If police officers witness people violating traffic statutes, they can conduct traffic stops and issue citations. A ticket is essentially a formal accusation of violating the law. Unlike a criminal offense, a traffic citation represents a less serious violation of state statutes.
Most of the time, tickets simply carry a fine. There is no risk of probation or jail time. Many people assume that paying a ticket is the most cost-effective solution when accused of violating traffic regulations. However, a ticket costs more than the fine assessed by the state.
People who are aware of the potential expenses generated by a citation may decide to fight their tickets in court. Why can tickets cost more than people expect?
Tickets increase insurance rates
What a driver pays for liability insurance coverage directly correlates to their driving record. Motorists who have demonstrated unsafe habits, as evidenced by traffic citations, tend to pay more for their coverage.
Drivers with the minimum amount of coverage required by state law pay, on average, $595 per year. That increases by 46% to $870 after a single speeding ticket. Those with full coverage pay an average of $1,957. They can expect their rates to increase by 49% to $2,914. Those significant increases typically persist for multiple years after a driver pays their ticket.
Tickets endanger licensing
Most adults rely on having independent transportation to maintain their jobs and fulfill household responsibilities. People who lose their driver’s license are at risk of very inconvenient personal setbacks.
Too many tickets accumulated in a short amount of time could lead to the state suspending a driver’s license. Particularly severe offenses can also lead to a driver’s license suspension, regardless of the points accrued from prior citations.
Professionals who must maintain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) are also at risk. A few citations may be sufficient to make them ineligible for a CDL temporarily. The only way to avoid the secondary consequences of a traffic ticket is to fight the citation instead of pleading guilty by paying the ticket.
Reviewing a citation and the circumstances leading to the traffic ticket can help drivers develop a strategy. Many people who take their tickets to court can limit the consequences of the citation.