Most people pay their traffic ticket fines to get it over as quickly as possible, but that’s not always the best option. Even something as simple as a parking ticket has the potential to lead to unexpected and unwanted consequences when you don’t get a lawyer and fight.
Whether you’re currently faced with a ticket, or you’re just curious, here’s why you should always fight your traffic tickets.
1. Not all tickets are justified
Just because an official issues you a ticket doesn’t mean it’s valid. Sometimes, officials hand out tickets to meet quotas even when it’s not justified. If you received a ticket for a violation you know you didn’t commit, it’s worth fighting. You don’t want something unjustified to stay on your record because multiple tickets can lead to consequences like getting points on your license or having your license suspended.
The easiest tickets to fight will be ones you can prove are invalid. For example, if you get a parking ticket, but you’re parked legally and there’s no indication that you can’t park where you are at that time, take photos of the entire area surrounding your vehicle, including close-ups of all signage. If the city meant to shut down parking, but failed to put out the signs, your ticket will probably get dismissed easily.
You should also fight citations for moving violations, like speeding and texting while driving. It’s become common for cops to ticket people for talking on a cell phone while driving when they don’t even own a cell phone. Since police officers have a hard time admitting mistakes, the only way to get through it is to fight it in court and show your phone records.
2. Not taking action on invalid tickets can have serious consequences
If you let invalid tickets pile up thinking you can just handle them later and prove your innocence, think again. Even when the tickets you’ve received are unjustified, if you don’t handle them, they can put points on your record, snowball your fines, and restrict your ability to drive. Your car might even get impounded.
3. Traffic school might be an option
You might be eligible for traffic school if your violation is minor, your driver’s license is valid, and you haven’t recently attended traffic school for something else. If you just pay the fine or go to court and not ask about your options, you may not know this is a possibility. Going to traffic school can keep a moving violation off your record, and it’s worth asking about.
On the other hand, traffic school is sometimes part of the punishment for serious offenses that will go on your record. Don’t assume that being ordered to attend traffic school is automatically a sign that your infraction won’t go on your driving record.
4. You might have a justifiable defense
Even if you did violate the law, if you have a justifiable defense, then you should fight your ticket. For example, if it’s illegal to use a cell phone while driving in your state, but you were calling 9-1-1 or the police to report an emergency, that’s a valid defense and didn’t break the law.
Another valid defense is if you drove the way you did to avoid causing immediate harm to yourself or others. For example, maybe you swerved to avoid a pedestrian or another driver was coming into your lane and you had to swerve out of the way. Whatever the case, if you got ticketed for an action that was necessary to prevent harm, you should fight that citation.
Officers make subjective judgments in the moment about what you’re doing as a driver, and they aren’t always right. If they won’t correct the situation after hearing your explanation and you still receive a citation, don’t hesitate to fight.
5. Sometimes a valid ticket can be reduced
Some violations, like driving without insurance, can be reduced to a simple administrative fine if you can prove you had insurance at the time you were given the citation. In this case, if the judge accepts your proof, the charge will be dismissed, and you’ll only need to pay a small fine to the court.
Fight your tickets to keep your record clean
The decision to contest a traffic ticket might seem stressful, but when you’re prepared with a strong defense and all the facts – and in some cases, a good lawyer – you have more power than you may think.