Sad to admit, but I am something of an expert on speeding tickets...
That said, I am only "good" at it in the states of California and Washington, and only in some jurisdictions in those states.
Here is how I managed to keep from having Insurance trouble in those instances, as I usually collect three or four tickets a year, and usually pay zero or one per year.
First, I recognized that the Officer will write tickets for a week or two with the same appearance date, as he has to get dressed up and get paid extra for the courtroom duty. SOOOoo... I always plead hardship if I can, to the court clerk, on a monday morning before my appearance date listed on the ticket(when they are snowed under by all the schtuff that happened that weekend's pleading masses), so the clerk will offer another, later, appearance date.
Step two, If the jurisdiction allows it, do it again.
(each time you do it, you increase the chances that the officer will not show)
This is all you can usually do. It is often (80% in my experience) enough to miss the officer in court, in which case, you are off the hook - no record, no points, no notice to your Insurance.
For the future, keep a disposable flash camera with 36 exposures in your glovebox. Firstly it is really useful in any accident, to document the face of the other driver(s), cars, extent of damages, arrangement of the vehicles, the signals, the terrain, skid marks, the conditions, LICENCE PLATES, number of people, the way they are comporting themselves just after the accident, etc.
Do this of course after you make sure noone needs triage, and that you are safe to be where you are. Do it as soon as you can, before anything gets moved.
You can go back after the speeding paperwork is over, and take pictures of the speed signs (are they obscured by vehicles, bushes, trees? Also take pictures of the road/exit signs nearest where the stop was made, as the Judge will know where this is...(remember you have an exit behind you, and one in front of you...one may offer a better Picture than the other).
Take a picture of the road, by getting down near the road surface, and shoot in the direction you were travelling with the ittybitty lens, it will make the road look like it is straight and goes over the horizon. Hopefully it is a clear day, and no cars are in the picture, or only a few (wait for the right moment) this can get the ticket reduced, if it shows that conditions were clear, and that there was no traffic.
Photos are only useful if the Judge allows them. ASK nicely if they can be admitted. Dress well. Be Polite. Don't argue fussily, just matter-of -factly.
Don't allow the officer to "misremember" the situation, if he/she does. (they make many stops a day, and this may be two months or so since the stop.
AT EVERY STEP, the court system will try to get you to "post bail" and then default out...means you pay the fine, and the points go on your record, and your insurance gets notified. Always ask for the court appearance, never pay till the judge says you have to. Realize that this plan means you will have to go to the courthouse three or more times before you go to the hearing, and this will be a weekday each time, and you have to spend this time to get a chance of getting off. At the end, if the officer does show up, you can still plead financial difficulty, plead "guilty of a lesser offence", Guilty, with an explanation". These are listed in order of their usefullness, best first.
Some jurisdictions will make you pay the ticket only, some will make you pay extra if you get before the judge. If it is a first ticket, you can sometimes get traffic school instead of getting points/record. BUT....usually this still goes on your insurance. Educate yourself about how your insurance company views these, and then you can assess how much you want to fight it.
Good Luck...
Good luck.
