Experiences fighting and avoiding traffic tickets in and around campus?

Colleges & Universities University of Michigan
1

Recently, I went to an informal hearing to fight a traffic ticket for an improper turn near campus. I turned right on red, and there was a “No turn on red” sign posted. The case was dismissed because the officer didn’t show up.

Has this happened to anybody else? Has anybody been able to get out of tickets for other reasons.

To avoid tickets, I avoid Broadway. Any other advice might be helpful.

2

Broadway speeding tickets are easy to contest because of the railway that runs parallel to the road. If you pull up the manufacturer menu of almost any police radars, they all clearly state that if there’s a significantly larger object that move in the same direction of your car within like 500 feet, it could pick up the speed of that instead. Match it to the train schedule and claim it must be the XX:XX train. I might or might not have used this defense and might or might not have only paid the court fee and no fine.

3

EDIT: for some reason I was thinking Plymouth when you said Broadway. That’s what I meant.

Nowadays I just use a radar detector, especially going on highways. I have the following model… works like a charm
http://www.amazon.com/Escort-Passport-9500ix-Detector-Display/dp/B001F0RPGG/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1425937868&sr=1-5&keywords=police+radar+detector

4

Ann Arbor police can be a pain in the butt when it comes to ticket. Nevertheless, it is also often that the officer does not show up in court. The main reason is they are running short of police (keep the budget low) that they cannot afford sending an officer waiting in court for hours.

5

Broadway becomes Plymouth. I might use that train trick someday, as I’ve received 2 speeding tickets on Broadway/Plymouth in the last few years. I think the speed limit is 30 or 35. This is unrealistic as far as I’m concerned. I just don’t take that road anymore.

I tried a radar detector once. I’ve never had more speeding tickets than I was using that thing. I got paced once. I guess the police car followed me for a while. I also got one officer quite mad when I immediately dropped 20 mph when he turned on his radar in the middle of the night. I got the book on that one. The radar detector made me overconfident.

6

Broadway from the bridge to Plymouth is 30mph limit. Then Plymouth is 35mph and Broadway (turned right) is 25mph. Divisions before Broadway bridge is 25mph.

7

I always go up and down broadway instead of plymouth because of the cops that always camp at the driveway of those multi families. Anothter trick btw is that the court tries to group up tickets from the same cop at the same time, so never accept the first few times they give you, just make up a reason why you need a different time. That way it’s as inconvenient for the cop as possible.

8

Hey, why not just obey the traffic laws?

9
  1. Often "No Turn on Red" signs are very difficult to see. The city of Ann Arbor does not use its brain when posting them. They are blocked by other signs, trees, snow etc. The law recommends up to 3 visible "No Turn on Red" signs at an intersection. Also, there must be more than just one sign at the far side of the intersection. These problems with posting signs are what got me to show up to court in the first place.

(section 5…you need to copy and past the entire link) http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(yyccxbjikkl4z1r3pe1ka0ty))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-257-612

  1. The city of Ann Arbor has been called on posting speed limits that are illegally to slow. I was stunned to read such articles.

http://www.annarbor.com/news/opinion/ann-arbor-needs-to-get-up-to-speed-on-its-speed-limits-along-main-roads/

Some excerpts from the article

Traffic tickets just can’t be revenue!