Cell Phone Tickets and How To Get Around Them
Issuing a ticket for talking without a hands-free device is the dumbest thing our state governments have come up with.
Why not ticket for driving with a burrito? Or while putting on make-up? It's not holding the phone that might distract a person, it's the activity that is requiring some of their attention: talking.
While it's easy to see why the law is unnecessary, we still have to pay for the ticket if we break this new law.
A cell phone ticket, just like a speeding ticket or stop sign ticket, will go on your driving record and affect your insurance rates for three years.
The ticket by itself is outrageous at $195+.
If you have a spotless driving record and then get one point from a cell phone ticket, your rates will, on average, go up about $100 per six months.
If you already have one point from a previous violation, your rates will go up more.
Texting is never allowed.
Even at a stop light.
Not even using your phone for GPS navigation.
An example of the lunacy regarding this law is that you can use a tape recorder to record yourself talking in the car, such as for memos to yourself.
You cannot, however, use your cell phone to record those same memos.
The law has so many generalities and contradictions that there is little rhyme or reason to it.
With that in mind, you may be able to fight the ticket by appearing in front of the judge and asking him to waive the ticket.
Or you might get lucky and the police officer who issued the ticket may not show up.
Is there another way to get around paying for the ticket? Yes, sort of.
You may be able to take driving school to have the violation removed from your driving record but you would still have to pay the fine.
Before you do that though, check with your insurance company.
They may not even charge for cell phone tickets.
If your insurance company does charge, understand that that ticket won't show up until your policy renews again so you have a little bit of time to save up some cash if needed.
Many insurance companies do charge for cell phone tickets, unfortunately.
I do know that Mercury Insurance does not (as I write with Mercury Insurance among other companies).
Think twice before you text or drive without a hands-free device.
The states are out of money and they are desperate to take it from you any way they can.
Why not ticket for driving with a burrito? Or while putting on make-up? It's not holding the phone that might distract a person, it's the activity that is requiring some of their attention: talking.
While it's easy to see why the law is unnecessary, we still have to pay for the ticket if we break this new law.
A cell phone ticket, just like a speeding ticket or stop sign ticket, will go on your driving record and affect your insurance rates for three years.
The ticket by itself is outrageous at $195+.
If you have a spotless driving record and then get one point from a cell phone ticket, your rates will, on average, go up about $100 per six months.
If you already have one point from a previous violation, your rates will go up more.
Texting is never allowed.
Even at a stop light.
Not even using your phone for GPS navigation.
An example of the lunacy regarding this law is that you can use a tape recorder to record yourself talking in the car, such as for memos to yourself.
You cannot, however, use your cell phone to record those same memos.
The law has so many generalities and contradictions that there is little rhyme or reason to it.
With that in mind, you may be able to fight the ticket by appearing in front of the judge and asking him to waive the ticket.
Or you might get lucky and the police officer who issued the ticket may not show up.
Is there another way to get around paying for the ticket? Yes, sort of.
You may be able to take driving school to have the violation removed from your driving record but you would still have to pay the fine.
Before you do that though, check with your insurance company.
They may not even charge for cell phone tickets.
If your insurance company does charge, understand that that ticket won't show up until your policy renews again so you have a little bit of time to save up some cash if needed.
Many insurance companies do charge for cell phone tickets, unfortunately.
I do know that Mercury Insurance does not (as I write with Mercury Insurance among other companies).
Think twice before you text or drive without a hands-free device.
The states are out of money and they are desperate to take it from you any way they can.
Source...