STAY CALM AND KEEP A LOW PROFILE

People will often try to talk their way out of speeding tickets. Don’t do this! If you’ve been stopped you need to realize that you are in the middle of a legal situation that requires careful consideration of your actions. Don’t dig yourself a deeper hole. 

 Remember, this is not the time to plead your case or argue the issue. You are trying to keep a low profile and arguing or giving some lame excuse that the police officer has heard 200 times is not getting you anywhere. 

 You should realize that as soon as his pen hits the ticket book he is required to finish issuing the speeding ticket. He can’t void out the ticket. Once he starts to write, the speeding ticket is yours to keep.

REMEMBER THE DETAILS

Once the police officer walks off to write the traffic ticket you need to begin working on your defense. While the police officer is writing the speeding ticket try to remember as much information as possible, you can even take notes. As a matter of fact, we recommend that you write all of this down. The details are essential.  

The type of information you should be trying to gather include:

• The make, model, license plate number and unit number of the police officer’s car;
• Your exact location and the distance between where you stopped and where the violation occurred;
• Note any passenger names and be sure that your passengers remain totally silent during the entire stop unless they are asked a specific question; and
• Make note of your shirt or coat color. 

When you get home, make note of the following:

Any distinctive characteristics about your vehicle such as any noticeable dents, two tone paint, mag wheels, etc.

Again, you are after as many small details as possible.

Everything the police officer says during the stop. If he talks on his radio during the stop, try to note that as well. A lot of times the police officer who stops you will not be the police officer who was running the radar unit. It is crucial to your case that you establish this point.

ACKNOWLEDGE THE TICKET

When the police officer returns with your speeding ticket he will generally ask you to look it over and sign it. This signature, as the police officer will explain to you, is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgement of actually receiving the speeding ticket.

ASK TO SEE THE RADAR READ OUT

After you sign the speeding ticket, ask the police officer if you can see the radar read out. 

The police officer isn’t required to do this due to your own safety. The police department doesn’t want you run down by a passing motorist while you are heading back to the squad car to look at the radar.

 If the police officer allows you to view the radar, make no comments whatsoever. Do try to make a note of the manufacturer or model number. Under absolutely no circumstances should you ask to see the calibration fork.

 That is a major red flag that you know the ins and outs of radar and you are going to fight the speeding ticket. You have now moved into the memorable category and that’s counterproductive to your case.