How long can I wait before paying a fine?

**hardhats** · 14th October 2011, 22:13

***
UPDATE - my new understanding of how this works:
Demerit points start from the date of the offense, no matter when you pay the fine.
The date they are recorded against your licence is the date you pay the fine (or are found guilty in court).
The date your disqualification period starts is the date someone turns up at your house and issues a notice (or the next time you get pulled over and have your licence checked).
IMPORTANT: According to NZTA (but not some here on KB...) if you get issued tickets that total 100 points within any 2 year period you WILL have your licence suspended for 3 months at some point, even if you delay payment until some old demerit points are wiped off (2 years after you received them). Apparently they look at how many demerits you were ticketed for within 2 years, not how many are actually recorded on your licence at any one time.
***

Got my first speeding ticket on the bike today.

Was enjoying the dry weather after a week of commuting in the wet and was pulled over for doing 121 after overtaking a truck on a straight stretch of road. A highly dangerous speed apparently.
Didn't notice that the car in the distance coming the other way was a copper until too late due to low sun in the evening. My fault entirely, not trying to avoid blame here.

The problem is, if I pay this ticket before 27th December I will reach the magical 100 demerit points: got a ticket in Dec 09 for towing a trailer behind the cage at 112 on the motorway (while also passing a truck...) and one earlier this year for letting the car speed up over 70 going downhill on a wide, empty street in town. Can't believe how easily the points add up!

Anybody know what will happen if I don't pay this ticket for 2.5 months?

**scumdog** · 15th October 2011, 06:10

You'll have debt collection agency on your tail and possibly a bad credit rating??

**Taz** · 15th October 2011, 06:32

Contest it. Should eat up a bit of time. Next time run

**hardhats** · 15th October 2011, 11:33

Originally Posted by Taz

Contest it. Should eat up a bit of time.

Yep, this is kinda what I was thinking. Reckon I'll wait until they send the reminder notice after 28 days and then contest? That'll use up a bit more time.

Originally Posted by Taz

Next time run

Seriously considering removing the plate next week and doing just that... I actually said to the copper I wouldn't be stopping next time. His reply was (word for word), "I don't care if you kill yourself." Interesting attitude considering the aim of handing out speeding tickets is (supposedly) to reduce road fatalities...

**scumdog** · 15th October 2011, 11:48

Originally Posted by hardhats

Seriously considering removing the plate next week and doing just that... I actually said to the copper I wouldn't be stopping next time. His reply was (word for word), "I don't care if you kill yourself." Interesting attitude considering the aim of handing out speeding tickets is (supposedly) to reduce road fatalities...

Well what DID you expect him to say?

"Oh please don't do that, I'd hate to see you get hurt doing something as fuck-witted as a 'doing a runner', please don't do that..."

However, the standard and correct answer he should have used is: "Why are you telling me this? No, really, why are you?"

**nosebleed** · 15th October 2011, 13:45

Originally Posted by hardhats

Yep, this is kinda what I was thinking. Reckon I'll wait until they send the reminder notice after 28 days and then contest? That'll use up a bit more time....

My last Reminder Notice came with added Court Costs.

of course, your resuts may differ.

**Crasherfromwayback** · 15th October 2011, 14:48

Originally Posted by nosebleed

of course, your resuts may differ.

More than likely won't though.

**hardhats** · 15th October 2011, 14:49

Originally Posted by scumdog

Well what DID you expect him to say?
...

haha... yeah, no I wasn't expecting a bunch of sympathy from the guy, but something along the lines of "bad idea mate" would have seemed more appropriate at the time.
Your "standard and correct answer" could have led to a much more interesting discussion though...

**hardhats** · 15th October 2011, 14:50

Originally Posted by nosebleed

My last Reminder Notice came with added Court Costs.

of course, your resuts may differ.

What were the added costs? Might still be worth it

**bsasuper** · 15th October 2011, 14:56

If you know how to, you can drag it out to 6 months, really piss off the officer who gave you the ticket (he has a family,kids, bitchy wife etc, but some like it this way, what a sad life they have.)

**scumdog** · 15th October 2011, 15:00

Originally Posted by bsasuper

If you know how to, you can drag it out to 6 months, really piss off the officer who gave you the ticket (he has a family,kids, bitchy wife etc, but some like it this way, what a sad life they have.)

Hmm, piss them off you say?

I must pay more attention, never seen any officers 'pissed off' with somebody 'dragging out' a speeding ticket that they for some reason want to dispute.

And can you clarify the 'some like it this way' bit???

**Crasherfromwayback** · 15th October 2011, 15:02

Either contest it...or pay the fucking fine. Either way...why the wait?

**Madness** · 15th October 2011, 16:06

It sounds to me like you're fucked already and the date of paying the fine & dragging things out is pointless. AFAIK it's the actual date of the offence(s) that apply to the 100 point accrual.

Maybe you should learn to accept that sometimes it's best to follow the truck

**nosebleed** · 15th October 2011, 16:25

Originally Posted by hardhats

What were the added costs? Might still be worth it

Was about 40 bucks iirc.

**marty** · 15th October 2011, 17:11

Originally Posted by bsasuper

If you know how to, you can drag it out to 6 months, really piss off the officer who gave you the ticket (he has a family,kids, bitchy wife etc, but some like it this way, what a sad life they have.)

yeah you'll really fuck off the cop who didn't care if you killed yourself doing a runner.