Driving without insurance ticket

Adus

So I don't drive my car a lot (almost never, in fact). I carpool to work and other than that when I go out usually other people are driving. However I'm headed to PAX next week and I'm driving myself there (I only live a bit north) and needed to do my emissions test before I updated my tabs. I figured I'd just do that real quick then do car insurance shopping this weekend when I have more time. Naturally Murphy's Law strikes and the one day I'm driving anywhere further than two blocks I go too fast in a construction zone and get pulled over for speeding. Since I haven't been using the car I didn't have insurance on it, which is a requirement in Washington. The $250 speeding ticket suddenly becomes $800.

So yeah, that was my fault and I'll admit that. Shouldn't have slacked on the insurance.

The officer told me that if I got insurance immediately the judge might give me a break. So that was the first thing I did when I got home. So that brings us to my question: How likely is this really? If I get a court date I'll likely have to take time off work and drive up to Arlington which is kinda out of the way and it's not something I want to waste my time and sanity doing if I'm screwed either way. I'm pretty socially anxious so the thought of stuttering trying to explain my stupid "I swear I never use this car and I was just trying to update my tabs" story (despite it being true and I have an emissions test passing paper timed literally minutes before the ticket) already stresses me out.

I'm 27 and have had my license since I was 18. I've only had one ticket before this like 7 years ago (for turning on a red light without stopping, which I did and the ticket was bullshit but that's irrelevant now). Never a ticket for speeding or driving without insurance.

I know no one can tell me for certain what my chances are but I guess I'm just wondering if it's worth attempting to get that part of the ticket reduced/removed or if I really have no chance and should just pay it and move on.

I guess I should be more upset about this but knowing I only have myself to blame combined with the relief that I didn't actually get into an accident without insurance makes it hard to be genuinely upset. Also I can afford to pay it. Not that I have a lot of money or WANT to pay it but I've always been careful with money just in case something like this happens.

Foomy

You might as well try with the court date, the worst that happens is you wasted a few hours and still have to pay $800.
But from most of the stories I've heard, if your honest and seem sorry, most judges will at least reduce the fines a bit.

Iceman.USAF

Side note: Did you see the thread a while back where the guy got his car stolen but he had no insurance? And he still owed a ton of money on it?

Dude: Always carry insurance. One of the question they'll ask is "how often do you drive this vehicle?" or "how many miles per year do you expect to put on it?" something like "500" is a perfectly valid answer, and may allow you to be put into a 'storage' type of insurance. This basically protects against acts of god, theft, etc.

About the ticket: Just bring your new insurance documents and hope the judge is in a good mood. Hopefully she'll lower the ticket to its original amount.

Also! Have fun at PAX! I went to East this year and it was awesome!

Skeith

Depends on the Judge's mood, but yeah, since you were actually getting your stuff updated, I think you've got a fair chance of them cutting you a break.

bowen

Iceman.USAF wrote: »

Always carry insurance.

To all you crazy children and adults that don't understand this yet.

Even if you don't drive it. The one time you do have to drive it, something is going to happen, it always does. There is never an excuse not to have insurance on your car, and as you can see, it's pretty much illegal to do so.

Jam Warrior

It's always worth a shot at being polite and genuinely contrite, but I wouldn't get your hopes up too far. There's pretty much no excuse short of an emergency for driving a vehicle you know full well to be illegal and as far as I can see your best excuse boils down to 'I didn't get around to it and I thought I wouldn't get caught.'

bowen

Personally I would word it like "Sorry your honor, I was trying to get my car street worthy again and was in the process of doing both and I completely forgot to get the insurance before getting the inspection."

Admitting you fucked up, but having a reason for fucking up is okay sometimes. Just don't try to play it off like you didn't think you'd get caught. You will always get caught.

Plus, in the future, be super paranoid when driving without insurance. Especially when your ticket is speeding in a workzone.

Druhim

As long as you get the car insured quickly, you should request a mitigation hearing. You're admitting you did it, but explaining the circumstances in the hopes of a reduced fine. If you've insured the car, it's very likely the ticket will be reduced.

Darkewolfe

If you show immediate proof of insurance, judges will knock your ticket down all the time. It's not guaranteed, so don't act like you expect it, but you have a decent chance.

EWom

I think he might be screwed though, because he was speeding through a construction zone, which typically doubles the cost of a fine, and at least in Montana, judges frown heavily on people who speed in construction zones, because a large number of construction workers get hit by cars that way.

illig

Judges really come down hard on people without insurance. i was once pulled over and couldn't find my insurance card - i did have insurance, just no proof - and had to show up in court and listen to a lecture by the judge before he would let me off.

So it's in your interest to get the insurance ASAP, have it in effect for the court date, and prepare to kiss ass.

Dr. Frenchenstein

it's always worth it to go to court for traffic stuff, especially if it comes with points or is expensive. You may even get lucky and the cop doesn't show, or there's an administrative error (like i had a couple weeks ago, got off scott free!!!).

it definitely will depend on the judge if you throw yourself on the mercy of the court. just plead guilty (or no-contest, whatever) with explanation, explain what was going on, and hope for the best. just be polite and apologetic, and i bet they will cut you some slack.

Molybdenum

EWom wrote: »

I think he might be screwed though, because he was speeding through a construction zone, which typically doubles the cost of a fine, and at least in Montana, judges frown heavily on people who speed in construction zones, because a large number of construction workers get hit by cars that way.

I'd be interested in seeing actual statistics for this. The number of times I've driven through a construction zone where the workers were a: present and b: close enough to be struck by vehicles is exactly 0. Obviously "but nobody was even there" isn't an argument that will hold up in court, but still.

Ego

At $800, you may very well benefit from a traffic lawyer. Traffic lawyers can be surprisingly cheap. Particularly when you measure them against the impact that your ticket will have on your future car insurance rates.

Hopefully you can find someone who lives in your region to chime in on actual court procedures for traffic tickets because you may very well be able to skip a lawyer. If you lived in Alberta I'd happily just tell you to show up (well dressed) half an hour early for your court appointment, speak with the crown prosecutor beforehand, and, explaining the circumstances, ask for the ticket to be changed to something that won't involve demerits (or 'points' or whatever you call them) on your license.

With luck, you can just do something like that, but I imagine you'll need to investigate a more specific forum where you'll be able to speak to people familiar with the judicial process in your area to figure out how exactly it works.

darqness

I thought the officer only showed up if you plead not guilty?

Molybdenum wrote: »

EWom wrote: »

I think he might be screwed though, because he was speeding through a construction zone, which typically doubles the cost of a fine, and at least in Montana, judges frown heavily on people who speed in construction zones, because a large number of construction workers get hit by cars that way.

I'd be interested in seeing actual statistics for this. The number of times I've driven through a construction zone where the workers were a: present and b: close enough to be struck by vehicles is exactly 0. Obviously "but nobody was even there" isn't an argument that will hold up in court, but still.

I see it here in KC during late night construction. Not during any daytime construction though. Those fuckers walk right up to the lane you're driving in waiting to run across to the other side.

Sometimes I feel like they want to get hit

Adus

From how the ticket reads, the officer only shows up if you plead not guilty. You can admit guilt and have a mitigation hearing, which was what I was considering. Also I doubt this matters at all but no construction was actually occurring at that time. It was just an area under construction, if that makes sense, but I guess that still counts.

Just in case it wasn't clear from the first post, I bought insurance as soon as I got home, so yeah you don't have to tell me to do that.

Appreciate the replies so far. I guess my chances are up in the air but I don't have much to lose.

Jam Warrior

If you do plead your case, you say you didn't realise the insurance had expired. You do not say anything along the lines of 'it was only one journey' like you did in the OP.

Druhim

Nah. Don't plead ignorance. That's a really weak argument to make and is likely to just piss the judge off. Cop up to your mistake, don't make excuses, show you have insurance now. That's really all you should do. Don't try to make excuses for it or make up lies about why you supposedly didn't realize it had expired. Just be straight up with the judge and usually they'll appreciate being straightforward more than dancing around it with bs excuses.

Jam Warrior

Well no one will know till it's tried, but when the judge asks 'Why were you driving without insurance?' I'm not seeing the answer, 'Because I thought I could get away with it for one journey,' getting any sympathy whatsoever.

Xobyte

Yeah, I think honesty is your best bet here. Explain that you were in the process of getting the car street legal, and made a stupid mistake in prioritizing what needed to be done.

bowen

Jam Warrior wrote: »

Well no one will know till it's tried, but when the judge asks 'Why were you driving without insurance?' I'm not seeing the answer, 'Because I thought I could get away with it for one journey,' getting any sympathy whatsoever.

Way better than "Oh I just didn't know."

Personally the "I was trying to get everything up to speed and I was trying to get the inspection before I renewed my insurance" and then chiming in "because I'm dumb." Judges like humility.