Even the safest drivers find themselves driving over the speed limit every now and again. If you’re pulled over for speeding, provide the officer with the requested information and answer any questions addressed to you.
It’s unlikely, but the officer may let you off with a warning. If this happens, you can slowly pull away and go about your day.
Conversely, if you receive a speeding ticket, you have a couple of options:
Pay the fine and move on
Fight the ticket with hopes of avoiding a fine and other consequences
Here are three defense strategies to consider:
Moving with the flow of traffic: You argue that you were driving over the speed limit given the conditions of the road at the time. This is often one of the best defense strategies if ticketed for speeding on the interstate.
Speeding because of an emergency: Maybe you were forced to speed because you were transporting a sick relative to the hospital. Or maybe you were speeding as a means of creating distance between you and a distracted driver.
Challenge the speed: Your traffic ticket will have your speed marked on it. Once you learn how your speed was tracked, you can then decide if you should challenge it. For example, if the officer used some type of device, you could challenge their experience with it.
It’s not always the best idea to pay a speeding ticket. Not only is this money out of your pocket, but it could result in a license suspension and increased insurance premium among other consequences.
As you learn more about your legal rights, you may find that fighting your speeding ticket is the right thing to do.