Speeding ticket questions...

First of all, if you are going to/from Santa Cruz on highway 17, the speed limit near Lexington Reservoir is 50 mph. But, since it is flat and straight there, almost everybody drives 65 (or more), especially northbound (that is, going towards San Jose).  I live near the summit and drive into San Jose almost every day, and other than bad weather or traffic, I never drive less than 60 mph on 17 near Lexington.

On August 12, I was driving my wife's Tesla Model Y into town, and just as I was passing somebody, I noticed a motorcycle cop on the side of the road with speed gun pointed at me, and I knew I was toast. I was ticket for going 73 mph in a 50 mph zone.

Now to the questions...

The ticket says that I'm supposed to respond by October 16, but searching online, no such ticket exists. How long does it take for the ticket to show up? Is it necessary to constantly check to see if the ticket has been put into the system, or will I be notified when that happens, or will they just come and arrest me?

I got a speeding ticket last August and it took more than 2 weeks before it's registered in court.

I have not had a ticket in Santa Cruz, but all the other jurisdictions I've received speeding tickets, it takes many weeks, months for them to get it up on the system.  There should be an FAQ on the website of whichever police organization it is.  Worst case you all and ask them.  When possible, I take traffic school to get out of the ticket, you still pay a fine, but doesn't hit your auto insurance.

Good Luck Speedy!
Brian.

Good Luck Speedy!

Despite my username, I've not received a speeding ticket since I was in my early 20s, and that was in WA State. It was an obvious speed trap zone, similar to where Mark got tagged. 55mph, down to 35, up to 45,  back to 35... Over the course of a few miles, all on a back road that should be 55 the whole way.

Neither here nor there, but the only ticket I've been issued in CA was for window tint. I had just moved to Concord - had been there less than a week. Was commuting on hwy 24 to Alameda, Saturday morning around 6:30. I am doing about 70 in the #2 lane, and I noticed a group of 8 or so sport bikes coming up fast behind me. I sit patiently as 7 bikes FLY past me, all going easily over 100. I think "seems like there was at least one more..." and all of a sudden blue lights behind me. The last one was a motorcycle cop. Ugh. I pull over and he is giving me the glare before I even say anything. He asks me to roll my window up partially, and he sticks the device on, and says my front windows are too dark. I ask him what about the speeding bikes he was tailing, and he gets grumpy and tells me not to worry about them, and that he pulled me over for my safety. Windows were 30% - net even that dark! Anyway, he tells me to go to the courthouse in 2 weeks to resolve the ticket, so two weeks later, I head down there. Stand in line for 2.5 hours, just to get told that they don't have the ticket yet, check back in two more weeks. Same drill the next time, and finally the 3rd time they have the ticket. They give me a slip to take to the PD to get signed off that I've removed the tint, and I take the signed slip back to the courthouse to wait in line 3 hours again, all to pay a $20 fix it fine.  Ugh....

Good luck Mark, hopefully you get this resolved quickly.

My wife got a speeding ticket a couple of years ago and took an online traffic school.  You were still required to pay the fine.

Paul

You can ask Caltrans for a copy of the speed survey for that section of road, and if it turns out to be 65MPH you would only be a little over. I work in a public works department, and we are required to have current speed surveys for our major roads. I'm assuming Caltrans has to do the same but not sure.

Maybe our retired Caltrans bridge engineer knows.

You can ask Caltrans for a copy of the speed survey for that section of road, and if it turns out to be 65MPH you would only be a little over. I work in a public works department, and we are required to have current speed surveys for our major roads. I'm assuming Caltrans has to do the same but not sure.

Maybe our retired Caltrans bridge engineer knows.

huh?  the survey date over-rides the black and white regulatory sign telling us the speed limit?

You can ask Caltrans for a copy of the speed survey for that section of road, and if it turns out to be 65MPH you would only be a little over. I work in a public works department, and we are required to have current speed surveys for our major roads. I'm assuming Caltrans has to do the same but not sure.

Maybe our retired Caltrans bridge engineer knows.

huh?  the survey date over-rides the black and white regulatory sign telling us the speed limit?

Sounds like evidence to bring to a judge. Not sure how far that would go though, arguing against the posted limit.

Also, I think Cal Trans does the survey, and provides the data, but the municipality sets the actual posted limit. Concord City Council just changed a bunch of speed limits around town, and Concord PD outreach made posts on social media about it. Not sure who the municipality for hwy 17 is, probably the county.

Thanks for the info and suggestions. I’ll do traffic school, but it seems there is no ticket until it gets entered into their computer system, and that has not happened yet. It’s been over 2 months now, and searching online, some people say it can take a lot longer, which seems a bit wacky.

My wife says I should go to court. A couple years ago, she got a ticket for running a stop sign, went to court, and the judge reduced the fine before she could even say a word. I’m guessing that the judge didn’t want to deal with an angry Asian woman. In my case, I don’t have anything to dispute, so I can’t see it being worthwhile.

Anyways, avoid the speed trap on NB 17!

wait until the bitter end. 

I think if it doenst show up, it goes bye bye.   the officer maybe didnt log it?

certainly dont call early and volunteer the citation number.  haha. 

my last ticket was last Dec.  got pinched in New Mexico driving faster looking for a bathroom.  I had a mahjong table blocking my rear view so I didnt see him there clocking me phycically with his own speedo. 

wait until the bitter end. 

I think if it doenst show up, it goes bye bye.   the officer maybe didnt log it?

certainly dont call early and volunteer the citation number.  haha. 

my last ticket was last Dec.  got pinched in New Mexico driving faster looking for a bathroom.  I had a mahjong table blocking my rear view so I didnt see him there clocking me phycically with his own speedo.

Yes, I plan to lay low and hope for the best.

Getting a ticket while looking for a bathroom sounds like a worst-case scenario. Hopefully, the cop was quick...

Good Luck Speedy!

Despite my username, I've not received a speeding ticket since I was in my early 20s, and that was in WA State. It was an obvious speed trap zone, similar to where Mark got tagged. 55mph, down to 35, up to 45,  back to 35... Over the course of a few miles, all on a back road that should be 55 the whole way.

Here's my other speed trap story, and it's even fishing-related...

Many years ago, I was taking a 2-week summer school class at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. I decided to play hooky one day and make a trip to the Miracle Mile area of the North Platte River. I headed west on I-80, exited at Sinclair, WY, and headed north on gravel roads. I got a ticket for doing 40 in 25 mph zone. I was baffled, as I could have sworn that I'd just seen a speed limit sign for 45 mph. So, after the cop finished writing me up, I backtracked a bit, and noticed that there were a bunch of nonsensical changes in the speed limit (rural area, no cross roads, etc.) from 25 to 45. In fact, the speed reductions seemed to be strategically placed so as to be less noticeable and to give the cops nice hiding places. They could have given a ticket to almost everybody passing through. Of course, nobody is going to go back to the middle of nowhere in Wyoming just to fight a ticket, so it was probably the biggest source of income for the local government...

Just because it isn’t online doesn’t guarantee it isn’t in the court system. If it is and you don’t do what they say, it will lead to higher fees.

Just because it isn’t online doesn’t guarantee it isn’t in the court system. If it is and you don’t do what they say, it will lead to higher fees.

That would contradict everything I've seen online. This is typical, and it is wrt Santa Clara County, where the ticket was issued. It seems to me that as of now, if I go to the courthouse or wait on hold for eons, they'll just look it up in the same database that I can query, where the ticket does not exist.

I plan to wait and see...

The LEO has up to one year to submit the ticket, else it is void.
Ask me how I know.

Keep checking every week or so...mine is nearly 6 months in and still not in system