How to Fight Traffic Tickets
Death, taxes, and traffic tickets: the three inevitabilities of life. Even if you’re a safe driver, you’ll probably get at least one traffic ticket in your time. Unfortunately, these tickets hurt twice. You first have to pay the initial fine. Then you face higher car insurance premiums. If you want to beat that traffic ticket and keep your insurance rates down, here’s how.
Why Fight It?
It can often feel like it’s easier to just pay the ticket and get it over with. Who wants to write a statement or prepare for a court appearance? Even though it might seem like a hassle, it pays to fight. Here are some of the things you could deal with if you choose to accept the charges from a traffic ticket:
Paying a fine—the average fee of a speeding ticket is $150
Paying higher insurance premiums—a single offense could raise your premiums as much as 22 percent
A sub-par driving record or added driving record points
Loss of licensure if the violation is severe
Spending time and money on traffic school
Traffic violations cost people more than they realize, especially when they add up. Keep in mind that even though it might be your first violation, there could be others in your future. Forty-one states use the “point system” to keep track of violations. The first few points might seem harmless, but if you get enough you’ll face serious consequences. If you depend on your car to get to work or navigate your city, you don’t want to risk losing your license by allowing your points to accumulate.
Furthermore, drivers with bad records not only pay more for car insurance, but can have a hard time getting car insurance in the first place. Car insurance companies rarely want to insure someone they consider risky. Even if your license isn’t revoked, losing your car insurance stops you from driving just the same.
How to Fight a Ticket
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to beat that traffic ticket. And if you can’t beat it, you can probably get the charges and penalties reduced.
Firstly, review the ticket carefully for errors. If the officer misspelled your name or incorrectly recorded your license plate, the make or model or your car, the location, or the time, it will help your case. A major mistake might even warrant a dismissal!
If there are no glaring errors on the report, choose the option to contest the ticket and request a court appearance. It may be tempting to write a letter rather than going to the courthouse, but you’re better able to present a compelling case if you’re actually in the courtroom. There is also a possibility the officer who issued the ticket won’t even show up. One Pennsylvania county estimates that if the officer chooses not to appear there’s a 20 percent chance the ticket will be thrown out of court.
Once you’ve scheduled your court appearance, here are some other steps you can take:
Study the law or statute you violated. Your ticket will have a numerical code for the violation. Look it up and determine exactly what you’re accused of violating. Build your case around this information.
Hire an attorney. Traffic lawyers might cost you up front, but they can pay for themselves in terms of car insurance premiums. Traffic lawyers are experts in traffic law and will be able to explore possibilities of the case you might not anticipate on your own. Additionally, prosecutors are more likely to take advantage of defendants who don’t have representation. A lawyer says you mean business. You can secure a traffic attorney for under $100. A more complicated case like a DUI will be more expensive, of course, but well worth it.
Investigate the radar gun. Most speeding tickets are issued using radar guns. If you can show that the device was faulty in some way, your ticket will be dropped. For example, radar guns must be recalibrated within 30 to 60 days of your citation (depending on your state) to be considered accurate. You can ask the officer for the last calibration date.
Explore the circumstances. Did you recently get your tires changed? That can affect your speedometer readings. Was there a similar car near you at the time of the citation the officer may have confused you with? Was there anything that might have obstructed the officer’s view? Think creatively about things that might have led to a citation in error.
Finally, don’t rely on ignorance of the law, your personal circumstances, or your good intentions to make a case. The best defense is based in fact. Good luck!
