How to Get Out of a Speeding Ticket
Nobody likes getting a speeding ticket, as they can be fairly expensive and put points on your record. If you want to avoid this altogether, there are some things that you will need to take into consideration. This article will provide you with some helpful tips on how to get out of a speeding ticket if you are pulled over. While there are never any guarantees, following these steps will greatly improve your chances of getting off with a warning.
Table of Contents
Getting Out of a Speeding Ticket
Remember to Stay Calm
A lot of people tend to panic and do stupid things when they get pulled over. Make sure that you put your signal on and pull over as soon as possible. If it isn’t safe to stop on the side of the road for whatever reason, try to find a parking lot to pull into. You also need to make sure that you keep your seatbelt on until the officer comes up to your vehicle. This way you won’t also get ticketed for not wearing your safety belt. Remember to keep your hands on the wheels so they are in plain sight at all times. Staying calm works for many situations, including attempting to get out of a DUI offense.
Act Respectfully
You have to make a point of acting respectfully towards the officer for the entire interaction because otherwise, things can go wrong very quickly. This can go a long way towards helping you to get out of a speeding violation. Those who act rudely in any way to a police officer who pulls them over are just begging for a citation.
Review the Ticket Carefully
If you do receive a speeding ticket, you’ll need to take a very close look at it. If there are any mistakes on the citation the officer has given you, there may be a chance of it getting dismissed in court. It can happen to redlight tickets too, so it pays to read and review the citation. Sometimes even the smallest mistakes with a ticket mean that it will get thrown out.
Look over every detail of the citation before you do anything else. You also need to make sure that the ticket doesn’t say that you were going faster than you actually were. If this is the case, you will definitely want to challenge it by going to court.
Make sure that you know how long you have to either pay the ticket or take it to court. This is usually a period of 90 days, though it is varies depending on the jurisdiction. There are some places where you will only have a couple of weeks to make a decision. You will absolutely need to do something before this period is expired. If you fail to take any action, a bench warrant will be issued by the judge. This means that you could be arrested next time you get pulled over by an officer.
Think the fine isn’t fair? You can review and use a calculator for speeding tickets that is also dependent on location. Is it the state average or is it way overboard? This might also encourage you to fight your ticket.
Hire a Lawyer
You always have the option of hiring a lawyer to fight your ticket so you can get out of it. Just make sure that you find an attorney who specializes in traffic citations. This way you will give yourself the best chances of a favorable result. Depending on the cost of the ticket, it might not be worth the expense. If you cannot afford any more points on your record though, it is something that you should carefully consider. A skilled attorney could prevent it from getting onto your record at all. Get ideas on how to know your points here: https://www.ratedradardetector.org/ticket/speeding/how-many-points/.
Look into Traffic Court
Not all jurisdictions have the same legal procedures for traffic tickets, so you will need to do a little bit of research. It might be possible to get a deal by scheduling a meeting with the prosecutor before you go before the judge. If this is possible, you might be able to get your speeding ticket reduced to something lesser. This can potentially save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars with your car insurance. Also, prepare for your appearance by knowing what to say in court when you have a ticket.
Do Some Preparation
You should just assume that you will be able to simply talk your way out of a ticket if you to court over it. The more preparation you do, the more likely it is that you’ll get your ticket dismissed. This means gathering any information you can that is related to your ticket. Think of anything that might help your case before moving forward.
It’s also a good idea to file a request for discovery, which his when you ask the state to provide you with any details they have on your case. The state is legally obligated to provide you with this information. It is important that you take the time to look everything over so you have a full understanding of everything they have against you.
Keep in mind that you might have to file a request for public records instead of discovery, depending on the jurisdiction. This is why it is so crucial that you learn how everything works beforehand.
You need to spend a decent amount of time planning out every detail of your defense before going to court. There are some strategies that tend to work better than others, but it also depends on your particular situation. You don’t want to haphazardly throw together a defense, as it will most likely get easily torn apart in court.
Inquire About the Radar Gun
If the officer who pulled you over used a radar gun to get your speed, you’ll want to inquire as to the department’s maintenance procedures. This type of equipment is typically required to be inspected and maintained to ensure that it continues to function properly. If it has been a while since any maintenance was done, you could get out of your ticket.
You might also want to ask about the officer’s training with regard to the radar gun. Find out how recently they were trained and if the training meets the requirements of the manufacturer. Your primary goal here is to create reasonable doubt. Some people think that you need to prove your innocence, but you only have to put your potential guilt in question.
Try to Delay Your Court Appearance
If you are able to get your court appearance delayed, there is a much better chance that you’ll be able to get out of your ticket entirely. The more time that passes, the less likely the officer who issued you the ticket will be to show up. Police officers are very busy, and it is not uncommon for one to not show up to these things. If the officer does not show up, the judge will automatically throw out your ticket.
It is usually possible to get a court date postponed, provided you give a decent excuse. All you have to do is just write a letter to the court explaining that you need to delay your court date and why. Make sure that you give a specific and valid reason for requiring a postponement because otherwise it probably won’t work.
Write a Letter
Another possible way to get out of your ticket even after you have already been issued one is to write a letter to the officer. Make sure that you are professional in the way you word the letter so that you will be taken seriously. This could boost your chances of getting out of the ticket or at least having it reduced to something else. It is something that does work for some people, but you shouldn’t rely on it completely.
Contact the Judge or Prosecutor
Sometimes being a pest is the best way to get out of a ticket. If you keep calling the office of the prosecutor and/or judge assigned to your case, they might just drop it. This is not a foolproof method by any means, but it can work wonders for some people. Remember to be polite each time you call though. Just because you are being a pest doesn’t mean that you can or should be disrespectful. You want to maintain a rational and calm demeanor while you are on the phone at all time with these people.
Never Plead Guilty
The most important thing to remember when trying to get out of a ticket you’ve been issued is to never plead guilty. This means that you will be required to pay the full cost of the ticket, which is the last thing you want. You will always have two options with a traffic ticket—plead guilty or go to court. It is always best to take your ticket to court, no matter what inconvenient it might be. Just prepare yourself and learn what best to say in court.
Why Fight a Ticket?
There are multiple reasons why you should fight a ticket never plead guilty to speeding, or any other type of moving violation for what matter. The first reason is that it will add points to your record (read this to know the duration it will stay on your record). If you accumulate enough points over time, your license could be suspended or even permanently revoked. There is also the huge cost of the increase to your insurance premium. You will end up having to pay significantly more for your car insurance each month, at least for a while. You need to consider all of these things before simply accepting your ticket and pleading guilty.
William Johnson is the owner and founder of RatedRadarDetector.org. He writes about car accessories, with his passion stemming from a deep enthusiasm for all things automotive. His website, RRD, focuses on in-depth reviews of car accessories to help people find the best and latest products in the market.
