1. Will not always work for the same reason you stated under your explanation of your job. Do you know every reg number issued by the government? No, and the officer doesn't either. However, that does not mean you don't know something is illegal, and the same goes for the officer.
2. Will sometimes work the best. Some states such as TN will allow you to attend a half-day driver's ed class, and then the ticket is voided if no other moving violation is obtained in six months. In MI, usually the judge will dismiss with the same caveat as above in regard to another citation in six months.
3. No, ignorance is no excuse, and that is a fact, an any Judge I ever knew or met, hated people saying, "I didn't know that was illegal."
Most states have that law (might be all). I believe when I lived in TN, and they instituted that law two or three years ago, it was stated in the paper that by the end of that year, every state would have that law.
It has never affected me, since I have always pulled into another lane, if possible. If not possible, I slow way down just out of courtesy to the officer out there on the road. (Laws usually say you have to change lane or if that is not possible due to safety, or it is a two-lane hwy, you must slow down considerably.)
Just to let you know, these laws also pertain to any emergency vehicle, including tow trucks with their flashers On.
I would go with Option 2 and stress you thought you had slowed down to a speed that did not put the officer in jeopardy. (And hope the Judge got lucky the night before and is in a good mood.)
