[OAC_Sparky]

When was your last ticket and when do you renew your insurance?

Tickets stay on your record for 3 years. If your court date is set after your insurance renewal date, the infraction won't be on your record for another year. (Tip: The ticket doesn't show on your record until after the court precedings are done, but the 3 years it stays on your record starts the day the ticket was issued.) If your previous ticket is two years or more ago, it will roll off before the other shows.

While fighting the ticket can be a good thing, remember that most of that train of thought was from when cops were not compensated for their court time. A lot of times now the court actually schedules trials so that all the cases for a particular cop is on the same day. IF the cop does show, there's a good chance that you'll get hit with the whole shebang. There'll be no second chances.

Likely this being a roadside speedtrap (ie. cop set up standing on the side of the road flagging you over), there had been neighbourhood complaints, and you weren't the only one pulled over that day. I got nailed one time, same type trap, the cop was nailing drivers driving into brilliant morning sun. I literally couldn't see my instrument panel, it was that bright (not a valid excuse for speeding, but the cop knew what he was doing when he was doing it). I got a 22 over, chose Option 2 got it reduced to 15 over no points. But the cop was there, if I'd gone to trial right there I'd been screwed.

So, you've got a 90% chance of getting a reduced ticket with Option #2 (guilty with an excuse), a 50% chance of getting it thrown out on Option #3. How lucky do you feel?