Walter Arnold received the first recorded speeding ticket, among other things, back in 1896. His eight miles per hour joyride cost him about five pounds, a far cry from what speeding tickets cost today. When you receive a speeding ticket today, what are your options?
The three most common ways people deal with a ticket are paying it, fighting it, or seeking mitigation. While paying for the ticket is the easiest option, there are reasons why it isn’t always the best option. To find out more, read on for a legal guide on what to do if you get a speeding ticket.
Paying the Ticket
Challenging a speeding ticket takes time and effort that you might not have. While this is the easiest route, it also has the most consequences. The biggest is the ticket cost, which depends on several things.
How far over the limit were you driving when you got pulled over for speeding? Where you in a zone marked for higher ticket fees? Some states charge more for a speeding ticket.
Then you also have to deal with the points on your license, again depending on your speed when pulled over. The points will raise your insurance rates depending on the state you live in. If you do choose this route, make sure to pay by the due date, or you’ll have more fines to pay.
Fighting the Ticket
Fighting the ticket means you need to show up in court and prove your ticket was either unjustified or excessive. If you do this, you should hire a lawyer to help, because you could end up with higher penalties if something happens. You also need to gather evidence to show the ticket was unwarranted.
You’ll want witness statements, anyone in the car with you, for example. You’ll want dashcam footage and GPS data to help prove you weren’t speeding. Get photographic evidence that any speed limit signs are missing or obscured, showing you couldn’t know what the limit was.
These are all examples of the evidence you want for your case. Having a lawyer will be a big help in gathering the evidence and knowing what questions to ask in court. If you are hiring a lawyer, click for more information about how they can help you with your speeding ticket!
Seeking Mitigation
The last route people take is seeking mitigation for your ticket. What this means is negotiating with the court to reduce or drop the ticket. If it’s your first ticket, or you haven’t had one in a long time, you might have a chance of at least reducing the fine.
Explaining why you were driving fast or driving recklessly can earn you more time to pay the ticket. It might get you a lower ticket amount. If you are lucky, you could work out an alternative to the fine, such as a traffic school or other defensive driving courses.
What to Do if You Get a Speeding Ticket
Violating speeding laws has consequences that could cost you your license. If you get pulled over for speeding, know what to do if you get a speeding ticket. Above all, practice safe driving!
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