Traffic violation procedures
in Criminal and Misdemeanor Law ·
I see the topic of "probationary drivers" has come up. Here is my experience:
I was born in 1986, passed my test at 18, and was immediately hit by those regulations stating I couldn't drive anything over 75kW for two years, nor could I drive during certain restricted nighttime hours.
Fine, I served my two years without a single violation. My father then bought a new Toyota Camry with 77kW, and I drove it perfectly fine for another two years without any issues whatsoever.
But then, a new regulation comes along—they redefine what constitutes a "probationary driver"—and suddenly I’m legally prohibited from driving the Camry because of a mere 2kW difference. The reality was that I didn't have another vehicle, and there certainly wasn't money lying around to buy a different one. Honestly, how much sense would it make to expect someone to purchase a new car every time some bureaucrat decides to tweak the law? It's absurd.
At 3:00 AM on a Sunday, an officer pulls me over and immediately informs me that I am operating an overpowered vehicle. I explained to him that I had been driving for nearly five years without any infractions and emphasized that this was strictly a matter of 2kW. He just looked at me and said, "That vehicle is capable of reaching MASSIVE speeds."😲 I countered, asking if a 75kW car isn't also capable of speed, but he simply stayed silent, wrote me a citation for $333, and confiscated my license for 24 hours.
The next morning, I went to the police station. A formal appeal form was already waiting for me (a colleague of mine works there), so I submitted it and waited.
Two months later, the decision arrived. My appeal—in which I explained I was a college student, just as I had told the officer—was rejected because I hadn't provided proof of zero income (I assumed being a student made that self-evident). Most importantly, they stated that this decision was final and could not be appealed further.😕(Meanwhile, I have a friend who was caught riding a motorcycle with a 1.9 blood alcohol level, doesn't even have a motorcycle license, and is currently on his seventh appeal.)
I eventually met with a judge, who told me that if I had simply brought my student ID or something similar, the matter would have been resolved.
I really think someone should have informed me of that requirement.
Ultimately, my advice to anyone writing an appeal is to attach physical evidence for every single claim you make. It seems they are looking for the slightest technicality to fleece us hardworking 😉 Americans.
Apologies if I went on a bit too long.☕
I was born in 1986, passed my test at 18, and was immediately hit by those regulations stating I couldn't drive anything over 75kW for two years, nor could I drive during certain restricted nighttime hours.
Fine, I served my two years without a single violation. My father then bought a new Toyota Camry with 77kW, and I drove it perfectly fine for another two years without any issues whatsoever.
But then, a new regulation comes along—they redefine what constitutes a "probationary driver"—and suddenly I’m legally prohibited from driving the Camry because of a mere 2kW difference. The reality was that I didn't have another vehicle, and there certainly wasn't money lying around to buy a different one. Honestly, how much sense would it make to expect someone to purchase a new car every time some bureaucrat decides to tweak the law? It's absurd.
At 3:00 AM on a Sunday, an officer pulls me over and immediately informs me that I am operating an overpowered vehicle. I explained to him that I had been driving for nearly five years without any infractions and emphasized that this was strictly a matter of 2kW. He just looked at me and said, "That vehicle is capable of reaching MASSIVE speeds."😲 I countered, asking if a 75kW car isn't also capable of speed, but he simply stayed silent, wrote me a citation for $333, and confiscated my license for 24 hours.
The next morning, I went to the police station. A formal appeal form was already waiting for me (a colleague of mine works there), so I submitted it and waited.
Two months later, the decision arrived. My appeal—in which I explained I was a college student, just as I had told the officer—was rejected because I hadn't provided proof of zero income (I assumed being a student made that self-evident). Most importantly, they stated that this decision was final and could not be appealed further.😕(Meanwhile, I have a friend who was caught riding a motorcycle with a 1.9 blood alcohol level, doesn't even have a motorcycle license, and is currently on his seventh appeal.)
I eventually met with a judge, who told me that if I had simply brought my student ID or something similar, the matter would have been resolved.
I really think someone should have informed me of that requirement.
Ultimately, my advice to anyone writing an appeal is to attach physical evidence for every single claim you make. It seems they are looking for the slightest technicality to fleece us hardworking 😉 Americans.
Apologies if I went on a bit too long.☕