[soamazin]

In Calgary, going on 14th street along Nose Hill I was stopped and ticketed for going 87 in a 70 zone by 2 motorcycle cops. I don't think I was going that fast...I was looking at my speedometer when I saw them. Is it true that they don't give warnings in Calgary? Has anyone fought a ticket and had it thrown out? Does anyone know the procedures for fighting a ticket?

[Ferroequine]

I feel your pain. Speeding in a MINI is way to easy. Before you know it, you're over. We got caught doing 94 in a 75 zone... wouldn't have been too bad, except it was miles per hour...

Sometimes, you can plead your ticket down by going down to the traffic court ticket office (Rocky Mountain Plaza?) and talking to one of the nice people there.

[beken]

I feel your pain too. I hadn't had a speeding ticket in 20 years until I was driving my MINI. I probably would not be appropriate to say how fast I was going, but it is way too easy to go fast in our cars. Probably good reason why that speedometer is so big...

[heli_guy]

I think best case for you is take the half day off, go to the court house on your specified day, and plead "this is my first ticket" sort of thing. You may get it reduced to a pay only style ticket where they throw away the points on your license. You will likely still have to pay the fine though . . .

[CLiVE]

Do some research if you do decide to go and fight it. I believe due to some legislation passed last year they are no longer allowed to drop the demerits. I could be wrong.

My advice, just pay the darn ticket and watch your speed.

[British SD]

I don't advocate speeding and this site forbids it but the fact still remains that radar like any equipment is subject to both human and calibration/equipment error.

Myself, I have challenged many tickets received in the Calgary area and historically have faired better than 50/50 (5 to 4) but from my experience your chances differ greatly depending on how you handled the process when you got pulled over, if you already admitted guilt when you were pulled over and what process accuses you of speeding.

In England, the traffic court system presumes guilt and will often punish you more for challenging it. Thankfully, our courts and legal system still presumes innocence until proven otherwise.

Warnings only are very rare in Calgary. Good policing costs money and there are quotas to fill.

[Stella 25]

I know of two people who have tried to fight tickets in the last 3 months, the best they came up with was having the demerit points reduced by half and a fine reduction to the next category down the scale.