What to Do When Receiving a Speeding Fine

Speeding is such a contentious issue that affects thousands of motorists each year. Basically, if you go over the speed limit and are caught by a safety camera or a police officer, you can:

· Receive a verbal warning

· Get the opportunity to enroll in a speed-awareness course

· Receive a speeding ticket, be asked to pay a fine, and incur penalty points on your license

· Get prosecuted for speeding and be required to appear before a court

If you got caught speeding, your consequences can depend on various circumstances, mostly on how far you went beyond the speed limit. You have about a month to respond to your speeding ticket.

If you believe that you are innocent and did not deserve to receive a ticket, you can defend your case before the court. Otherwise, you can simply pay the fine and accept the penalty points on your license.

Take note that saying you did not mean to go beyond the speed limit, only exceeded the speed limit for a short period of time, or did not know that you were already speeding will not be considered by the court.

In case you already incurred a lot of points on your license, you may be prosecuted in court. You will then receive summons. Your speeding court proceedings may begin from the date of your offense.

How Can You Get Out of Your Speeding Ticket?

Traffic tickets are a source of county revenues in most municipalities. The fines collected from these tickets can amount to millions, even billions of dollars. While you can just pay the fine, accept the penalty points, and move on with your life, you are still encouraged to defend your case. Try to use every legal means available to reduce your fine and avoid increasing your insurance rates.

See to it that you explore all your options before you pay the fine. Keep in mind that the moment you pay your ticket is the moment you accept defeat and admit that you are guilty of speeding. If you are hesitant to appear before a court, don’t worry because you may not even be required to attend trial. Defending a ticket does not always require court appearances.

If you are a first time offender, you can ask for a no contest plea. The district attorney usually offers first time offenders a reduced fine, as well as allows them to maintain their insurance rates. However, if this is not a viable option for you, you should start to examine the details of your ticket. Confirm all information and keep all the documents and notes provided by your ticketing officer.

Verify if the citation number, location, and interaction are correct, and take note of the time of day. You can also file a discovery of motion if you want to check your case’s information, including notes and calibration certificates. Remember that any incorrect or missing information on a citation can be a ground for dismissal.

Another way on how you can get your case dismissed is to reschedule your court appearance. Choose a day that you think the ticketing officer would be too busy to attend the hearing. This can work in your favor if you do not have a hectic schedule and can go to court anytime. If the ticketing officer does not show up on the date of your hearing, your case can be dismissed.

Furthermore, you can make a plea to the district attorney to offer you an alternative solution. If you live in New York City, you may not be granted flexibility. However, if you live in other cities, the court may allow you to just pay the fine. You can gain greater control and leverage if you show the court that you are serious about defending your case.

Tips on How to Avoid a Speeding Ticket

In order for you to avoid all the hassles involved with speeding tickets in the first place, you can follow these tips:

· Know that your vehicle can say a lot about you.

Take note that most police officers make up their mind about giving either a warning or a ticket before even approaching you. If you want to make a good impression, keep your car clean and decluttered. If your vehicle looks decent, the officer may get the impression that you are a law abiding citizen.

· Wave at a hidden police car.

If you notice a police officer lurking around, you should wave at him. This would give him the impression that you know him or that you acknowledge that you were driving too fast and are trying to slow down.

· Do not admit to your speeding.

When you get pulled over, you should never admit to your speeding. Do not give the police officer ammunition that he can use against you. Instead, you should opt to defend your case in traffic court. Do not be sarcastic when talking to the officer. You can simply say that you were not aware of your speed.