According to BakersfieldNow.com, in 2015 law enforcement officers (LEO) issued 6900 speeding tickets, which is an average of 20 per day. That’s quite high and it has most likely gotten worse since. The state of CA is the fourth worst in the nation for issuing speeding tickets, and the fines are among the highest. Every year, 1/4th to 1/3rd of the approximately 6 million Californians get a ticket; it’s an easy way to raise revenue for the state. The average LEO writes about $350,000 worth of speeding tickets per year. Bakersfield being your average mid-size California city has its share of traffic tickets, especially along Chester Avenue.
Number vs. Fines for Speeding
The residents of CA are not nearly as upset about the number of speeding tickets issued in their state; they realize it is a question of safety. Pedestrians and children playing or riding their bicycles need someone watching out for them and this particularly true within the confines of the city. Speeding on the highway, with clear skies, and light traffic is probably justifiable. However, within our cities and especially in school zones and construction areas, drivers need to slow down and obey traffic devices. But, is it necessary to collect nearly a week’s wages from a speeder? Is that justifiable punishment for exceeding the speed limit? The cheapest fine for speeding is more than $225, which represents 75 percent of a minimum wage earner’s take-home pay. What about rent and groceries?
Sure, there is a means to ask the traffic court judge to consider your income or allow payments, but first, you must go to court. If they just levied a reasonable fine based on the driver’s income, all this could be avoided. You must take the day off, arrange night court, or hire a traffic ticket attorney. Hiring an attorney is the wisest decision, as they can likely get the charges reduced or the ticket dismissed, which is the ultimate, as your insurance premiums will not rise. If you pay the fine and add the Kern County traffic school fee of $64, plus tuition, what’s left for rent and groceries? Or, your increased insurance premium?
The Biggest Cost, Increased Insurance
If this is your second ticket within 18 months and you already used traffic school to mask your ticket from your insurance company, the fine for a speeding ticket may be less expensive than the rise in your insurance premium. In the first place, you will lose your “good driver’s discount” which is 20 percent, so your insurance is likely going to rise 30 percent or more depending on several factors insurance companies use to determine risk. CA is a mandatory insurance state, so you must have it to be legal or face even more fines.
So, besides strictly obeying traffic laws, what else can you do to avoid the high cost of a California speeding ticket? Always consult with a local traffic ticket attorney before paying the fine and accepting traffic school.
Consult a Central Valley Ticket Attorney
When you get a ticket for speeding, whether on SR-99, Chester Avenue, 23rd Street or another area of Central Valley, call Bigger & Harman for a consultation about your speeding ticket or any traffic ticket, (661) 349-9300, or send an email: attorney@markbigger.com.
You can even contact them on their Facebook page, just send a private message (PM) with the details of your speeding ticket. Lucelle Gunderson-Irven wrote this review on Facebook, “Thank you Attorney Mark Bigger for getting my speeding ticket DISMISSED. I was caught in a speed trap on Panorama Ave. I was leaving school (Bakersfield College) when I got pulled over for going 61 in a 45. I did not want the point on my record and gave this law firm a call. I definitely recommend them for fighting any traffic tickets you may have. I am 100% satisfied!”
When you’re looking for a traffic ticket attorney, look no further than Bigger & Harman of Bakersfield, the traffic defense team many Central Valley residents trust. Read comments left by their clients on Avvo or Yelp. Avvo is one of the preeminent legal websites in America.
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