93 in a 70mph California I-5, No Front Plate

My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: California
Well it's been awhile but it had to happen. I was driving back from the california bay area on I-5 (70mph max, 2 lane divided freeway) between 12-1am on a tue night. It was a nice clear night with nearly no traffic except for a few patches of cars. in one stretch I decided to make good time... And according to the chp officer and ride-along cop, got caught traveling 93mph on radar...

I didn't see him untill his head lights (no flashers) popped up in my rear view a ways back yet closing in while i was cruising about 90. I immediately slowed to about 80, not knowing if it was in fact a chp car or another speeder. he caught up to me prob a few miles later where I slowed down to exit since it was obvious then that it was a chp and who he was after.

Officer was quick to do his job. Asked a few normal q's and asked me about my missing front plate on my '02 grand prix. I also asked at this point how I was caught and he said by radar except he refused to show me the readout (even though we stopped safely off the freeway exit and on the dirt shoulder...) He then wrote up the speeding and fix-it-ticket, and let me dreadfully head home.

My question is: is the "no front plate" comment an indication that he couldn't properly radar my vehicle? It took him a long time to catch up even after I slowed down, is there a way to determine if I was in the correct distance and that the reading was accurate?

How about ways to lower it on the basis that it was clear conditions with no traffic? Obviously wouldn't win since I was clearly speeding but I feel myself and my car are perfectly capable of traveling those speeds without endangering anyone in those conditions. I've commuted these freeways for years and my driving is careful and unobstructive compared to most. I never swerve through traffic or fly by slow-moving vehicles, and I have no careless driving/accident history of any sort (just a bunch of speeding tickets...). Of course CHP could care less about these details...

I used to own an escort 9500ix Radar detector to catch them before they did me, but sold it when I needed money...bad idea. Woulda saved me again there...

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Quoting CenCaliChris

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My question is: is the "no front plate" comment an indication that he couldn't properly radar my vehicle?

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No.

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How about ways to lower it on the basis that it was clear conditions with no traffic? Obviously wouldn't win since I was clearly speeding but I feel myself and my car are perfectly capable of traveling those speeds without endangering anyone in those conditions. I've commuted these freeways for years and my driving is careful and unobstructive compared to most. I never swerve through traffic or fly by slow-moving vehicles, and I have no careless driving/accident history of any sort (just a bunch of speeding tickets...). Of course CHP could care less about these details...

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Neither will the judge.

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I used to own an escort 9500ix Radar detector to catch them before they did me, but sold it when I needed money...bad idea. Woulda saved me again there...

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All your radar detector would have done was CONFIRM you got a ticket by RADAR.

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Quoting CenCaliChris

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My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: California
Well it's been awhile but it had to happen. I was driving back from the california bay area on I-5 (70mph max, 2 lane divided freeway) between 12-1am on a tue night. It was a nice clear night with nearly no traffic except for a few patches of cars. in one stretch I decided to make good time...

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it was clear conditions with no traffic?

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I feel myself and my car are perfectly capable of traveling those speeds without endangering anyone in those conditions. I've commuted these freeways for years and my driving is careful and unobstructive compared to most. I never swerve through traffic or fly by slow-moving vehicles, and I have no careless driving/accident history of any sort

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None of that matters.

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Quoting CenCaliChris

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I also asked at this point how I was caught and he said by radar except he refused to show me the readout (even though we stopped safely off the freeway exit and on the dirt shoulder...)

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He is under no obligation to show you the Radar reading... You touched on the safety issue but still, legally, you can challenge the reading in court but certainly, not by claiming you could not verify it!

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Quoting CenCaliChris

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My question is: is the "no front plate" comment an indication that he couldn't properly radar my vehicle?

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Actually, I see it as an attentive officer who knew exactly who he was chasing!

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Quoting CenCaliChris

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It took him a long time to catch up even after I slowed down, is there a way to determine if I was in the correct distance and that the reading was accurate?

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Radar guns do not provide the officer with a distance when they show a speed reading. Instead, the officer can compare his visual estimate of your speed along with the Radar reading... You do admit that you were the only vehicle around so it wouldn't take much to figure out who it was... For all we know he could have continued reading your speed as you fluctuated around 90, then when you dropped to 80, but with 93 being a speed he actually obtained, he can write you up for that... Good thing for you is you stayed under 25, otherwise you'd be looking at the highest fine of $480 plus you would have likely lost your chance at automatically qualifying for traffic school. With only 23 over, your fine is at approximately $360 and there is no need to appear in court to beg for traffic school.

I'm assuming that he cited you for 22356, correct?

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Quoting Speedy Gonzalez

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All your radar detector would have done was CONFIRM you got a ticket by RADAR.

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Huh? That's only true--always--for LIDAR. The 9500ix is invaluable for spotting cops running constant-on Ka band radar.

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Quoting quirkyquark

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Huh? That's only true--always--for LIDAR. The 9500ix is invaluable for spotting cops running constant-on Ka band radar.

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Yes, but it is not real valuable for instant-on at close range. The cheapest solution is to obey the speed limit.

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Quoting Speedy Gonzalez

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Yes, but it is not real valuable for instant-on at close range.

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Sorry, I just read the full OP and in this case it probably wouldn't have helped. (Although I come across a LOT of CHP cruisers just traveling with constant-on here in SoCal...)

I've never understood why they refuse to show the radar or LIDAR (assuming handheld). Obviously, if the radar is mounted in the vehicle, then it's impossible. Theoretically, they can add on a few MPH everytime and no one would know.

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Quoting That Guy

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Good thing for you is you stayed under 25, otherwise you'd be looking at the highest fine of $480 plus you would have likely lost your chance at automatically qualifying for traffic school. With only 23 over, your fine is at approximately $360 and there is no need to appear in court to beg for traffic school.

I'm assuming that he cited you for 22356, correct?

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Yes it reads 22356(b)vc -speeding

I did realize that going 25 over turns it into another beast of a ticket, which is why 90 was where i stuck the needle. i dont need an impounded car and possible jail time, but a fat ticket like this one isnt so great either...

Speaking of i received my fine amount and its a whopping $483 +59 for traffic school... A far cry from $360, but this is california.

Thing is normally i would have just bitten the bullet and paid it off. Now days with my wallet being a lot more fragile for many reasons, i am tempted to just apear and try to fight the ticket in hopes that i can plea bargain for a lesser fine... you guys are probably gonna tell me this is just wishful thinking haha

So far i havent had the chance to research into any recent speed surveys along that stretch but would it be worth spending the time to do so in my case? I guess a visit to the chp office to check the guns calibration schedule could help as well? is there another defense or approach i should use to increase my chances of a reduced fine or push it back to delay payments for a worthy amount of time?

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Quoting CenCaliChris

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Yes it reads 22356(b)vc -speeding

I did realize that going 25 over turns it into another beast of a ticket, which is why 90 was where i stuck the needle. i dont need an impounded car and possible jail time, but a fat ticket like this one isnt so great either...

Speaking of i received my fine amount and its a whopping $483 +59 for traffic school... A far cry from $360, but this is california.

Thing is normally i would have just bitten the bullet and paid it off. Now days with my wallet being a lot more fragile for many reasons, i am tempted to just apear and try to fight the ticket in hopes that i can plea bargain for a lesser fine... you guys are probably gonna tell me this is just wishful thinking haha

So far i havent had the chance to research into any recent speed surveys along that stretch but would it be worth spending the time to do so in my case? I guess a visit to the chp office to check the guns calibration schedule could help as well? is there another defense or approach i should use to increase my chances of a reduced fine or push it back to delay payments for a worthy amount of time?

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Interesting enough, and if you read more posts on this forum you'll realize this. When someone admits guilt here (the way you have) - but is looking for a way out/lesser fine (or hoping for a way out as you are), no one cares. It doesn't incite nearly the same anger among certain members.

If you say you weren't guilty, but are looking for advice, everyone gets mad and spends post after post telling you that you were.

The saying "truth is stranger than fiction", is true more often than not.

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Quoting Speedy Gonzalez

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Yes, but it is not real valuable for instant-on at close range. The cheapest solution is to obey the speed limit.

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You should probably stay between 10-15 under to offset the LIDAR sweep error (cosine effect is negligible in significance unless you're driving like Mario Andretti). Obeying the speed limit does not work with LIDAR unless it's used on a tripod, which it never is.

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Quoting lostintime

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You should probably stay between 10-15 under to offset the LIDAR sweep error (cosine effect is negligible in significance unless you're driving like Mario Andretti). Obeying the speed limit does not work with LIDAR unless it's used on a tripod, which it never is.

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...but 10-15 under gives the police a much easier ticket by popping you for impeding traffic or slow traffic stays right. Both of which don't apply if you're going the speed limit in California.