One more question for today.......
I freely admit that I go over the speed limit regularly by 5 mph. Except in residential areas where it's 25 mph. I strictly abide by that. But, I recently was driving in a 35 zone, and going down a hill. I did not put the brake on soon enough and ended up at 45 before I slowed down. I got caught.
Because I haven't had a ticket since 1988, the officer gave me a warning. But it was a written warning, and he said I'd be in the system now so next time I will get a ticket.
My question is -- how long does the warning info stay in the system? Although I don't go that much over the limit, I do go over, and I'm very paranoid about it. (Yes, I know I could just drive the speed limit. But really, that would just piss off all the cars behind me!)
Anyone know the answer?
TIA!
In our state written warnings go into the computer. Technically they stay on forever. It's up to the officer's individual discretion (and departmental policy at the time) when he pulls you over whether or not to take "old warnings" into account or not. Most officers I know will auto-ticket you after a written/logged warning if you're caught doing the same thing any time in the next year. Some longer.
My Hubby is Dallas police and before I met him I had worked in the Sheriffs office for 5 yrs. Warnings are not logged into the system, at least in Texas there not. That cop was pulling your leg trying to scare you.
You're lucky that you just got a warning. I've had 3 tickets in my life (all of them over 10 years ago now), and I was never given a warning. Whether or not the warning is in the system, you could get a ticket next time anyway. There are no guarantees.
I asked my coworker, who is a wife of a sherriff. She said they dont save them and they dont show up on your license. She said the purpose of a warning is to 1) warn you 2) keep you from getting a ticket for the thing you already got pulled over for. For instance, if you were pulled over for no inspection and given a warning and then drove 3 miles and got pulled over again, you could pull it out and say see, i was already told about this and am taking care of it. Doesn't work like that for speeding, unfortunatley
Each state is different, some log in the warnings, some do not. In my experience I usually get a warning once a year, but have never gotten a ticket. As someone else pointed out it really is up to the officer's individual discretion (and/or departmental policy at the time) if an warning has been given/logged (old or new).
