About Speeding Tickets

The unwelcome sight of blue lights in your rear view mirror as you're cruising down the highway usually means one thing: a speeding ticket is soon to be yours.

Function

A speeding ticket serves as a penalty for the operator of a motor vehicle who exceeds the posted speed limit. The offense of speeding is a misdemeanor of the lowest grade and is usually punished by a fine.

Types

There are various types of speeding tickets issued, such as criminal speeding and speeding in a school or construction zone. The type of ticket is dependent upon where the vehicle was speeding and how much it was over the posted speed limit. The exact definitions of the types of speeding (how much over the limit constitutes criminal speeding) depend on the state laws.

Significance

In addition to the monetary fine associated with a ticket, speeding often carries the additional penalty of points on a driver's license. The exact number of points varies from state-to-state depending upon the degree of speeding, but in almost every state a driver's operating privilege is suspended when a specified number of points is reached. Offenses such as criminal speeding can also carry automatic license suspension.
Speeding tickets can also result in higher insurance premiums.

Time Frame

When a person is issued a speeding ticket, he or she may admit to the violation and pay the associated fine. It is usually not necessary to appear in court unless a person is contesting the ticket (pleading not guilty). A court date is usually listed on the ticket at which time the accused violator may appear before a judge and state his or her case. Many states have a traffic court specifically designed for speeding tickets and other moving violations.

Prevention/Solution

The easiest way to avoid a speeding ticket is not to drive above the posted speed limit. Radar detectors are also handy to avoid a costly ticket. Use in passenger vehicles is legal in all states except Virginia and the District of Columbia. The use of radar detectors in all commercial vehicles exceeding 10,000 pounds is illegal under federal law.

Considerations

If you are issued a speeding ticket, talk to the prosecuting office (usually a state's district attorney). See if he or she would be willing to offer a plea bargain. For example if you were speeding 15 miles per hour over the limit, see if the prosecutor would allow you to plead guilty to a lesser level charge (speeding 10 miles per hour over the limit). This would lower your fine and save the prosecutor the time and hassle of a hearing.