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You just bought a new car with enough horsepower to win the Triple Crown. Naturally, you put the pedal to the metal just for a second to see how it feels. Everybody’s been there once in their lives. But did you know that little foray into the world of speed could land you in jail for months on end? Exhibition of speed laws are no joke.
These tickets can carry nasty penalties, come out of nowhere, and last for a lifetime. New York traffic tickets for exhibition of speed can be particularly harmful, as you’ll see below.
What is an Exhibition of Speed Ticket?
The phrase “exhibition of speed” refers to any type of showing off with a vehicle’s speed. That means things like burnouts, high-speed passes, and peeling out count as violations. Sometimes, these violations even have the same definition as street racing tickets. More on that later.
Exhibition of speed tickets in New York have a minimum fine of $325 (See: NYS VTL §1182). That’s the lowest possible amount that you could have to pay after a conviction.
In practice, the real cost of your traffic ticket can be thousands of dollars. The fine itself can be up to $525 for a first violation (and more for a second). Then you have surcharges, fees, jail time, and insurance increases to deal with.
Many jurisdictions have a law governing exhibition of speed. These laws vary from place to place, but usually render illegal any kind of quick and racing-like driving behavior. Examples of actions that can get you one of these tickets are as follows:
- Unsafe/excessive acceleration.
- High-speed passing.
- Drifting.
How Fast Can You Accelerate without Getting an Exhibition of Speed Ticket?
This question has somewhat of a trick answer. Since many exhibition of speed laws use vague language like “unsafe” or “unreasonable,” there really is no specific speed we can say. It all depends on the road conditions and the police officer’s opinions of what is safe and reasonable.
However, we do have a few tips to help you find out how fast you can accelerate without getting an exhibition of speed tickets. First, don’t peel out. If your tires spin so quickly as to skip off the pavement, you may get a ticket. Second, don’t redline your engine. If your vehicle’s revolutions per minute (RPM) hits red while accelerating from the stopped position, you may get a ticket.
Is there a Legal Difference between Exhibition of Speed and Street Racing?
Technically, yes. Exhibition of speed tickets are technically different from street racing but functionally the same. In fact, in most jurisdictions, the two phrases are used interchangeably to refer to the same violation.
Also, neither street racing nor exhibition of speed are the same as excessive acceleration (also called unsafe acceleration). Excessive acceleration deals exclusively with acceleration, whereas exhibition of speed and street racing deals with any kind of high-speed maneuvering.
In many cases, excessive acceleration tickets can serve as prima facie evidence in a street racing trial. Prima facie evidence means that the judge will assume the charges against you to be correct based on the existing evidence. Oftentimes, exhibitions of speed tickets work the same way.
If the court finds you guilty of an exhibition of speed, you might soon find yourself facing down prosecutors in a street racing trial.
How to Fight an Exhibition of Speed Ticket
Exhibition of speed tickets are criminal traffic tickets. Criminal traffic tickets are any kind of traffic ticket that has the potential to send you to jail. In New York, for example, exhibition of speed is considered a Class A misdemeanor, one of the worst there are.
Then again, speeding tickets are also considered misdemeanors. Whether the judge decides to waive the criminal charges against you or to send you to prison depends on the specifics of your case. The more severe your circumstances, the more likely you are to face jail time. Sometimes, however, the court will just send you to traffic court, where you’ll argue without fear of jail.
To fight any kind of traffic ticket, the first thing to do is plead not guilty. That will start the dispute process. Then your lawyer can either go to court and argue on your behalf or meet with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea bargain. Plea bargains are mutual agreements where you plead guilty to a lesser violation and the prosecutor gives you a lesser punishment.
Understanding Exhibition of Speed Tickets
If you’re confused about what these tickets really are, you’re not alone. The vague laws conflating exhibition of speed, street racing, and excessive acceleration often confuse people. Unfortunately, being confused about the law is not a solid defense against these tickets.
The best way to dismiss your ticket is to let your attorney handle it. That way, you don’t have to take the time to memorize every last bit of the law. If you still have questions, comment them below and our exhibition of speed ticket experts will respond as soon as possible. Also feel free to check out our traffic blog for more helpful information.
