Out-ofState Speeding Ticket

"Richard" > wrote in message
...
> This is the thing about attorneys that I really despise. Someone driving
> like this is just a moment away from wiping out some innocent family. He
> SHOULD lose his license, at least for some enough to let him think about
> his driving habits.
>
>> Matt
>
> Well, my current client has lost his driving rights in NYS. Based upon the
> fine and the time that has passed and the fact that he is a Canadian
> licensed driver there is a need to answer the tickets and to pay the fines
> and to reach an agreement on the points. It is not my job to do anything
> else but assist him so that the courts adequately administer his cases.
> Don't let your bias show so overtly against attorneys. It is the statutes
> and the courts that control, not the attorney who is doing his best to
> help someone thorough the system, especially someone who does not speak
> English or know anything about our civil law system.
>
> Richard.
That is IMHO an absurd response...even from an attorney.
First, your clients 'ignorance' of the law is no excuse. If he can not speak
English, what is he doing driving in a country where traffic control signs
are in English? suppose the numbers on that speed limit sign were in a
different language in Canada! Not!!

Richard wrote:

> "Matt Whiting" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Richard wrote:
>>
>>
>>>And even on the autobahn, it has been shown that lower speeds result in
>>>fewer accidents and fatalities.
>>>
>>>
>>>>Matt
>>>
>>>
>>>You have obliviously never driven on the autobahn. Our NYS Northway is
>>>much better designed for speed, with wider lanes, physical divisions
>>>between traffic moving in different directions, and better marked and
>>>planned exits. It was designed with an assumed posted speed of 75 mph and
>>>a designed enforcement limit of 85 mph.
>>
>>That is true, but I have driven in both England (lived there for 4 months)
>>and France. Their highways were in much better shape than almost anything
>>in NY or PA. I live in PA and work in NY and drive extensively in both
>>states.
>>
>>
>>
>>>But I agree that it is best to have traffic all moving in the same
>>>direction at about the same speed and would not like to see the limits
>>>removed from our roads; except for me of course.
>>
>>I wouldn't mind higher limits as long as they would strictly enforce the
>>limits, both too fast and too slow. It is the differential that kills
>>more so than the absolute speeds.
>>
>>
>>Matt
>
>
> Objectively speaking, people exceeding the speed limit in their vehicles are
> not a major reason for accidents and deaths on the highway. Number 1 is
> likely falling asleep at the wheel, followed by lack of full attention to
> the road [including having sex or eating or both, while driving], following
> too close, driving too fast for environmental conditions [rain, snow, ice
> and lack of adequate sight distances], and last but not least, legal and
> illegal drug and mood enhancement substances and beverages that impact
> attention and reaction times.

I don't doubt that a bit. I think all of these should be addressed to
the extent possible. However, I don't think that ignoring a chronic
speeder just because "there are worse things out there" is the answer.
Does that mean we shouldn't look at cures for the flu just because that
more people die from cancer and heart disease?

Matt

Dori A Schmetterling wrote:

> Some European police forces promise to enforce this but I wonder how many
> people are actually prosecuted...
>
> I hate tail-gating, especially at 90+ mph...

But drafting is MUCH more effective if you are within a car length of
the car ahead! :-)


Matt

Matt Whiting wrote:

> Richard wrote:
>
>> "Matt Whiting" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> Richard wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> And even on the autobahn, it has been shown that lower speeds result
>>>> in fewer accidents and fatalities.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Matt
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> You have obliviously never driven on the autobahn. Our NYS Northway
>>>> is much better designed for speed, with wider lanes, physical
>>>> divisions between traffic moving in different directions, and better
>>>> marked and planned exits. It was designed with an assumed posted
>>>> speed of 75 mph and a designed enforcement limit of 85 mph.
>>>
>>>
>>> That is true, but I have driven in both England (lived there for 4
>>> months) and France. Their highways were in much better shape than
>>> almost anything in NY or PA. I live in PA and work in NY and drive
>>> extensively in both states.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> But I agree that it is best to have traffic all moving in the same
>>>> direction at about the same speed and would not like to see the
>>>> limits removed from our roads; except for me of course.
>>>
>>>
>>> I wouldn't mind higher limits as long as they would strictly enforce
>>> the limits, both too fast and too slow. It is the differential that
>>> kills more so than the absolute speeds.
>>>
>>>
>>> Matt
>>
>>
>>
>> Objectively speaking, people exceeding the speed limit in their
>> vehicles are not a major reason for accidents and deaths on the
>> highway. Number 1 is likely falling asleep at the wheel, followed by
>> lack of full attention to the road [including having sex or eating or
>> both, while driving], following too close, driving too fast for
>> environmental conditions [rain, snow, ice and lack of adequate sight
>> distances], and last but not least, legal and illegal drug and mood
>> enhancement substances and beverages that impact attention and
>> reaction times.
>
>
> I don't doubt that a bit. I think all of these should be addressed to
> the extent possible. However, I don't think that ignoring a chronic
> speeder just because "there are worse things out there" is the answer.
> Does that mean we shouldn't look at cures for the flu just because that
> more people die from cancer and heart disease?
>
> Matt

Speed generally isn't a problem *at all* - it's not a matter of
prioritizing, it's a matter of some things being problems and other
things not being problems.

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

Does that mean we shouldn't look at cures for the flu just because that
more people die from cancer and heart disease?
>
> Matt

Not at all. I just though that people who take a black and white position on
penalty and repentance issues should have a bit of understanding that
enforcement is often based upon a priority system that has less to do with
protecting the public's safety than with the politics of collecting revenue
via law enforcement. Speeders are the easy target so they get the
enforcement priority. But I bet our honest law enforcement officers feel
that they had a good day at the office when the get a truly stoned or drunk
driver off the road.

Richard.

"PC Medic" > wrote in message
news:8V7Qd.63436$jn.61672@lakeread06...
>
That is IMHO an absurd response...even from an attorney.


First, your clients 'ignorance' of the law is no excuse.
[When did I say that?]

If he can not speak English, what is he doing driving in a country where
traffic control signs
are in English?
[My reference to being a foreign language speaker was in the context of
needing assistance negotiating the court system, not in reference to being
able to read road signs; do I now detect that it is not just lawyers that
draw your ire?]

Suppose the numbers on that speed limit sign were in a
different language in Canada! Not!!
[Well, actually the numbers in Canada with reference to speed limits are
metric and Canadian vehicles apparently do not display mph as well as kmp.
Most US cars still do even though Ronald Regan's team eliminated that
mandate one week after he took office; not that that would be an excuse,
mind you].
>
>
Richard.

Richard wrote:

> Does that mean we shouldn't look at cures for the flu just because that
> more people die from cancer and heart disease?
>
>>Matt
>
>
> Not at all. I just though that people who take a black and white position on
> penalty and repentance issues should have a bit of understanding that
> enforcement is often based upon a priority system that has less to do with
> protecting the public's safety than with the politics of collecting revenue
> via law enforcement. Speeders are the easy target so they get the
> enforcement priority. But I bet our honest law enforcement officers feel
> that they had a good day at the office when the get a truly stoned or drunk
> driver off the road.

That may well be true, however, you are missing the point. This is
completely avoidable. If your client had been driving 65 (or even 69 in
most places), the police would have not ticketed him. I'm amazed that
even an attorney will go to such great lengths to justify illegal
behavior. As I said before, if you don't like the law, lobby to get it
changed. That is what motorcyclists in PA did recently. They got a
long-standing helmet law repealed. I personally think helmets are a
good idea and always wear mine and I didn't have any problem with the
law that required them, however, I have a lot of respect for the people
who took this issue on. Rather than just being outlaws, they fought for
what they believed in and made a difference. But that takes a lot more
work than just being an outlas...


Matt

Richard wrote:


> [Well, actually the numbers in Canada with reference to speed limits are
> metric and Canadian vehicles apparently do not display mph as well as kmp.
> Most US cars still do even though Ronald Regan's team eliminated that
> mandate one week after he took office; not that that would be an excuse,
> mind you].

Well, if your client had been driving 95 kph, he'd have had no trouble
with speed in NYS! You do realize what 90+ mph is in kph, don't you?
Hint, it is three digits.


Matt

Richard wrote:
> "PC Medic" > wrote in message
> news:8V7Qd.63436$jn.61672@lakeread06...
>>snip
[Well, actually the numbers in Canada with reference to speed limits are
metric and Canadian vehicles apparently do not display mph as well as kmp.
>
>>SNIP
> Richard.
>
>
All Canadian vehicle speedometers display both kilometers and miles, and all
Canadians know that speed limits in US are posted in MPH. All Canadian can
convert kilometers to miles in their heads in about 1 microsecond.

Your client knew he was breaking the law in a big way.

On Tue, 15 Feb 2005, Richard wrote:

> [Well, actually the numbers in Canada with reference to speed limits are
> metric and Canadian vehicles apparently do not display mph as well as
> kmp.

There is no such thing as "kmp". Kilometres per hour is abbreviated
"KM/H". Canadian-market cars virtually all have both KM/H and MPH
calibrations on the speedometers, as is the case in the US (though
Canadian cars have the KM/H scale larger than the MPH scale, while in the
US it's the other way round).