The first thing most drivers think about when they get a speeding ticket is how much their fine will be. Of all the nasty fallouts to be concerned with, the fine is likely the least significant. Sure, a conviction or paid fine for a California speeding ticket can be substantial. That fine could be anywhere between $235 and $2,500.
The $2,500 is for a speeding conviction for 100+ mph, but that fine in comparison to the other consequences of that major infraction is still only a small portion of what it will cost you if convicted.
Typically, a 1-15 mph speeding fine is around $235-250. A fine for speeding 16-24 mph over the posted or prudent speed is $350-360, and a speeding ticket fine for 25 mph or more over the speed limit (but less than 100 mph) is $490-500, depending on the county and the judge.
How You Can Avoid the Fallout from a Speeding Ticket
After getting a speeding ticket, many drivers start scouring the internet looking for methods to get out of the ticket. And why wouldn’t they? If convicted, you will pay a fine, and get assessed Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS) points, which will often trigger the loss of your “good driver’s discount” and put you in higher insurance risk.
Therefore, when you type the question into Google, Bing, or Yahoo search engines, you will get hundreds of responses. Everyone from the Christian Science Monitor (CSM) and Popular Mechanics, to such unlikely sources as Popular Science, have joined in the discussion.
They’ll tell you to stall or delay and hope the law enforcement officer (LEO) who gave you the ticket doesn’t show up for court. Some will advise asking the judge for mercy or considering your income. One even encourages you to call the court clerk and ask them to give you a non-moving violation instead of the speeding ticket.
You could consider some of those, and some tactics might even work in certain jurisdictions or circumstances. However, do you know what the best advice is? Consult a speeding ticket attorney. Traffic ticket attorneys handle speeding tickets every day. Why wouldn’t you ask an attorney rather than trust your luck to Auto Wise or the CSM?
Actually, the CSM does advise fighting the speeding ticket. They wrote, “…your best bet to keep a ticket off your record is to fight. Results can range from an outright dismissal to a reduced fine.” However, statistics show only five to eight percent of drivers with tickets challenge it in court.
Popular Mechanics rightly proclaims, “The motorist is a source of revenue.” The author of that article, Richard Diamond, also advises, “Fight every ticket.”
What’s more, even Auto Wise observes, “Appointing a traffic ticket lawyer could go a long way in boosting your chances of successfully dismissing a ticket…”
Therefore, to keep the speeding ticket off your driving record, fight every ticket with a traffic ticket lawyer.
Attorneys Who Handle a Shafter Speeding Ticket
Call Bigger & Harman in Bakersfield to challenge your speeding ticket in Shafter Traffic Court, (661) 349-9300.
We handle alleged traffic violations in Shafter in Kern County and other Central Valley county traffic tickets.
Se habla Español (661) 349-9755.
Send your email to attorney@biggerharmanlaw.com.
References:
The Christian Science Monitor article, 6 ways to keep a ticket off your driving record
The Popular Mechanics article, 10 Tips to Avoid Speeding Tickets
The Auto Wise article, Everything You Need to Know About Speeding Tickets