Driving a vehicle on a California freeway at a speed 100+ mph is a major infraction with severe penalties. Getting a speeding ticket for 100+ mph is a difficult situation but not impossible to get dismissed or reduced. When you cross that line from 99 into triple digits, the penalties increase significantly. Would you be surprised to learn that a conviction could cost up to $15,000 in fines and increased insurance? So, what exactly is at stake? But, more importantly, how do I get my speeding ticket dismissed?
The idea that 100+ mph speeding tickets happen only out in the desert or on rural backroads is inaccurate, though it does occur there too. Most CA 100+ mph speeding tickets get issued on I-5 between LAX and San Francisco. The second most issued area is on I-15 between LA and Vegas, and many of those are around Barstow, CA.
Crunching the Numbers on a 100+ MPH Conviction
A conviction on a 100+ mph ticket will lead to a base fine of $300-500; however, after state and county fees and assessments it will be between $900 and $2500, but that’s just the beginning. The DMV will assess two Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS) points on your motor vehicle driving record (MVR), which will remain for seven years. When your auto insurance comes up for renewal, the insurance company will see the conviction and put you in an increased risk category. If they decide to continue insuring you, your premiums will double or triple.
The average Californian pays $1960 per year or $163 per month, of course, 18-25-year-old drivers pay much more. Your increased insurance premiums could be between $3,920 and $5,880 annually or $327-490 monthly. Let’s say you pay the lower fine of $900 and your insurance only doubles, your total for the seven years, if you have no other convictions, will be an average $14,620.
What’s more, there is a mandatory court appearance for you or your lawyer, and attendance at traffic school will not mask your conviction. Oh, but you’re not done yet. If you choose to represent yourself and are convicted, you are liable to hear the traffic court judge ask, “Do you have your driver’s license (DL) with you? If yes, hand it to the bailiff, you won’t need it for the next 30 days. Pay the court clerk on your way out. Next case.” CA Vehicle Code (CVC) 22348, Speed Laws gives the judge authority to suspend your DL automatically if convicted. “The court may also suspend the privilege of the person to operate a motor vehicle for a period not to exceed 30 days…” And, that’s for a first offense, a second or third offense will get an automatic suspension from the DMV.
Consult with a Traffic Attorney Who Regularly Serves Barstow, CA
When you have been issued a speeding ticket for 100+ mph, you need an experienced team of traffic ticket attorneys with a track record of dismissals. Now is not the time to test your ability to represent yourself or find out how good your cousin, a divorce lawyer, is in traffic court. There’s too much at stake. Remember, a discount is only a bargain if it saves you money.
Bigger & Harman can save you time and money and help you avoid a 30-day suspension by challenging the ticket to either get it dismissed or reduced. Reducing the violation from two points to one means you might keep your “good drivers discount” and saves you thousands in increased insurance premiums, as was illustrated above. Proposition 103 states you are entitled to a 20% discount if you were licensed for the previous three years and have no more than one NOTS point in those three years.
Also, if you are from LA and you got stopped in Barstow, you will have to return to court there. You will likely have to take two days off from work to represent yourself. If you live in LA, Anaheim, or Long Beach it’s about a two-hour drive, and then you will wait most of the morning to plead not guilty and come back another day for the trial. You could sidestep this inconvenience by hiring an experienced attorney who will make the mandatory appearance for you. You can go to work or school, and no one is the wiser, especially if the ticket is dismissed or reduced to a one point violation.
Bigger & Haman have a solid reputation defending drivers with 100+ mph speeding tickets because they spend their time in traffic court. Traffic law is not a part-time, occasional means of making money; for Bigger & Harman it is their chosen profession, just traffic law.
Call Bigger & Harman, (661) 349-9300. Se habla Español (661) 349-9755.
Send an email to attorney@biggerharmanlaw.com.
References:
California Vehicle Code (CVC) 22348, Speed Laws
The 2018 CA Driver Handbook .pdf
The 2018 California Superior Court Bail Schedule for Infractions and Misdemeanors.pdf