The Top Traffic Ticket Excuses – These are Terrible! What NOT to Say During a Traffic Stop

The AAA reported in their March/April 2020 issue of the AAA Magazine The Top Traffic Ticket Excuses offered by motorists upon receipt of a summons for a Moving Violation. They surveyed 1,000 drivers and asked what they said when pulled over for speeding. AAA reports that, “according to a recent survey by CarInsurance.com, the most common reasons respondents give for speeding are:”

Be forewarned friends and clients, these excuses are terrible. NEVER use them if and when a Police Officer pulls you over for a traffic stop. We don’t understand why AAA published these “excuses.”  Following are poor excuses respondents used according to the survey published. They sound reasonable. They are NOT. I will follow with a section on what you should do when pulled over for speeding by the Police.

Here goes. According to the CarInsurance.com survey results published in AAA’s magazine, “common reasons respondents give to the Police Officer for speeding are:

24% didn’t realize they were speeding.

18% were late for work.

14% said they were going as fast as everyone else.

11% were late to pick up or drop off a child.

11% blamed a medical emergency.

11% didn’t see a speed limit sign.

 9% had to use the bathroom.”

My clients often say “I wasn’t going THAT fast.”

What you may notice is that most, if not all of these quotes are ways of saying, “yes I was speeding.” Not a good idea to say anything remotely like, “Yes, officer, I was speeding and here is why…” The statements above look like 100% guilty if you ask me.

So. What should you say when caught speeding? Don’t say anything. Our clients are trained to stay calm. Say nothing. Calmly provide your license and registration when asked. Accept the ticket and drive away. Do not speak to the officer. Clearly, do not start making excuses for your behavior. As you see from the CarInsurance survey results, the excuses above admit guilt. We do not want you telling the Police Officer that you are guilty during a traffic stop. Everything you say can and may be used against you. The safest approach, your best traffic ticket attorney’s approach is to say nothing. You don’t want to give the officer a reason to remember you or the car.

The Police Officer is not your friend. S(he) just pulled you over for speeding. A high percentage of motorists pulled over for speeding are issued summonses for speeding. They are not issued warnings. You probably will not be given a second chance. No do-overs. Speeding tickets can carry a lot of points. From 3 points to 11 points on your license. Three speeding tickets within an 18-month period of time will result in an automatic revocation of your license. Speeding is a serious offense. Do not speed. If you are pulled over for speeding or anything else (cellphone, red-light). do not panic. Do not blurt out guilty statements, or excuses. Stay safe. If you are issued a summons for a speeding ticket, call Michael Block Attorney at Law P.C. at (212) 227-9008. Take a picture of your ticket and text it to our office cell phone (516) 960-8436. Or email a picture of the ticket to michaelblock.law@gmail.com. Don’t forget to give us your phone number. We will help you figure out your best next steps. You do the driving. Leave the arguing with Police Officers, Judges and Assistant District Attorneys to us.

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