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Smart Shopper Insurance and NJ No-Point Ticket option
671 messages, Last post on Nov 10, 2009 at 8:58 AM
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Hi, I'm new here and have a question about the No Point Ticket policy and court proceedings. I just got into an accident this weekend and have a court date next week. I received a ticket for careless driving in NJ for falling asleep at the wheel. By the grace of God, I did not injure anyone or myself, just damage to the driver side of the car, mainly front and rear wheels, not driveable. I have a clean driving record and this is my first offense. I don't believe I can plead not guilty as I am clearly in the wrong, but I DO NOT want the points on my driving record. Can I still negotiate with the court on lowering the offense? What can I do? I'm not familiar with the No Point ticket policy, can anyone explain it? Also even if I do manage not to receive points, will my insurance go up? I am sure the repairs will cost me enough to have to go through insurance. A fellow driver, who also happened to work for AAA, estimated the damages to be around $2000. I know I made a stupid mistake, but please, if you can provide me with any advice I will greatly appreciate it! |
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I am glad to hear that you were not hurt in your accident. Many moons ago my brother fell asleep at the wheel and was lucky enough to be relatively uninjured as well. Even though you are obviously guilty, the courts are often willing to work with you if you go in and ask for leniency. In the interest of moving proceedings along quickly, the courts will usually allow people to plea bargain their ticket to a lower offense, such as a 2 point violation for what should have been a 4 pointer or a no point violation for what was going to be a 2 pointer. If you have the time, give it a shot. You certainly don't have anything to lose. Even if you avoid getting any points on your driver's license, since the police were involved, there is a good chance that your insurance company will know that you were involved in an accident. As a result, it may increase your rates. It definitely will if you file a claim with them to have your vehicle repaired. Car_man Host Smart Shopper Forum
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Replying to: Car_man (Feb 21, 2005 3:45 am) Glad to hear that your brother didn't get injured as well. I haven't been able to get a good night's rest since the accident AND I already made my sister cry after the fact. I'll see how it goes next Monday though. What if I voluntarily enroll in defensive driving? Perhaps that will help my insurance and reduction in points?
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Replying to: valent2 (Feb 21, 2005 11:04 am) IF you can get a reduction, that's great, because, as you may already know, Careless Driving is only a 2 point ticket to begin with (Wreckless is the one you gotta watch out for). So maybe you can get a non-point offense and just pay a fine. If that oppurtunity presents itself, jump on it, regardless of the cost of the fine. As far as defensive driving, it does reduce the points on your license, but it does nothing for your insurance points. And you can only use it once every 3 years (or is it 5?), so you might want to consider whether this is the best time to pull that card. I guess it couldn't hurt, but its not necessarily going to help matters. good luck. |
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You're very welcome, valent2. Some states will reduce the number of points that are on your driver's license if you sign up for a driving course. I have first hand experience with this, I had to take one many moons ago to make up for the heavy foot that I had in my youth. Car_man Host Smart Shopper Forum |
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I received a non-point ticket for "obstructing the passage of vehicles" in NJ. On my ticket it has my previous address (the one on the front of my liscense as opposed to the "new address" sticker on the back). I have read that if the information on the ticket is incorrect the ticket can be thrown out. Would this count as wrong information on the ticket? Or, should I be happy that I got a non-point offense and just pay the fine? In addition, will my insurance company tack on a surcharge for this non-point offense? I checked with them and customer service had no clue and told me I had to wait until the renewal of my policy was underwritten to find out.
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Replying to: njdevils27 (Mar 06, 2005 4:26 pm) I believe you'd still have to go to court to show the information was wrong, so I don't think its worth it. If the ticket is cheap enough, I'd just pay it and move on.
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Replying to: qbrozen (Mar 07, 2005 6:43 am) |
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I did take Defensive driving 2 yrs back, to clear up a ticket (texas).. This year I got another one. I have already applied for DD and got the drivers record. Thought of taking defnsive driving online, and went back to the same website where i took DD last time. Do I have to take DD every year (if I have to clear a ticket that year) or can i do it one time, and use that certificate again and again ? Pardon my ignorance, for this is my second time i am doing DD>
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Replying to: abeautifulmind (Mar 26, 2005 2:33 pm) |
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