You know that feeling. It’s that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that you get when you whiz past a state trooper on the Interstate. You look down and see you’re going 85, a clear 15 miles per hour over the speed limit. You glance hesitantly into your rear-view mirror, certain that he’s going to pull into traffic.
Sure enough, five minutes later, you’re rolling down your window and saying, “What seems to be the problem, officer?”
Ten minutes after that, you’re the recipient of a hefty speeding ticket. Depending on where it happened, you’re looking at several hundred to over $1,000 dollars in fines, points on your license, and an increase in your insurance rates.
While there are no guarantees, there are some things you can do to try to get out of that ticket, and it starts with the moment you get pulled over:
Sure enough, five minutes later, you’re rolling down your window and saying, “What seems to be the problem, officer?”
Ten minutes after that, you’re the recipient of a hefty speeding ticket. Depending on where it happened, you’re looking at several hundred to over $1,000 dollars in fines, points on your license, and an increase in your insurance rates.
While there are no guarantees, there are some things you can do to try to get out of that ticket, and it starts with the moment you get pulled over:
- Start by being polite. Now, don’t get the wrong idea; traffic officers deal with all sorts of people on a daily basis. They know the frustration you’re feeling. Being polite isn’t going to necessarily change their mind about your ticket. However, being confrontational isn’t going to get you any breaks, either. Try to be as civil as possible, and avoid arguing if you can.
- Ask some questions. When the officer indicates that you were speeding, ask about the incident. Where did the officer clock your speed, and how? Were there other cars that could have been tracked instead of yours? Is it possible his equipment could have produced the wrong reading? Again, don’t be confrontational, but do gather some information.
- Don’t admit to anything. If the officer says, “Do you know how fast you were going?” don’t say “at least 80.” You can say something like, “I’m not certain, but I didn’t think I was over the speed limit.” An admission of guilt will make it harder to fight the ticket if it comes to that later on.
- Ask him if he’d be willing to give you a warning. If you’re polite about it and don’t make a fuss, it’s possible he’ll forego the ticket in favor of a warning. The worst he can do is say “no,” and it’s not likely to change the officer’s approach in a negative way. Failing that, ask if he’d consider writing the ticket for a lesser offense.
- If you get a ticket, don’t simply pay it. Challenging a ticket in court doesn’t guarantee you’ll get out of it; most people who challenge a ticket still wind up paying the ticket. However, challenging it isn’t going to make the penalty any worse.
- Consider writing the ticketing officer a letter. It might be possible to plead your case to the traffic officer a second time. Compose a well-written letter explaining your case to the officer. In most jurisdictions, the officer has the ability to rescind the ticket up to the time that you’re scheduled for court.
- Be professional and polite when you show up for your hearing. In some places you’ll face a judge, in others it will be a magistrate that only handles traffic cases. There are a number of things that might get you out of the ticket, depending on where the offense took place; the officer not showing up doesn’t automatically get you off free.
- Consider negotiating a deferred judgment or other agreement. If the ticket is especially harsh, you might be able to get out of it by negotiating in court. You might be able, for example, to take a defensive driving course, and as long as you don’t get any tickets over the next several months this one might be dismissed. Your odds are better in this regard if you have a clean driving record with no points.
Ultimately, how well you fare in getting out of a ticket depends on a number of factors:
- The nature of the offense (e.g. how fast you were going over the speed limit).
- The mood and disposition of the officer.
- Your ability to make your case either to the officer or in court.
What you must not do, if you can help it, is simply accept the fact you’re going to get a ticket and going to pay the fine. Not only can the ticket be expensive, it can raise your insurance rates for months or years to come. Figure out what you can do to get out of that ticket, and then work hard to make it happen.
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