Speeding Ticket Route 17 Santa Cruz
My question involves a speeding ticket from the State of: California
I received a speeding ticket involving the infraction: 22350. No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property.
I was clocked going 61 in a 50. I will be contesting this violation through a written statement. I am planning on arguing that I was in fact going at a reasonable speed with regard to the above mentioned requirments. Is it worth mentioning that the speed limit change to 50 from 55 within 1 mile from where I was "radar-ed."
Any further advice would be greatly appreciated!
Re: Speeding Ticket Route 17 Santa Cruz
No... that's not worth mentioning. Neither is the defense you have thought of as you would have to prove that by competent authority... which you are not.
The first thing you should do is a search for 22350 defense on this site. There is a lot of good info. Second, you need to get a copy of the speed survey for the road you were on to see if you have a good speed trap defense. I'd bet that the odds are in your favor that the speed limit is unjustified.
Re: Speeding Ticket Route 17 Santa Cruz
I have read some of the info here about the 22350 and I'm wondering if the "30 question defense" is possible to use on paper since I will not be appearing in court. As for the speed zone survey where can I request that?
Re: Speeding Ticket Route 17 Santa Cruz
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Quoting
SarahBP1
I have read some of the info here about the 22350 and I'm wondering if the "30 question defense" is possible to use on paper since I will not be appearing in court. As for the speed zone survey where can I request that?
I think it is kinda hard to ask 30 questions and get 30 answers in a written document that will be submitted one time.
Call CALTRANS if it is a state road. If not a state road, maybe they can tell you who would have the survey.
Re: Speeding Ticket Route 17 Santa Cruz
So it wouldn't work if I wrote "The police officer will verify that it was a visible day, the roads were dry, my driving was not dangerous..." etc etc?
Re: Speeding Ticket Route 17 Santa Cruz
Quote:
Quoting
SarahBP1
So it wouldn't work if I wrote "The police officer will verify that it was a visible day, the roads were dry, my driving was not dangerous..." etc etc?
If you are relying on the cop to make your case for you in a written declaration, you are quite a trusting soul. Do it the right way. Don't be lazy.
Re: Speeding Ticket Route 17 Santa Cruz
I wasn't trying to take the easy way out, I was simply trying to fit that great 30 question technique into the modality I'm going to use. I'm going to pick up the speed survey on Monday and hopefully it will be useful. Can you explain what it is that I am looking for? I don't understand the whole 85% rational from what I've read. Thanks.
Re: Speeding Ticket Route 17 Santa Cruz
If you search on this forum there is already a thread that is quite long discussing speeding over highway 17 in Santa Cruz. That is a VERY dangerous road - always has been. That is why there are so many tickets issued there. Less paperwork than scraping people off the pavement.
Re: Speeding Ticket Route 17 Santa Cruz
Ok, so I now have the speed survey and the "critical speed" where I was pulled over is 55 which is 5 over the posted speed limit. I'm afraid that this wont matter bc in the recommendations section it states,
"Accident rates, roadside conditions not readily apparent to the driver and engineering judgment dictate retaining the existing 50-mph speed limit along this segment of the highway"
Am I screwed? I really feel like I was driving responsibly, I drive that road to work everyday and like i said earlier the speed limit dropped to 50 from 55 within a mile from where they clocked me!
Should I stick with the speed trap defense in my written argument or bail out?
Thanks.