So\u2026you have been pulled over by the police for a traffic violation. \nAfter an unsuccessful attempt to get out of it, you already feel \ndefeated and do not want to use your hard-earned money to pay the \nticket. Well, you shouldn\u2019t! Fighting a ticket does make sense even if \nyou can easily afford the fine. You are entitled to defend yourself \nagainst any criminal allegation, and that is what a traffic citation is \u2013\n an allegation of a criminal infraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are the top 5 reasons why you should always contest a traffic ticket:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have a clean driving record<\/strong>:\n If you plead guilty to a traffic violation and pay the ticket, it will \nshow on your driving record for at least 3 to 5 years, or up to 7 years \nin the case of a serious offense. However, if you choose to fight your \nticket, you can have it completed erased from your driving record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Avoid points<\/strong>:\n Most traffic violations carry 2-point penalties, whereas more serious \noffenses such as driving while intoxicated come with 6-point penalties. \nYou may end up losing your driving license if you get 12-points in two \nyears. Choosing to not contest the charges could, therefore, turn out to\n be a bad choice for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lack of evidence would work in your favor<\/strong>:\n If you choose to fight your ticket, the traffic police officer that \nissued it must appear in court and show evidence to prove the \nconviction. They must be able to give a valid reason why they suspected \nyou of breaking the traffic laws. For instance, if you are fighting a \nspeeding ticket, they need to show evidence recorded by a radar gun. If \nthey fail to do so, you could have your ticket dismissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The police officer may fail to appear in court<\/strong>:\n When the police officer who issued you the ticket misses the court \ndate, the hearing could either be rescheduled by the judge or the \ncharges against you could be dismissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fighting a ticket provides you with many options<\/strong>:\n Paying a traffic ticket is almost the same as declaring to the court \nthat you did exactly what the police officer had written on the \ncitation. But if you request a hearing, you could explore many other \noptions to plead to a lesser offense which doesn\u2019t come with additional \npoints or damage your driving record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n