Did you know that you can get your traffic ticket dismissed just by taking the time to fight it?
Such a large percentage of people do not challenge their traffic tickets, that, oftentimes, the system charging you doesn’t bother to submit any evidence against you. If you challenge your ticket and there is no evidence against you, the case will be dismissed.
This is just one of the many reasons not to blindly accept a traffic ticket. Here we layout just a few ticket options you probably aren’t aware of. Keep reading to learn more.
Slow Down and Consider Your Options
What do most people do when they get a traffic ticket? They pay it as soon as possible and proceed to have a terrible rest of their day. However, paying your ticket right away may not be in your best interest.
Most traffic tickets give you 90 days to either enter a plea or pay the ticket. When you pay a traffic ticket, you automatically admit to guilt, your insurance company gets called, and your bad day quickly turns into a bad week.
With those 90 days, you have plenty of time to put the ticket aside and come back to it at a time that suits you. Rather than taking care of things quickly, consider exploring your options.
Fighting Traffic Tickets with Trial by Written Declaration
Fighting your traffic ticket is not the grueling bureaucratic process that you might think. Dismissing a ticket can be as easy as sending an email.
With a trial by written declaration, you can plead ‘not guilty’ from the safety of your own home. These cases are often dismissed without the help of a traffic ticket lawyer.
The ‘No Contest’ Plea and ‘Mistake of Fact’
Pleading ‘no contest’ and claiming ‘mistake of fact’ gives you additional options. ‘No contest’ can be used by first-time offenders. If you have a perfect driving record, just accepting your first traffic ticket doesn’t have to be your only option.
First-time offenders can have their fine lowered and the ticket not reported to insurance. Therefore, as far as your insurance is concerned, you continue to pay the rates of a perfect driver. Pleading no contest puts you in a position that neither confirms nor denies your guilt.
A ‘mistake of fact’ entails that the driving error you made was out of your control. For example, if you got a ticket for speeding in a school zone, and you can prove that the sign indicating the school zone was not visible (maybe because of a fallen tree after a storm), you can have your case dismissed without the need to pay the traffic ticket.
Don’t Be Afraid to Fight Your Ticket
The average motorist is often ignorant of their rights. Fighting any ticket, including a traffic ticket for speeding, is a right reserved for every American. It takes a lot less effort than you might think.
Save yourself from higher insurance rates and a sullied driving record and educate yourself on your rights sooner rather than later!
