Few people get out of bed in the morning thinking that they are going to break the law, yet countless find themselves running afoul of authority anyway thanks to traffic violations. Such infractions may seem like little more than a minor nuisance, and the temptation to simply pay for them and move on with your life is ever-present. However, having such citations on your driving record can have lasting effects (such as having to pay higher auto insurance rates). Thus, it may behoove you to contest any traffic tickets you receive.

Fighting a Fix-It Ticket

Fix-it tickets might be hard to argue against if your vehicle has a problem that’s readily apparent (such as a broken tail light). However, if you are cited for being in violation of a lesser-known law (e.g., having excessive window tint), then you should at least research the cited ordinance to discover its details. Once you’ve done that, consult an expert to determine if your vehicle really is in violation of said ordinance, and document that opinion to share when you go to traffic court.

Understanding Speed Limit Laws

For a speeding violation, the first thing to do is determine which speed limit you were in violation of. While you may not realize it, there are actually three types of speed limits:

• Absolute speed limits
• Presumed speed limits
• Basic speed limits

Absolute speed limits are those that are posted. Your best bet to contest those is to attack the method by which the citing officer was measuring your speed, or to explain why your speeding was justified (e.g., you or a passenger were experiencing a medical emergency).

If you are not exceeding the posted speed limit, yet are cited for driving faster than is reasonably safe given the road conditions, then you are said to be in violation of the presumed speed limit (the same is true of basic speed limits, only the citation is for driving too slow). In both cases, you should try and show that you were simply staying with the flow of traffic.

While understanding how to fight a traffic ticket is helpful, your chances of being fruitful in such an effort increases dramatically when you have additional help on your side. A suspended license attorney offers valuable help, experience and knowledge. A simple search of “traffic lawyers near me” can quickly pinpoint one in your area.