How To Respond To A Traffic Violation Charge

Few things frustrate people as much as receiving traffic violation citations. Dealing with them, however, requires more than the belief that you're right. A lot of things are involved when responding to allegations of traffic violations, so you should follow these 6 tips to address the situation.

Make Several Copies

The majority of jurisdictions require folks to send in the original pieces of paper they receive when they respond. It's wise to make copies of the originals before mailing them but after signing them. There's no such thing as having too many copies, either. If you end up with a couple of extras, toss those into a file folder and mark it appropriately so you can keep track of it.

Take Notes

Your memory of the day will fade quickly. Write down notes regarding anything you thought was relevant, such as a speed limit sign you couldn't easily read because it was grown over. If possible, go to the location and take photos.

Don't Mail Anything Too Quickly

A guilty plea is close to impossible to rescind. Contact a traffic violation attorney as soon as possible, and don't sign or pay anything in the meantime. Take note of how much time you have before you have to mail a response, and let the lawyer know so they can schedule an appointment before your chance to reply expires.

Take Everything Seriously

Your traffic violation attorney will want you to keep track of any additional mail you receive regarding the incident. Open all mail from the court immediately, and take note of any dates for things like scheduled hearings. Keep your lawyer informed about these developments, too.

Weigh the Options

It's not uncommon for courts to consider lesser charges just to get traffic cases out of the system. The traffic violation attorney may discuss some options, such as taking a weaker charge that only carries a fine and no points on your license. Even if you're hellbent on fighting the ticket, it's at least worth thinking about when a reduction in the charge is worth taking.

If your lawyer can get the other side down to not putting points on your license, you'll stand a better chance of not seeing a significant insurance rate hike. Avoiding that is oftentimes more important than avoiding a fine.

Keep an Even Keel

When you do eventually end up at a hearing, listen to your attorney and only speak when the judge asks a question. Otherwise, just let your attorney do the job.

To learn more, contact a traffic violation attorney.