Advice on Fighting a Speeding Ticket: Ways to Avoid the High Cost of a Lead Foot
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Mary Martin
Published Legal Expert
Mary Martin has been a legal writer and editor for over 20 years, responsible for ensuring that content is straightforward, correct, and helpful for the consumer. In addition, she worked on writing monthly newsletter columns for media, lawyers, and consumers. Ms. Martin also has experience with internal staff and HR operations. Mary was employed for almost 30 years by the nationwide legal publi...
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UPDATED: Jul 12, 2023
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UPDATED: Jul 12, 2023
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right legal decisions.
We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.
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In your rush to get through life, paying a speeding ticket may seem like the fastest way to deal with the situation, although it may not be the wisest.
A speeding violation could translate into a substantial jump in your auto insurance rates. That means a $60 or $70 ticket could cost you thousands.
Sometimes, the consequences may be even more severe. In some jurisdictions, speeding tickets a certain amount over the speed limit are sent to criminal court, and may be classified as traffic misdemeanors rather than infractions.
If you are in danger of losing your driving privilege, or if you have been charged with speeding as a criminal offense, it is always best to consult with an experienced attorney about your ticket. If this is your first ticket, you may be able to attend traffic school. Otherwise, if you intend to fight the ticket, there are ways of fighting a speeding ticket.
Fighting a Speeding Ticket
Here’s the deal: although getting a speeding ticket can feel devastating, it doesn’t have to be a “done deal.” Depending on the situation, there may be a way out.
Contest your ticket and hope the officer doesn’t show up in court.
Although popular rumors hold that officers commonly do not show up to contest their tickets, there are also common rumors that more often than not, they do. Therefore, it is best to have an alternate defense.
Make the case that if you were speeding, it was justified or excusable.
Without a doubt, we know speeding is dangerous. In fact, the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that nearly 10,000 deaths can be linked to speeding.
But what about times that speeding may have been justifiable?
For example, you might return to the site of your ticket and find that the speed limit sign was obstructed or covered by foliage, or missing completely. Take pictures of this and gather any other evidence you believe will convince the court that there was a good reason for your driving in excess of the speed limit.
Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that although there are certainly ways of fighting a speeding ticket, on your own the odds are against you getting out of the ticket unless you find a “smoking gun” like a recently stolen speed limit sign right where you got your ticket.
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The best thing is always to consult with an attorney. If your driving privileges are at risk, or if you have been charged with a criminal offense or have more than one ticket on your record suggesting that this current ticket could result in a serious penalty like a lost or suspended license, you should certainly get help from a criminal defense lawyer.
In many cases, the help you’ll receive from a lawyer fighting a speeding ticket is much less expensive than just accepting the consequences of your speeding ticket.
Make the case that you weren’t actually speeding.
You should always ask to see the radar gun when you are given a speeding ticket. Don’ t argue if they won’t show you, in fact, it is best not to do anything so that you will stand out in the officer’s mind later. You can ask for information about the radar gun when you get into court, and you should also find out when the radar gun was last calibrated before your ticket and above all stipulate to nothing. Request that all documents and other evidence be actually produced.
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Case Studies: Ways to Fight a Speeding Ticket
Case Study 1: Contesting a Ticket (John’s Case)
John received a speeding ticket and decided to contest it in court. He hoped that the officer wouldn’t show up, which could potentially result in the ticket being dismissed. However, John also prepared an alternate defense strategy to present if the officer did appear.
Case Study 2: Justifiable Speeding (Sarah’s Case)
Sarah was issued a speeding ticket but believed that her actions were justifiable under the circumstances. She returned to the site of the ticket and found that the speed limit sign was obstructed by foliage. Sarah took pictures of the obstruction and gathered other evidence to demonstrate that her speeding was reasonable given the circumstances.
Case Study 3: Seeking Legal Help (Mark’s Case)
Mark found himself in a situation where his driving privileges were at risk due to multiple speeding tickets on his record. He decided to seek legal assistance from a criminal defense lawyer to navigate the legal process effectively. By working with a lawyer, Mark hoped to minimize the potential consequences of his current speeding ticket and protect his driving privileges.
Case Study 4: Challenging Radar Accuracy (John’s Case)
When John received his speeding ticket, he immediately requested to see the radar gun used to measure his speed. The officer refused to show it to him. In court, John insisted on obtaining information about the radar gun and asked for documents proving its calibration. He challenged the accuracy of the radar gun and requested that all evidence be thoroughly examined.
Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.
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Mary Martin
Published Legal Expert
Mary Martin has been a legal writer and editor for over 20 years, responsible for ensuring that content is straightforward, correct, and helpful for the consumer. In addition, she worked on writing monthly newsletter columns for media, lawyers, and consumers. Ms. Martin also has experience with internal staff and HR operations. Mary was employed for almost 30 years by the nationwide legal publi...
Published Legal Expert
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about legal topics and insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything legal and insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.