How to Fight a Speeding Ticket

Every time you are picked up by the radar gun and pulled over for speeding, you feel like a victim, no matter how well you deserve the fine. The cop appears perfectly evil and reminds you of a masked bandit in sunglasses, hiding behind a bush in his black and white car (or bike) waiting for his target. With a menacing look in his eyes, the bandit asks you if you know why he stopped you and that is when you lose half the battle! Most people submit themselves and pocket the speeding ticket without uttering a word. But, do you know this is the biggest mistake one can possibly make? By admitting to your offense, you lose your chance of fighting a speeding ticket, which could have been an opportunity to save hundreds of dollars and more importantly, points on insurance! So how to fight a speeding ticket and what exactly should you do when you are pulled for speeding? Well for starters, you can continue reading this article!

Tips on How to Fight a Speeding Ticket

For most Americans, running late and then speed driving has become a favorite pastime. Every year about 175 million speeding tickets are handed over to unsuspecting drivers. Unfortunately, very few end up in court for hearing or trial. About 96% of drivers simply go home and pay the fine via email. Most of them are unaware of the fact that they can fight a speeding ticket which can save them up to 30 - 50% of fine amount. So before you ask 'Is it worth it to fight a speeding ticket?', let me tell you that a speeding ticket means more than a few hundred dollars fine. One speeding ticket can ruin your reputation with the insurance company, which may force them to elevate your premium by a few thousand dollars. Now, that's really an expensive deal and you sure would like to avoid it. This brings us back to our original discussion of 'how to fight speeding ticket'. But before that some of you may ask 'when to fight a speeding ticket'. The answer is, you should fight a speeding ticket every time the masked bandit pulls you over for speeding.

The fight for speeding ticket should begin from the point the cop asks you if you know why he stopped you. A safe answer in this case would be, 'err..I am not sure', as it leaves you with many options and most importantly, buys you time to come up with a good excuse. Many a time, the cop only stops you to warn you. Hence, you must not encourage him to issue you a ticket, by admitting to a greater offense. The next step is to smartly talk the things out and convince the cop to leave you only with a warning. If your sweet talk doesn't work on him, simply pocket the ticket and check on the box that says you want a court hearing. Mail the ticket with a suitable date of court hearing. Meanwhile, start preparing for your case.

You should begin with procuring the police report of your case, so that you know what charges are held against you. If the court is unable to produce this document, your chances of dismissal of case are very bright. The next step is, demand as many continuances as you can so as to delay the case. You can always cite reasons like 'out of town', 'can't get off from work' etc. It is very likely that the concerned cop may not be able to show up at least one time. This will force the court to drop your case. In case you are forced to present yourself, do so in a very polite and confident manner. But, whatever you say, never plead guilty to your offense.

The judge might be lenient towards you, if you appear to be a genuine and well mannered person. If this doesn't work and the case goes in favor of the other party you can ask for a trial. Now since trial is an expensive affair, your judge is very likely to negotiate with you. Thus, you are likely to get out of trouble with at least 30% reduction in fine amount and fewer points on your insurance. If nothing works, you will still realize that the whole trouble is worth a try!

So, the next time you end up with a ticket for speeding, remember you can always fight it. However, keep your encounters with a traffic cop to bare minimum as far as possible.