If you have recently received a traffic citation for speeding, you may be wondering if fighting your speeding ticket is a worthwhile endeavor. A speeding ticket can come with many negative penalties, and this can range from the need to pay a fine and points added to your driver’s license to the revocation of your license altogether. Some people may want to fight a ticket simply because they feel the ticket was issued in error, and others may need to fight it in order to avoid a truly negative outcome, such as the loss of a license. Before you make the decision about fighting your speeding ticket, review each of these factors in detail.
Understanding the Costs of Fighting Your Speeding Ticket
When you choose to accept your ticket, you can typically either take a driver’s safety course to eradicate the ticket or pay for the ticket outright. Both have costs associated with them. If you are short on cash, you may think that fighting your speeding ticket is a better outcome, but this is not always the case. Consider, for example, that you may still have to pay court costs and legal fees if you fight your ticket. In addition, there is no guarantee that you will win your case. If you lose your case, you may have to pay for the ticket as well as court costs and legal fees.
Reviewing the Potential Outcomes
Once you understand the costs associated with fighting a ticket, you can then review the potential outcomes. Consider the negative impact that you may face if you accept the ticket. If you have other charges against you and face the possibility of losing your license, you may have nothing to lose to fight the ticket. On the other hand, if this is your first offense in many years, you may only need to pay a nominal fee for the ticket to have the case resolved.
Determining the Strength of Your Case
Another important factor to consider is the strength of your case. It takes a lot of time, energy and even money to fight a ticket. Because of this, you may not want to go through the effort if you do not have a strong case. Consider, for example, if the officer violated one of your civil rights that led to the issuance of the ticket. Perhaps the officer had faulty radar equipment, and you are certain you were not speeding at the time. Consider if a tree branch was hanging over the last posted sign on the road and if you can get a picture of the blockage over this sign.
Each of these points is critical in your decision-making process. Some people may decide that it is not worth their time and effort to fight a ticket, but others may believe they have no choice but to fight the charge against them. If you have a considerable interest in fighting the case, such as if you may lose your license, consider hiring a lawyer to represent you in court.