How to deal with a speeding ticket
No matter how responsible they are for driving, most people get a speeding ticket at some point in their lives. When you spend enough time behind the wheel, chances are good that you will eventually be pulled over and fined for driving too fast. You may be in a hurry and driving too fast. Maybe you're having fun testing out your new car. Maybe you had an instant crash and didn't realize your speedometer was creeping up. Or maybe you weren't driving too fast, but you got stopped and fined anyway.
If the latter happens to you, you'll probably want to fight your speeding ticket. You can fight the fine even if you were legally speeding, but your chances of winning will be much higher if you feel like the fine was not really deserved. However, in any situation, you can consider challenging the ticket. Fighting a speeding ticket may seem like a daunting task, but it's actually relatively simple. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps and you can potentially save a lot of money.
Try to avoid the fine when you get stopped
The first way to deal with a speeding ticket is when you are going to get it. Just because you're stopped doesn't mean you'll automatically get a fine; you can still get out of one.
Begin with complete compliance and courtesy. As soon as you are stopped, roll down the windows and place your hands on the steering wheel in positions 10 and 2. Answer all questions politely and do not show irritation or anger at the police or highway patrol. If an officer asks you for a license and registration, tell them where they are and ask if you can get them. Anything you can do to make the officer feel comfortable will increase your chances of your ticket being charged.
If you have indeed been speeding, then you will want to express regret and perhaps offer an excuse. Don't come up with any excuses - this makes it much harder to deal with the fine - but let the officer know if you're late and why, or if you have a new car and are a little out of your mind. Recognizing that you made a mistake, expressing regret about it, and informing the officer why it happened (and why it is unlikely to happen again) can go a long way in getting your penalty rejected.
If you don't believe you were actually speeding, ask the officer a few questions. You can ask them what method they used to determine your speed, whether you can see the radar display, or how recently their radar was calibrated. Be sure to ask these questions calmly and politely so as not to sound accusatory. If the policeman starts the conversation by asking why you were stopped, say you don't know and politely ask why.
If you're still getting a ticket, keep being polite and apologize again. When you get home, write down as many details as you can about the driving environment, such as traffic, road and weather conditions, and any witnesses you may have.
Once you've received your ticket, try contacting the officer who issued it to you to plead your case a little more. You can call the department where the officer works or write a letter. Use this opportunity to reiterate your regret and the reason for the speeding violation (if you were indeed speeding). This will show the officer how committed you are to getting your ticket cancelled, as well as how sincere and genuine your apology is. The officer can refuse the receipt, but even if not, you will look better when you challenge the receipt in court.
Challenge your ticket for speeding
The final step in the fight against a speeding ticket is in court. The first thing you need to do is formally dispute the ticket, which must be done in a timely manner. Different states have different timelines and processes for formally contesting a ticket, so you should contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to find out about the process and timelines in your state. If you can justifiably delay the date of the trial, do so, as this further pushes the ticket out of the officer's mind.
Once in court, you will have to plead not guilty and then be honest about what happened (you should also bring any witnesses who were present). Provide any evidence you have, such as the conditions you noted on the day you received your ticket and the type of detection method used to determine your speed. It's important to remember that nothing bad can happen to you when defending a speeding ticket, so don't get nervous or scared; at worst, you will have to pay for the ticket, so act with conviction and cover all your grounds. If the officer used a radar weapon, ask the referee to provide evidence that the weapon was recently calibrated. If the officer used the tracking method, ask if the vehicle's speedometer has been recently calibrated. Any potential holes in speeding detection increase your chances of waiving a ticket.
If the judge is not convinced by your defense, then ask for a reduced sentence. Some courts are willing to waive the fine if you attend a driving school or offer community service.
When in court, make sure you are dressed appropriately and treat the judge and officer with respect at all times. Try to convey confidence in your innocence, but never be rude. Every little thing you do affects your chances.
If you follow these steps, you will have a good chance of getting around a speeding ticket. Losing your ticket is a huge relief because not only are speeding tickets expensive, but they usually increase your insurance rates, which is the biggest problem. Whether you received a speeding ticket by mistake, or you just think you have a legitimate excuse for the speeding ticket you received, it might be worth taking a little time to challenge the ticket and hopefully get it cancelled.
