What to Do If You Get a Traffic Ticket
There are many different rules of the road that you must obey when driving, from stopping at stop signs to yielding to other vehicles that have the right of way to driving under the speed limit and at a safe speed. When you break one or more of these driving rules, the police can pull you over and give you a traffic ticket. A traffic ticket is a citation for an infraction and there are legal consequences associated with getting a traffic ticket.
What to Do If You Get a Traffic Ticket
When you get a traffic ticket, the next steps that you need to take are going to depend upon the type of ticket you received and the location where you live. In most cases, however, you'll have a couple different choices when you get a traffic ticket.
One option you may have might involve simply sending back the ticket with payment for the fine that has been imposed on you as a result of the citation. When you do this, you are essentially admitting that you broke whatever driving laws you were accused of breaking and that you accept responsibility for this. When you simply pay your fine and move on, though, there is often another consequence beyond just the fine. Typically, points will be placed on your license and a record of the ticket on your driving record. Your insurance company will then look at this ticket and the points on your license when evaluating whether you present a high risk of becoming involved in a crash or not in the future.
Unfortunately, having points on your license and a ticket on your record is an indicator to the insurance company that you make dangerous driving decisions and that you don't obey the laws intended to keep drivers safe. As a result, they may raise your insurance premiums and you'll be left having to pay more for car insurance- an undesirable outcome that nobody really wants to deal with.
Another alternative when you get a traffic ticket is to plead not guilty. If you do this, you'll have to come to court and explain to the Judge why you feel the ticket was cited incorrectly. The police will then have to present their evidence to indicate the validity of the traffic violation and explain that you should face the fines and the consequences. Pleading not guilty can be an option if you really believe you didn't do anything wrong, but sometimes it can be hard to win these types of cases..
A third option is to accept that you did break the driving rules, or at least not contest the ticket, and then enter into an arrangement whereby you are able to take a defensive driving class to avoid getting points for a traffic ticket. For many, this is the most popular option although you may be limited in the number of times you can exercise this option within a one year period.
What to Do If You Get a Traffic Ticket
When you get a traffic ticket, the next steps that you need to take are going to depend upon the type of ticket you received and the location where you live. In most cases, however, you'll have a couple different choices when you get a traffic ticket.
One option you may have might involve simply sending back the ticket with payment for the fine that has been imposed on you as a result of the citation. When you do this, you are essentially admitting that you broke whatever driving laws you were accused of breaking and that you accept responsibility for this. When you simply pay your fine and move on, though, there is often another consequence beyond just the fine. Typically, points will be placed on your license and a record of the ticket on your driving record. Your insurance company will then look at this ticket and the points on your license when evaluating whether you present a high risk of becoming involved in a crash or not in the future.
Unfortunately, having points on your license and a ticket on your record is an indicator to the insurance company that you make dangerous driving decisions and that you don't obey the laws intended to keep drivers safe. As a result, they may raise your insurance premiums and you'll be left having to pay more for car insurance- an undesirable outcome that nobody really wants to deal with.
Another alternative when you get a traffic ticket is to plead not guilty. If you do this, you'll have to come to court and explain to the Judge why you feel the ticket was cited incorrectly. The police will then have to present their evidence to indicate the validity of the traffic violation and explain that you should face the fines and the consequences. Pleading not guilty can be an option if you really believe you didn't do anything wrong, but sometimes it can be hard to win these types of cases..
A third option is to accept that you did break the driving rules, or at least not contest the ticket, and then enter into an arrangement whereby you are able to take a defensive driving class to avoid getting points for a traffic ticket. For many, this is the most popular option although you may be limited in the number of times you can exercise this option within a one year period.