If you received a speeding ticket, you may have decided to fight the ticket. There are many good reasons for doing this. Perhaps you have received several tickets in the past and are now facing the possibility of losing your license. Or maybe you don't want to see your insurance rates go up. Whatever your reason may be, there are a few things you should know about fighting a speeding ticket.
Sometimes you can win just by showing up
Once you sign your speeding ticket, you are promising to show up in court on the date shown on your citation or to pay the fine. Most people don't do go to court; instead, they decide to pay the ticket. But if you do go to court, the police officer who wrote the ticket is required to show up in court as well. Sometimes the officer will not go to court. The officer may have higher priorities that day than traffic court. When this happens, the judge will usually dismiss the ticket, so you can win by default.
Sometimes a radar gun can be inaccurate
Your speeding ticket may be based on a visual estimation by a police officer, but often the ticket will be based on a radar gun. In this situation, it may seem impossible to fight the ticket, but there are many possibilities. For example, the officer must check the radar gun each day to make sure it is working properly. This is usually done with a calibrated tuning fork. There is also the issue of angle deflection. The exact angle of the gun as it is pointed at the car will affect the speed reading. The speed you were traveling may not have been properly calculated.
You are better off with an attorney
There are attorneys that do a lot of work for clients with speeding tickets. These attorneys are well acquainted with the traffic laws in your state, and they are experienced with speeding tickets in your area. There is likely more than one spot in the city that may be considered a speed trap. This type of trap may be something as simple as an abrupt change in the legal speed limit that gives drivers little chance to slow down. However, a speeding ticket lawyer will know the best way to fight this type of ticket. There are other situations that produce speeding tickets, and a consultation with an attorney can give you more information.
If you received a speeding ticket and want to fight it, there are many ways to go about it. You may win simply by showing up to court. And if you have received a ticket by an officer using a radar gun, there are many ways to fight the ticket as well. But your best course of action is to consult with a traffic ticket attorney. Your chances of success are much better.
To learn more, contact a speeding ticket attorney.
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