good advice.

And following it may well help you get away with just a warning rather than a ticket. My experience has been that you're much more likely to get a break from a State Trooper than a municipal cop. Municipalities all over the country are in a cash crunch and aggressive ticketing is a great revenue source. (I recently got nailed for "2 over the limit" on a 4-lane divided limited access highway at 4:30 A.M. Sunday morning in the outskirts of a small Virginia town. These guys are just sitting there all night waiting for the radar gun to beep.) So watch the small places.

[99Forever]

9. Good advice.

Cops prefer a soft, compliant populace. Dissent must be crushed, wherever it might arise.