5 Tips and Tactics for Fighting a Traffic Violation

If there’s one thing that all of us can agree on, it’s this: We don’t like receiving traffic violations. Yet, according to many reports, there are approximately 100,000 of us who receive a speeding ticket each and every day in this country. This means that 1 in 6 individuals will receive one this year and with the average cost of a traffic violation being around $150, that adds up to an amazing six billion (give or take a few bucks) dollars.

And while a lot of us simply think that once we get a ticket, we have no choice but to pay for it, the reality is that there are some tips and tactics that you can use to fight some of the traffic violations that you receive. Check these five out below:

Be upfront. You have to remember that from the moment you are being pulled over, from the officer’s perspective, you have already broken the law; therefore, to try and argue with them is going to only further irritate the matter. There are a lot of people who get off with only a warning by simply acknowledging that what they did was wrong, answering (only) the questions that were asked of them and assuring the officer that they won’t do it again.

Promise to get “it” fixed promptly. Not all violations are related to speeding. If you got stopped for something like a light being out or an expired tag (that is not more than a couple of weeks late), if you address the matter promptly and let the officer know that you’re getting it fixed just as soon as possible, there’s a good chance they’ll let you go.

Challenge the resolve. If you receive a ticket for going five miles over the posted speed limit, coming to a rolling stop or making what the officer perceived to be an “unsafe” left or right, in many cases, this is a purely subjective conclusion that you are free to challenge in court. As a matter of fact, when it comes to speeding, there are currently 20 states that will actually allow an accelerated speed to transpire based on individual circumstances alone.

Prove that you “didn’t see it”. Suppose you are pulled over for running a stop sign that you did not see. If you had someone riding in the car with you or you have your cell phone in your vehicle, use either or both of these things as witnesses. Ask the person in the car to go to court to confirm that the stop sign was in an obscure place. Take a picture of the stop sign with your cell phone. It’s not rare that a judge will “override” a police officer’s judgment if they feel like you are justified in stating your case.

Bring in your evidence. Say that you get stopped and for whatever the reason, you do not have your car insurance card on you. Whether it’s one of the more popular companies or some cheap car insurance, it doesn’t matter. If you know that you’re insured, bring the card to your court date and there’s a good chance that the judge will dismiss your case (and yes, also the fine).