I think you underestimate the average cost of a ticket. Our city sets the minimum ticket price close to the maximum price set by the state. It is hard to get away from less than a $250 ticket. The means of writing a ticket are automated. The second they type in your plate it looks up your record, which they cross check your ID. The cop verifies it and sees if you have any warrants or are committing any other crimes. It prints out on a handheld unit the officer carries. Most of the time you are in and out in less than 5 minutes. If you are not, it is very likely you are paying much higher fines.