It depends on what the speed limit was - do a google search for "what does a california speeding ticket cost" - you'll see lots of different answers, I saw anywhere from $250 to $450.
What was the speed limit and what did he actually get you at? 80+ sounds like he was being nice. 
I'm assuming it was in a 65 max. zone, which will make you ineligible for traffic school. In some counties, if your 25 over the limit, the courts will suspend your license and/or charge you with reckless driving.
I'm assuming it was in a 65 max. zone, which will make you ineligible for traffic school. In some counties, if your 25 over the limit, the courts will suspend your license and/or charge you with reckless driving.flyingminno
New Member
Ouch, sorry to hear. I am usually in or around the Pasadena area, and I've had a few CHP officers sneak up by using my blind spots before. I try my best to identify the bike before I pull away, though usually if they are traveling fast enough to catch up, I let them pass.
Slo is in the central coast... im going to just go to court and tell them i can't afford the ticket and the increas in insurance... maybe they might cut me some slack. Its my first offense so i will cross my fingers. Its pouring right now and im not looking forward to the ride home from work... haha
I got one for 80+++ just north of Santa Maria after crossing the bridge, so I was in SLO County. I had a clean driving record and was able to pay the fine and take traffic school (<---major BORING!) I wanted the ticket to stay off my record to keep my car insurance from increasing. As long as you're not 25mph over the posted limit, you should be able to sleep through traffic school- provided you have not already had TS within the past year. The ticket should have a cost calculation on it or you can look it up online. Do you know if your insurance will go up with a ticket in your record? If so, how much? Might need to look at the cost in the long run if your insurance goes up. Just my 2 cents.
One more thing: IMO, the "comedy traffic schools" are worth the extra money.
Good luck on this one.
One more thing: IMO, the "comedy traffic schools" are worth the extra money.
Good luck on this one.
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The online ones are the easiest to do. And, you typically can only take traffic school once every 18 months. Some counties may offer a "second chance" traffic school if you already took the the first one in the first 18 months. It won't take the ticket off your record, but will help reduce the insurance increase a little bit more.
Thanks Roaddawg. 18 months to re-take CA traffic school? Damn! IMO, simply surviving 8 hours (and not one minute less) of state-mandated-vomit is more than enough to satisfy the offense, not to mention paying the fine. Having been through the experience a few times, I would rather plead guilty and go to prison with some dude named "Tyrone the Impailer" than experience traffic school again. Traffic school is the only place where I thought it was physically possible to die from boredom.
(Previous message is attached with a Sarcasm Warning)
(Previous message is attached with a Sarcasm Warning)
what sucks most is getting a ticket when not even riding so fast... atleast as fast as the officer says. i got a ticket lately (Reckless Driving) on I-95 i have a clean record and was doing 70mph max, thought it was a 65mph zone but the officer put me in the 85mph in the 55mph zone catagory. i need to appear in the court, should i hire a lawyer? any suggestions..!!
AND the best thing of all... well you can get drunk :steve:while taking the on-line TS :stupidpc:.
Had to take it last month for a bs ticket ... well... all I can say that beer cuts a lil` bit of the boredom
:iconbeer:Got my first ticket last December, and it was on a bike... Was 2AM and the light didn't read me nor my friend on his ninja 250 so we made the left turn onto the interstate and gunned it. Didn't see behind us as soon as we left the light a cop pulled up.
Cop followed us and when I saw him I slowed down and switched lanes and he got on the same lane as me. Turned on his lights and I pulled over. Minutes later another cop comes up and my friend pulls over next to me.
Asked us why we ran the red light when it changed 7 seconds after we left and I said cause it didn't read us and we waited through 3 cycle changes, no other car was around and did what they taught us in MSF and treat it like a stop sign.
He was like ok.. then what was up with the speed... I had no excuse, was trying to have a little fun. He caught me doing about 90 on a 55. But seeing it as we were a bunch of kids and we talked a bit about bikes, he let us off with just running the red light.
Paid my ticket was about 250 bucks and took the boring 8 hour online traffic school.
Cop followed us and when I saw him I slowed down and switched lanes and he got on the same lane as me. Turned on his lights and I pulled over. Minutes later another cop comes up and my friend pulls over next to me.
Asked us why we ran the red light when it changed 7 seconds after we left and I said cause it didn't read us and we waited through 3 cycle changes, no other car was around and did what they taught us in MSF and treat it like a stop sign.
He was like ok.. then what was up with the speed... I had no excuse, was trying to have a little fun. He caught me doing about 90 on a 55. But seeing it as we were a bunch of kids and we talked a bit about bikes, he let us off with just running the red light.
Paid my ticket was about 250 bucks and took the boring 8 hour online traffic school.
I guess your right !!.. thats what i am gonna do hire a lawyer, take a traffic school program. i think me riding in the left most lane is what got me the ticket but i feel safe there coz less merging, cars were zooming way more faster from the right, it was little too cold for me to ride faster and damn the cop attacked me like a hungry shark.. i was stupid to be such an easy target.. next time ................. i will be slower/carefull when riding in VA.... anyway thanks for input guys..
dannymac702
New Member
I had not had a moving violation in over 12 years when my luck ran out big time. 2 speeding and 1 passing in an occupied lane within 6 months. My son told me of a lawyer that could help. All 3 tickets were reduced to "parking" violations. No points on license and lawyer worked pro bono
I heard about a rider locally who just got clobbered by the cop that got him. As of January 1, traffic violations in California have gone up significantly. He was on a 2 lane twisty road that has no posted speed limit. Stuck behind a car, he decided to pass on the double yellow. (Not something I like seeing but have done on a very rare occasion.) Trouble was the car decided to speed up A LOT when he saw he was getting passed so to get around him the bike had to hit about 95 to make it safely. Two turns later, the motorcycle cop got him and compounded a lot of different things.
-Crossing Double Yellow: $325
-Reckless Driving: $632
-Unsafe Speed: $378
-License Plate Location: $178
-Wearing Earplugs: $178 (This one has a very gray area in the vehicle code)
-Illegal Exhaust: $178
Total $1869. Then to top it off, there were road construction cones on the side of the road and the orange plastic fencing up around a piece of construction equipment on the side of the road. Technically it's a construction zone. That doubles all fines.
Grand total of: $3738 because he was inpatient and didn't want to wait for a broken yellow. Needless to say, I don't think I'll be passing on a DY anytime soon.
-Crossing Double Yellow: $325
-Reckless Driving: $632
-Unsafe Speed: $378
-License Plate Location: $178
-Wearing Earplugs: $178 (This one has a very gray area in the vehicle code)
-Illegal Exhaust: $178
Total $1869. Then to top it off, there were road construction cones on the side of the road and the orange plastic fencing up around a piece of construction equipment on the side of the road. Technically it's a construction zone. That doubles all fines.
Grand total of: $3738 because he was inpatient and didn't want to wait for a broken yellow. Needless to say, I don't think I'll be passing on a DY anytime soon.