Knowing when you should fight a traffic ticket
Receiving a traffic violation can trigger a reevaluation of your driving habits. However, if you feel that your actions did not warrant a ticket, you might consider fighting it in a court of law.
Knowing when it is worth your time to fight a ticket can help you identify your next steps.
Driver’s license points
Each time you receive a traffic ticket the points on your driver’s license will increase. If the total of your points exceeds the number allowed, you could face several repercussions including the following:
- Driver’s license suspension
- Costly fines
- Loss of vehicle insurance
- Ineligibility for certain jobs that require driving
If you already have a significant number of points on your record and cannot afford to add any more, fighting your ticket may prevent you from worse consequences.
Suspicions of validity
There may also be situations where you question the validity of the ticket you received. For example, if you switched lanes abruptly without a signal to avoid a collision in front of you and subsequently received a ticket, you may feel the outcome is unfair.
Other situations where you may want to fight your ticket include suspicions that authorities pulled over the wrong vehicle, situations where a traffic camera resulted in your ticket, you find mistakes on the ticket you received or you were going above the speed limit but not enough to warrant a ticket. Traffic violations can cause your insurance premiums to skyrocket. According to CNBC, a single traffic ticket could inflate your premiums by 35%.
Successfully fighting a traffic ticket can help you maintain control of your driving record, your insurance costs and your reputation.
