Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Branches Capitol CEG First Ticket in VA - and speed limit posting issues!!

Well I sold the condo in Sterling and moved in with the in-laws... We just bought a house and settle on the 26th of April, I cant wait!! Will still be in MD but hey, what can you do when VA's housing prices have skyrocketed out of my price range...

We'll confirmed it is DEFINTELY a 35!! in both directions - in fact there was a 35MPH sign 2 ft from where the officer was sitting(other side of street) and about 200ft from where he pulled me over. Additionally the farthest point to which the officer could have clocked me (b/c of big hill) - is defintely 35MPH as well.

However, the location the officer wrote on the ticket is WAY off - he wrote 2900 wilson blvd and the entire area there is 6900. This seems too contrived - possibly he saw my out of state plates and figured I wouldn't know the area. Either way I'll plan to fight it in court (April 24th!!) - Keep your finger's crossed...

Don't admit to going over 35MPH..if you do, it's speeding anyway, they'll find you guilty.

I'd suggest planting seeds of doubt...that is, if the officer didn't get the address correct, didn't get the posted speed limit correct, then what are the chances he's gotten your actual speed correct? (Rader guns don't exactly tell which car they're measuring the speed of)

Brian

Hey B. We all know (according to Road & Track) that laser guns don't work either. They have the tendancy to "miss calc" speed as per where it is pointed at the car. For example if the operator points the gun at your bumper then moves it slighty up (car hits a bump) in the time it's tracked on your car it can give a speed upwards of 12mph above what you are doing. I don't trust any of them and if a cop wants to be a plick he pretty much knows he can get away with it. I mean who are they going to believe and all that.

Are you sure it's 35mph in MD? I've seen signs in residential areas that say it's 25mph + I went to "driving school" for a ticket and they said "All residential areas are 25mph".

In Illinois I think business areas are 35MPH, residential are 25MPH (unless otherwise posted). In Virginia both are 25MPH (unless otherwise posted).

Brian