Should I go to traffic school in CA?

james.edgar

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I "accidentally" went by a stop sign but thankfully I can still take traffic school. I have a clean record

Should I even do it? I feel a stop sign ticket shouldn't increase my insurance right? Technically non-moving violation (jk)

After doing a quick search, I've come across one called Best Online Traffic School (frankly they all say best or cheapest LOL ).

Any experiences?
 

flee

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The first step IMO is to appear in court, but get the allowed date extensions first.
There is always the possibility that the officer won't show up and you then go free.
If you are found guilty then do attend traffic school - online if possible. No brainer. ;)
 

IndigoBlueWagon

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Years ago a friend introduced me to the concept of "fight every ticket" regardless of guilt. That's what I've done and managed to not have any moving violation stick on my record (or insurance) as a result. Anything you can do to keep a clean record, including traffic school, is worth it.
 

2000alhVW

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Years ago a friend introduced me to the concept of "fight every ticket" regardless of guilt. That's what I've done and managed to not have any moving violation stick on my record (or insurance) as a result. Anything you can do to keep a clean record, including traffic school, is worth it.
Fight every ticket, absolutely.
100% ^^^^

Any chance to sit on the hot seat, I take it.

No idea how CA works. Real sorry to hear you have to attend "traffic school" over a stop sign violation. Wild.

I personally would try to avoid it due to cost, but a clean record in 2 years is typically worth more than a couple hundred $ now.

Also wouldn't be surprised if "a couple hundred $" is more like $600......
 

IndigoBlueWagon

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In MA surcharges for moving violations last seven years. That's painful.
 

kjclow

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NC is three years for moving violations and/or at fault accidents. Unless you're really a bad driver, then they can stick it to you for up to seven years.
 

2000alhVW

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in MD, points stick for 2 years, but the offense stays recorded indefinitely as far as I know.
I think the points are only valid for government purposes, such as the threshold at which your license is suspended, revoked, etc. But insurance can penalize you for 3 years for violations, and 5 years for collisions I believe.

As far as it being recorded, the judge can use it against you in court indefinitely. I've been in court, and the judge will ask someone "is this your first offense?" the person replies "Yes! I don't speed. I've been a driver for 10 years and never gotten a ticket!"
The judge says 'well how about that warning you got in 2009?'
 

kjclow

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NC has a scale for the points and how it effects your insurance premiums. When I hit the guardrail with my wife's corolla, I was not ticketed but due to the costs of repairs I was assigned points and higher premiums for three years.
 

bizzle

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Traffic school is $10 bucks and about ten minutes of your time.

You can only do it once every 18 months, but other than that I can't think of any downside to doing it to keep it off your record.

I've never seen CHP fail to appear so I wouldn't count on that. I have even seen CHP show for a ticket that was written for a tag on a pickup that wasn't expired but the person had removed the shell to sell it that day without going to the DMV for commercial tags! The CHP even brought in his notebook from that day...two years after the traffic stop.
 

flee

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It would be less likely to get a stop sign ticket (OP's concern) from the CHP but not
unheard of. Even the CHP can make a mistake on a ticket or cite you in error, right?
I have had good results by appearing in court on a ticket from local police, FWIW.
 

bizzle

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I thought the OP was asking whether he should take traffic school for this specific ticket.
Going to traffic school is a completely different matter from contesting the citation.

OP can contest the ticket via mail or in person and still attend traffic school if he loses, so there is no downside to recommending he take traffic school if he is found guilty of the violation. There is also no downside to fighting the ticket, other than the time involved.

Strategies in contesting the ticket are a separate issue from what was being asked, but since the topic was raised I thought it important to point out that if you go into a courtroom with nothing more than an expectation that the citing officer won't show up or a flimsy defense like the officer is simply mistaken that you blew through a stop sign (ignoring for the time being this person admitted he ran the stop sign in this thread and very well may have told the officer it was done "accidentally," which will be an unassailable admission of guilt in the courtroom) then you will have effectively wasted your entire day for no good reason.
 

flee

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(edit)
Strategies in contesting the ticket are a separate issue from what was being asked, but since the topic was raised I thought it important to point out that if you go into a courtroom with nothing more than an expectation that the citing officer won't show up or a flimsy defense like the officer is simply mistaken that you blew through a stop sign (ignoring for the time being this person admitted he ran the stop sign in this thread and very well may have told the officer it was done "accidentally," which will be an unassailable admission of guilt in the courtroom) then you will have effectively wasted your entire day for no good reason.
Bizzle, it is interesting that you base this statement on no fewer than
three assumptions you yourself create. Is it actually helpful?:confused:
 

kjclow

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By signing the ticket the officer hands you, you are admitting guilt.
 
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