one moving violation and insurance

I just got a picture of myself in the mail, not stopping (well, I prefer to call it a California stop), at an intersection at a red light, when I was making a right hand turn. To be honest, I know I am guilty, I am not going to fight it, and even if I did the video/camera evidence will show me so flagrantly guilty..why bother.

Anyways, just wondering, if I have a 20 year clean history of no moving violations, and only one fender bender (where I was found at fault), is it worth it to go traffic school, in terms of raising my premiums on my auto insurance. In other words, how much will one moving violation worsen the premium for a 20 year clean driving history (minus one fender bender)?


I'll probably check with the insurance guy tomorrow, but just wondering if anyone here has a similar experience.

Go to traffic school and you can keep it off your insurance.

How can a STILL camera tell that you didn't stop before turning right though?

They tend to be a joke from what I've heard and you can take some of them on line. I have a friend who's car only has three speeds stop, fast, and pass the next guy no matter what.
He gets *lots* of tickets. He goes through the schools.

I wish it was just a still camera - looks like there is both still camera and video evidence.

I forgot to mention here in the great state of Kalifornia, traffic school won't get me out of the cost of the ticket, it will only get rid of the point.

So I am going to have pay $391, if I want to pay the ticket, and get the moving violation point, or pay $420, to pay the ticket, AND then go to traffic school.

There goes the money for a McClux TI Cree :sick2:

I know the laws here in Florida are different, but the one city I know of that has cameras at stop lights to give out tickets is NOT actually giving out "moving" violations. They are citing the offender for violating a city ordinance, so the ticket doesn't actually go on your driving record. Giving a ticket by camera here is illegal... I think. Probably different there, so just a thought.

Whether going to school is worth it is up to you. You still pay the ticket, cost of the school, lost of earnings, and have to sit through a days worth of boring talk. Only redeeming factor is that you have no points against your record. I went through one and it was a joke. Our class had roughly 12 or so and all we did was sit, talk and just whittle away the time. Being self-employed I lost anywhere from 300 - 450 for just that one day from service calls not including the cost of ticket and school, so that one day of school was NOT worth for me. BTW, you can attend traffic school only once every 18 months in CA. unless they changed the rules since I went in '93.

First thing you need to do is get the cash together for the ticket.. then take a video of the cash and mail it in to the DOL with a still frame shot of the cash. (this is just a joke)

Second (seriously) you need to start shopping other insurace companies online. Hit 5 or 6 quotes with all your information and your insurance company will find out that you are shopping around. Once they know you are looking elsewhere you are put on a list that holds (or even lowers) your current premiums in spite of any tickets. As long as it's not a claim, your rates should not go up for one violation. Start shopping.

In Silicon Valley (Santa Clara County) you can take the traffic school online, except for the final test which can be taken at any UPS Store. I finished the class in a few hours online while I was surfing around doing other things (like reading CPF) one night (it makes you wait a set time period between questions)...and then the next morning, it was about 10 minutes tops at the UPS store to finish the test and I was done....

Like allthatwhichis said, it may be different in CA, but here in MD you don't get points for red light cameras, as I understand it because they can't prove who was driving the car. The person to whom the car is registered just has to pay a fine- not $391 though, whew!

dude, what city was this in? I have done California stops on some occasions at known photo-enforced intersections, but never got cited for it, and I thought the cameras only took still pcs!!!

it sounds like some England-style Big Brother stuff though, looks like video survillance is spreading across the bond likea plague. :sigh:

when i get tickets i go to court speak to the prosecutor then 99.9% of time they give you a ticket called like failing to obey posted sign. its a higher fine but it doesnt come with points.. like your ticket might be 75 bucks lets say for the current violation but the plea it to a $150 ticket with no points.. its a scam the towns use to still bring in the revenue but it dont hurt your insurance although insurance companys got wise to this and if you get 2 of these in 2 years then you get a surcharge anyway.. so if its your 1st one the extra $75 might be cheaper than the surcharge..

270winchester said:

dude, what city was this in? I have done California stops on some occasions at known photo-enforced intersections, but never got cited for it, and I thought the cameras only took still pcs!!!

it sounds like some England-style Big Brother stuff though, looks like video survillance is spreading across the bond likea plague. :sigh:

Click to expand...

San Leandro.

Not only does the camera take videos, it also has a radar gun, showing the mph I "stopped" at .

Thanks everyone, looks like online traffic school is the way to go.

After I went through that intersection, and the interior of my car lit up like a Christmas tree from the camera flash, I thought to myself...busted...there goes the McLux Ti.