Need to Contest a Traffic Ticket? Don’t Worry! Read-Along for an Easy Guide To Follow
One can get a traffic ticket due to several reasons like speeding, cell phone usage, or breaking a road rule. If it is your first time to get a traffic ticket and you are thinking of disputing it, then you probably need to know what your options are. Below are two ways that you can use to dispute a ticket.
Third-Party Assistance
If you are not sure how to go about disputing your traffic ticket, you can seek third-party assistance. They will contest the ticket on your behalf. One option is to use the WinIt app available.
Once you have downloaded the app, you will need to fill in the details necessary like the time and date of the event as well as a picture of your ID and traffic ticket. These apps can help you save time and stress which makes it a popular choice for many people.
Another option is to hire a lawyer to represent your case. This normally is more expensive but if you have serious traffic tickets then it is a good choice.
Also in circumstances when you have received a traffic ticket in another country but are unable to go to the court hearing there, you can send a lawyer on your behalf. He can represent your case for you with a power of attorney or other authorized documents.
Contesting A Ticket Yourself
If you have the time and resources, you can also contest the ticket yourself. Once you have your court date ascertained, you can start with noting down all the facts relating to the event. Make notes of the date, time, and location.
Also, make yourself aware of the road laws to make sure your reason is justified. You may then choose to contest if the reasons below are applicable.
Disputing with The Officer’s Opinion
If you feel that the officer used any sort of personal judgment while giving you a ticket, then you can dispute against it. The duty of the officer is to only give a ticket if the driver has violated a safety norm or road rule.
In many countries, the speeding limit is not set and the officer can determine if the limit was exceeded or not. In such cases too you can challenge the officer’s opinion as to what they thought was safe or dangerous.
Disputing the Evidence of the Officer
In certain cases of traffic tickets, the officer’s judgment is not considered. This can be the case of running through a traffic signal or making a wrong u-turn.
Here you can challenge the evidence provided by the officers based on if he saw you or didn’t see you actually break the rule. If they don’t have any proof of actually seeing your ticketed action but rather have an opinion on what you could have done wrong, then you can present the scenarios as they happened and explain the circumstances.
The judge then can make a call depending on who they believe. You can also make your cases stronger if you present your own eye-witnesses.
Disputing that Your Action Was Justified
If you have been given a speeding fine by an officer but you have a solid and justified reason as to why you did so, you can dispute the ticket on that basis.
For example, if you had a medical emergency and were rushing to the closest hospital available or moving fast to avoid another driver who was experiencing road rage and was dangerous. In these cases, you can present facts from reports of the hospital or any other witness who was present with you.
You can also dispute if you were not feeling too well or feeling dizzy and were speeding or slowing down so you could park ahead and recover.
Dispute With Reason of Preventing Harm
Sometimes an unexpected action of a pedestrian walker may cause you to swerve or pull your brake unexpectedly. This is done to prevent harming the pedestrians and the people in the car.
When you are speeding up or slowing down or even taking a sudden u-turn, to prevent an accident, you can use it as a prime basis for disputing your ticket. You should be able to prove that your actions were taken only to avoid yourself or someone else getting severely or fatally hurt.
Dispute Only if You Have a Genuine Reason
We all make mistakes and that makes us human. If you have received a traffic ticket that is justified, it will save you time and stress to pay it rather than dispute it for baseless reasons.
If you do have a genuine reason and are not feeling justified with the ticket, then you surely should dispute. Be prepared with your reasons and research beforehand on all the aspects of the event so you can win your case