Regional Airline Applicant with Upcoming Driving Violation. Advice needed!

Correct, the NC Highway patrol does not issue warnings. However, if you’re within 7 miles an hour of the limit they generally won’t do anything about it. I get a ticket every other year, which means I can get it reduced to improper equipment. But I did know a guy running 27 miles an hour over the speed limit In a 70 mile an hour zone and he had to do community service.

 

My days of ground flying are long past. I set the cruise at 7 over, turn up the tunes, and enjoy the ride. Other than a school zone, no cop anywhere is going to bother you for 7 over.

 

I just drive crappy cars. To the point where I don’t get pulled over because of the officer’s innate fear of then having a stranded motorist to assist!

 

Is your lawyer a local? Often times there is a pretty comfortable relationship between judges and Attys. I got a hefty speeding ticket in VA. I called the court to ask how to pay and was told it was a felony ticket due to being >X mph over the limit. Googled the specific violation code and the city the court was in. 3 or 4 firms showed up as handling those cases. Talked to one of them, wrote him a large check and got hit with a large fine for --- wait for it --- an inoperative brake light. No record, no insurance hit etc. It was basically a way for the lawyer to make $$, and the county court to make $$.

 

Back in the days of 55mph speed limits I used to do that on the freeway from time the time. The most egregious was on the way up to San Francisco I was behind a line of cars going a solid 90. One by one the cars dropped out to exit until I was tailing a state trooper at 90mph on a 55mph freeway.

I got either really lucky or really good when I rode my 954rr which I affectionately called The Death Machine. I routinely did triple digit speed on all kinds of roads (often by accident!), never got caught.

I can't believe the FAA gives a rat's assay about speeding tickets. I think they lay the heavy hadn't where alcohol is involved.

 

Unless, of course, you're on a sportbike. Then it's much much too slow.

 

I had a plutonium foot in my younger days and pegged more than one sports-car speedometer on nearly deserted highways (Blewett Pass was my favorite). However, I did not have my entire future employment at risk, and I ignored the potential death thing.

As a past habitual excessive speeder, 91 in a 55 is not a one time thing. I know it, you know it, and anyone you try to convince will know it too. 91 in a 55 is a culmination of a habitual practice for which you were never busted. If I was a judge and heard you claim it was a one-time event, I'd throw the book at you.

Come clean. Say it was stupid and reckless and puts your entire future employment at risk. Now that you understand THAT, you will never do it again. This was my wake-up call. I've been scared straight. Today I transition from kid to adult. Yada, yada, yada, ...

All that said, I do wish you luck with your future and hope this event does not derail your plans.

 

Could I challenge you to drive through a couple of small towns near where I live at seven over the limit?

In one town in particular you may even get towed if your attitude stinks ...

 

That works!

Officer says, "you need to shut your vehicle off."

That's when I ask, "you got some jumper cables?"

 

If you are on a sport motorcycle (called a kill me quick in some law enforcement circles) doing 91 mph the situation is call suicidal instead of ridiculous behavior.

 

Agreed. Set the cruise control at 8 MPH over the limit on the highway in case trying to maintain a constant airspeed is difficult. imho, 8 MPH will still have traffic whizzing past you on the left but you likely are fast enough to feel mostly safe. Doing the actual speed limit on a highway to me feels very unsafe because really nobody drives that. 8 MPH over the speed limit (on a highway) and I do not even hit the brakes on the rare occasion I pass a Police monitoring the traffic.
Assuming VFR conditions. IFR then reduce speed accordingly and possible ground yourself and wait it out.

If I need to pass a tractor trailer then I do so expeditiously with max thrust. I do not feel safe sitting next to a tractor trailer while I slowly pass it and am willing to take the risk of getting pulled over and would attempt to explain that one to a Police Officer. Once passed and with good clearance than I pull back over and resume my intended speed.

 

Maybe you just need a driver ...

 

Forgetting it was a notorious speed trap, I once got a ticket for 31 in a 25 zone in Shoshone, Idaho

The little town sits in the middle of a hundred mile stretch of arrow-straight high desert highway, but in town they drop the speed limit to 25 for a stretch of road roughly the length of the police cruiser they keep parked there.

 

I was a traffic court bailiff for a couple years, and appeared as a witness (citing officer) many times over the years. In my experience (albeit limited to one county), judges don’t care if you talk directly to them, or if your attorney speaks for you, or even appears without you being present. A local attorney will know the particulars of that court and judge and may very well get you a better deal than you could on your own.

 

As I've heard him say many times, "The older you get, the less of your life you're throwing away!"

 

Many moons ago I was returning home and it was early morning after spending the night at one of the food processing plants that we serviced. Coming though a small town & seeing a 45 sign I continued with my 45 mph only to be stopped for going 45 in a 35. Seems the sign was for highway 45. OK my bad.

The officer was kind enough to write me for careless driving and said that this wouldn't effect the points on my license (I was in a commercial vehicle). But ... the cost of the ticket was $280.00! A lot of money at the time.

"Sometimes they say that you eat the bear. But sometimes the bear eats you" - J. Croce

 

91 mph is nice, but to really make a dent in your driving record you need one of these:

https://www.dodge.com/competitive-compare/challenger.html

 

I think those would struggle doing 91 in one of these:

 

^^^^This. ^^^^

I do the same thing. The left front tire blows and the truck might make a hard left turn, taking out all vehicles next to it. I'll also wait until I pass the truck by myself. It bothers me to follow another vehicle while passing a big truck.

 

If you look at the shrinking mortality in the US, it is not being caused by old people not living as long, it being caused by younger people who aren’t reaching age 75.

 

Yup, My wife got a ticket for 25 over in VA (called Reckless - Speeding here) Greater than 15 over is a criminal charge rather than a traffic infraction. Got a referral to a local lawyer experienced at the specific court, paid money (a little more than the normal fine) and when we got there the lawyer and the prosecutor had agreed pleading guilty to failure to obey a posted sign was appropriate. Never had to see the judge.

My $0.02, find a good lawyer who knows the court and listen to him.

 

Since another thread mentions ChatGPT, I figured I'd let it weigh in:

"Son, I know you may have thought you were just going with the flow of traffic, but going 91 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone is extremely dangerous and illegal. Not only did you put yourself at risk, but you also put other drivers on the road in danger. You got pulled over and received a ticket for your actions, which is a very serious matter.

Speeding is one of the leading causes of car accidents and fatalities on the road. Not only does it increase the likelihood of a crash, but it also increases the severity of any injuries that may occur.

You need to understand that getting a ticket is not just a minor inconvenience. It can have serious consequences, such as increased insurance rates, points on your driver's license, and even fines.

I expect you to take this as a learning experience and to be more mindful of the speed limit in the future. Always remember to drive safely and responsibly, not only for your own sake, but also for the safety of others on the road."

 

And this is coming from someone based in Chicagoland where 10 over makes one the slowest car on the road!

 

So my 157 in a 70 is looked at how?

Two separate vehicles, but both the same color: Can't-catch-me-Yellow.

 

It's not looked at. You were too fast to see.

 

A solid amateur effort that shows some promise.

 

I have gone faster, but that was at MIS.

 

I’d definitively try and get it down to reckless driving. Suspensions, revocations and DUIs within the past 5 years come back on an NDR request.

Get a lawyer to plead your case. I got a speeding ticket for 60 in a 40 construction zone once. Was a $360 ticket and I needed to get it below $100 in order to not have a “moral waiver” request with my Army WOFT packet. Local lawyer I met outside the court room took my case to the judge. He ruled $99 and plead no contest. It can work.

I’m not gonna be too harsh of a critic of your speeding. While a poor decision I don’t necessarily think it was an unsafe one depending on the circumstances. I’ve driven close to a 130 mph on the autobahn before and that’s slow in some areas. Yes, this ain’t the autobahn but if you have a well maintained car (tires)and the road conditions are safe, 91 mph isn’t a big deal.

 

Almost could be a new thread fastest observed ground speed. Almost...

 

Might need to be under Confidential Subjects...

 

Way back in 1969, I was sent to learn how to fly C-130s at an Air Force Base just south of Nashville. There was a small town there (way much bigger now) on highway 41, Smyrna, Tennessee, that had a huge billboard as you entered the town. "Mayor Sam Riddle welcomes you to Smyrna, Tennessee, where the speed limit is 45 miles per hour!" This little town had several patrol cars, and 46 mph was going to get you a speeding ticket. I think the judge was the mayor's brother, too.

 

I got to fly the C-130 simulator at Sewart AFB in 1966. And I never got a speeding ticket in Smyrna, fortunately.

 

I would get the attorney, pay the $$, try to get it down some. Of course I’m not negating the infraction, most of us have done things, though the ‘record’ remained clean.

Right now, at the regional level, you can likely explain it away, ‘assuming’ the rest of your record is clean.

As you strive to go up the ladder, keep things spotless, put some time between the event.

 

Back in my ''days of thunder'' days, I had plenty of speeding tickets as well as several non-moving violations. (national 55 mph speed limit sucked) Also for some reason pulling a race car seemed to attract a lot of attention.

When I started flying, one company wanted my driving record. I was pretty nervous about that. But for some strange reason, my record only showed a fraction of the violations I actually received.

 

Yep, always curious people looking over the race car.

A buddy and I used to play a game when we were trailering. It seemed that people were always asking some variant of "How fast will it go?" We'd start out with 140, which was close to true, and then each time it happened we'd add 10mph until someone called BS. I think the highest we ever got was 200 for his Spec Racer Ford. We never got close to that with my RX7; I think 170 or so was our best.

 

When I got stopped for speeding in North Carolina it became obvious that the system was rigged. It was one of those places where the speed limit dropped a lot for no apparent reason. Since it was than something like 16 mph over the limit, I was required to either appear in court or be represented by an attorney in my absence. When I got home to Vermont a few days later I already had solicitations from attorneys to represent me and get the charges reduced. When all was said and done I paid about 250 bucks for defective equipment and no points. I thoroughly believe that the fine was split equally among the county court, the county police, and the lawyer. It's really a good system for all of them.

 

That used to be a big problem in Texas. Small towns would drop the speed limit 10 to 15 mph one mile outside of town and sit there and write tickets all day. Calvert and Nolanville comes to mind. Since a lot of soldiers went through Nolanville on their way to Ft Hood that was big business.

Then several years ago the state came out and announced that the agency that wrote the ticket would only be able to collect 2 bucks from each ticket. That pretty much put an end to that racket. I am not sure that is still in effect now.

 

That'll get you a ticket in my area of west Texas. Speed limit is 80 outside of town, and highway patrol has never liked it being that high ... they'll "light flash" you at 3-4 over and pull you over after 5 mph.

Had a semi blow one of his split rim tires when I was exactly beside him ... MAN that was loud and I can't believe none of that mess hit my vehicle

 

Yulp ... semi lost some tire tread (gator) on a four lane as I was passing him on a motorcycle. That will get your attention!

 

I can't imagine that on a motorcycle.

I used to ride in town but stopped as drivers in El Paso aren't very good. Was on I-10 when the vehicle in front dropped a 2 x 4 directly in front of me. Prior to motorcycle license I took the motorcycle riding class at the community college (I know, I rode dirt bikes forever, but it made license and insurance easier). They used to throw 2 x 4s in front of us on day 2 teaching us how to ride over them, and eventually straight at the curb, so the freeway incident ended up being a non-event.