5 ways to fight a ticket

With more than 196 million drivers in the US, thousands of traffic tickets are given across the country. It is estimated that 41 million tickets are given out by the police every year. This is roughly one in every six drivers. Unfortunately, only 5% of them fight back. This is a small number considering that not every person who gets a ticket has violated the traffic rules. So, if you are one of those unlucky drivers who got an unfair ticket, then it is time to fight back. There are five strategies to contest your ticket and they are explained below.

Subjective nature of the ticket

It is fairly easy to challenge the police officer's view of the incident. This is particularly true when the officer has made a subjective decision of the violation. You should be able to prove that the officer made a mistake and you did not violate the law in any way. For example, when the officer gave you a speeding ticket, you can argue that the location of the officer made him take a subjective decision. To fight back, all that you need is cheap car insurance and the ability to prove that you were within the law.

Gather the evidence

You can fight a ticket by gathering the evidence needed to prove that you were right. Some common types of evidence you can gather include statements from witnesses, passengers or bystanders, a clear diagram of the incident to prove that the officer was wrong and any kind of hidden traffic signs or other physical evidence to show that you were unable to see the sign at the time of driving. These evidences can convince the judge to doubt the officer's decision.

Circumstances beyond your control

If you can prove that the circumstances under which you were given the ticket was beyond your control, then the judge may dismiss your case. For example, someone else made a mistake and took a sudden left turn and you had to hit the gas to give the other driver some room. This was beyond your control and in such a case, the judge would dismiss your case. It is good to have some kind of cheap car insurance to cover your liability in such cases.

Legal justification

Many states allow you to contest a ticket if you are legally justified in your actions. A good example is driving too slowly on the left lane causing other vehicles to slow down. It is a good defense to argue that you had to slow down due to some problem in your car or to make a left turn. This additional information can justify your act and can make the judge to dismiss your case.

Accident avoidance

If you can prove to the judge that you took such an action to prevent an accident, then the case maybe dismissed. Though your action violated the law, you have to convince the judge that it was necessary to protect yourself and your co-drivers. A good example is a turn or crossing the yellow line to avoid running into an animal. Your evasive action was necessary to prevent an animal from being killed. Such actions will be considered by most judges. It is always a good idea to have any kind of cheap car insurance to protect yourself and your car from such unfortunate incidents.

In short, getting a traffic ticket does not mean that you are at fault. The above strategies can help you to fight a ticket.