Three Ways To Ruin Your Chances of Getting Out of a Traffic Ticket

Traffic tickets are definitely some of the worst things to face in life; not only do you face a lot of confusing paperwork and court fees, but depending on the severity of your violation, you could end up with some pretty harsh fines, possible jail time, and DMV point reductions on your license. The good news is that it’s possible to get out of a traffic ticket even when the charges seem very severe — but there are a few things that you should definitely always avoid if you have any hope of getting out of a traffic ticket:

• Paying the Ticket: Many drivers aren’t aware that once they pay the fine for a small traffic violation, that payment is an automatic admission of guilt and makes it impossible it get out of the ticket later on. Even if the DMV sends multiple letters demanding that you pay your ticket ASAP, if you want to fight your ticket in court, it’s important that you contact a lawyer before making any payments.
  

• Arguing When You Get Ticketed: This is probably the easiest way to ensure that you get the harshest traffic violation ticket possible. Even if you know that you have a really good defense and that you don’t deserve to be ticketed, arguing with police officers on the side of the road is probably the worst thing you can do. It’s always better to simply accept the ticket (without blatantly admitting your guilt) calmly and politely, and to leave the arguing for later.
  

• DWI for Drivers Under 21: Every state court makes use of “zero tolerance” policies when it comes to drunk driving traffic violations involving underage drivers. If you’re under 21 and caught driving while under the influence of any alcohol — even if your BAC level is less than .08% — it’s likely that you’ll have a harder time getting out of a traffic ticket. If you’re facing a situation like this, it’s absolutely essential that you find a DWI defense attorney before you simply accept the charges or try to beat your ticket on your own, because the defenses used for underage drivers are very different from regular DWI or DUI charges.

So what are your thoughts? Are there any other big mistakes that can ruin your chances of beating a traffic ticket?