# A way to keep points off your driving record? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 7, 2009, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-way-to-keep-points-off-your-driving-record/502172 "2009-07-07T05:55:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-way-to-keep-points-off-your-driving-record/502172/21 "2009-07-09T15:05:32Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > I think if you read carefully the small print connected with what you signed when you opened the account, you will find that you have agreed only to use the bank’s pre-printed cheque forms… I don’t believe that this is generally true in the U.S. I can order replacement checks from a variety of sources other than from my bank. All I have to do is send a sample deposit slip to the check printer so that they can properly print the name of my bank and routing/account numbers. Also, as **Shagnasty** states, you can also print checks yourself from a computer. Checks from a commercial check printer will have the magnetic ink, but checks from a computer printer will not unless you use a special toner/ink cartridge. It’s the lack of magnetic ink that will sometimes result in an additional processing fee from your bank. See here: [http://banking.about.com/od/checkingaccounts/a/printyourchecks.htm](http://banking.about.com/od/checkingaccounts/a/printyourchecks.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-way-to-keep-points-off-your-driving-record/502172/22 "2009-07-09T21:04:18Z")
> [@snailboy](#): > > Don’t be ridiculous. My friend and I (taking turns driving) drove about 95 MPH most of the way to Salt Lake City and back. That’s about 24 hours from here. That was almost 10 years ago and I’ve since slowed down a bit, but it’s far from a certainty that you’ll get pegged for speeding on a 6 hour trip. If you’re smart about it, you probably won’t on a single occasion. Nice username/post combo. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-way-to-keep-points-off-your-driving-record/502172/23 "2009-07-10T00:10:14Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > I might have known Sally was off-base here. > That said, I have also heard of people trying a trick on their _bank:_ They rest a magnet on the magnetic-ink numbers along the bottom edge of their checks–the numbers representing one’s account number. Supposedly, this will scew up the magnetism so badly that the bank’s computerized check-recording system will fail to deduct the amount (s) of the check(s) thus affected. Don’t banks just optically scan the checks nowadays anyhow, so that the magnetic ink isn’t relevant? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-way-to-keep-points-off-your-driving-record/502172/24 "2009-07-10T00:27:19Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > In addition to speed traps, there are areas that I drive through where there is a reduced speed going through a town. After the town is passed, there is a sign “end reduced speed zone”. Ummm…I wasn’t taking notes…what is the speed limit? You should have been taking notes. I speed almost constantly. Ten over outside cities/towns/villages and five over inside, subject to alteration if cops are all over the world on my particular route that day, or, of course, if **AskNott** is in front of me doing one over and failing completely to pass the 18-wheeler. That requires paying attention. If I can’t remember that the speed limit was 60 before I hit Podunkville, Indiana’s speed limt of 22 1/4, then I wasn’t paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-way-to-keep-points-off-your-driving-record/502172/25 "2009-07-10T01:52:30Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > It’s simpler than that. > > In almost every part of the US, you’ll get no points if you exceed the speed limit by less than 10 mph. The margin is the same, whether you are on the interstate or the city streets. > > Every insurance company sees the records, and your rates go up when you get a ticket. If you speed on a 6 hour trip, you might save 30 minutes. When (not if) you get a ticket, you’ll pay the fine, plus the higher insurance rates. Is the 30 minutes worth that much money? It’s your call. In the last 3.5 years I have driven around 150,000 km (just shy of 100,000 miles) a very good proportion of at speeds well in excess of the limit (i.e - 140 km in a 90 km zone, 150km in a 110 km area etc) I got my first ticket last week. It will affect my insurance by 5% next year. That’s it. If I get a second ticket - no further increases. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-way-to-keep-points-off-your-driving-record/502172/26 "2009-07-10T05:46:50Z")
Well, bully for you, speed crazie. I understand that the major cause of (fatal) collisions is excessive speed; but you’re not going to let that spoil your fun, are you? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-way-to-keep-points-off-your-driving-record/502172/27 "2009-07-10T06:05:22Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > It’s simpler than that. > > In almost every part of the US, you’ll get no points if you exceed the speed limit by less than 10 mph. The margin is the same, whether you are on the interstate or the city streets. . In CA a 9 mph over the speed limit moving violation counts the same as a 20 mph speed limit moving violation. If you go real fast you’ll get two points. Now sure, few cops will ticket you for just 10MPH over on the the freeway, but if they do, it counts. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-way-to-keep-points-off-your-driving-record/502172/28 "2009-07-10T12:18:36Z")
If the financial system of your state government is anything like the system here, first of all, there would be no refund issued if it was a small amount such as $2-$3 unless you specifically contacted them and asked for it - the excess would be just be cleared from the fine record and credited to miscellaneous revenues, with no excess payment showing for the fine. If a refund \*was \*issued by the DMV, their records would show only the original payment and refund, again with the net amount correctly matching the fine and no excess showing. The actual cheque printing and mailing, keeping track of which cheques had been cashed, and the rest of the banking business, is likely handled by a separate government services department, so the DMV wouldn’t even know whether you had cashed the cheque or not. I call BS. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-way-to-keep-points-off-your-driving-record/502172/29 "2009-07-10T14:43:21Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > In CA a 9 mph over the speed limit moving violation counts the same as a 20 mph speed limit moving violation. If you go real fast you’ll get two points. Now sure, few cops will ticket you for just 10MPH over on the the freeway, but if they do, it counts. You are correct, of course. What I meant was that speeding stops for 9 mph over are extremely rare. If you’re not stopped, you get no ticket, and no points. ---
**Author:** ![Zackmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19adc/32.png) [@Zackmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zackmo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-way-to-keep-points-off-your-driving-record/502172/30 "2009-07-10T15:01:46Z")
I’m in kind of a rush, so I didnt bother reading all the posts, but your best bet in escaping tickets and such is to fight it, post a court date, and prepare to plead guilty to a lesser offence. Half the time, the cop doesn’t even show up to these scheduled dates, and the ticket gets waived. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-way-to-keep-points-off-your-driving-record/502172.md?page=1)