Traffic Ticket
Published: 11/03/2009 by MO
Traffic Ticket
Getting a traffic ticket can be more than a mere annoyance; the associated points that may go on your driving record can send your insurance rates through the roof. Since you can receive a traffic ticket for so many different things, there are various different ways to try and fight one. Most of the time, it is in your best interests to at least try to have the charge reduced. If your driving record is relatively unblemished, the court may decide to waive the points, keeping your driving record clean and allowing you to avoid paying a higher car insurance premium.
Speeding Tickets
The most common - and most complained about - kind of traffic ticket is the speeding ticket. They are so common because every single road has a speed limit associated with it. If you exceed that limit, you are at risk of being pulled over and issued a speeding ticket. Speed limits are intended to keep you and other motorists safe on the roads, and police officers spend a great deal of their time enforcing them. You should not only obey posted speed limits in order to avoid speeding tickets, but you should obey them to maintain the safety of yourself and others.
Other Kinds Of Tickets
Although speeding tickets are the most talked about kind of traffic ticket, they are hardly the only one. You can receive traffic tickets for a myriad of different things: failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to yield to oncoming traffic, failure to use a turn indicator. . . the list goes on and on. Basically, each and every time you get behind the wheel of a car, you expose yourself to potentially receiving a traffic ticket. If you're especially unlucky, you could easily receive multiple tickets in a single day.
Fighting Traffic Tickets Via Mail
If you have a relatively clean driving record, you can usually take the traffic ticket you've been issued, check a box on the back indicating that you understand the charges but that you have an "explanation." By offering an explanation, you increase the odds that the court will reduce the charges or waive the points. The best way to go about this is by composing a well thought out letter to the court. In it, admit responsibility but offer an explanation for your actions. Explain how the added points will hurt you financially, and highlight the positive aspects of your driving record.
Fighting Traffic Tickets In Court
Sometimes, your odds of successfully fighting a traffic ticket are better if you appear in court at the date and time indicated on your traffic ticket. You can ask around to see how others in your area have fared in fighting their tickets in court, then act accordingly. If you are facing a particularly expensive or serious ticket, you may want to enlist the help of a lawyer. Otherwise, simply show up in court at the appropriate time and see how it goes. With any luck, your judge will be amenable to reducing the charges for you.
