Drivers can take several steps to defend against a speeding ticket.
Receiving a speeding ticket can leave any driver feeling powerless. Even if drivers know that they were not driving over the speed limit, many often decide to simply pay the fine and move on. But there are several ways to defend yourself against speeding tickets. From requesting maintenance records for radar gun equipment to drafting arguments to support your case, drivers can prepare a speeding ticket defense that increases the chances of getting off without a fine or driving record citations.
Instructions
1. Determine the speed limit laws of the state in which you were ticketed. Some states have an "absolute speed limit," which means a driver has broken the law by driving over the speed limit. Other states have a "presumed speed limit" in which the driver can prove that he or she was driving at a safe speed for the road conditions at the time of the ticket. Determining which definition the state in question abides by can make tailoring your defense easier.
2. Prepare your case and your defenses. Attend traffic court hearings similar to your own before your case goes to trial and see which strategies work and which fail. Prepare defenses based on the context of the speeding ticket. If you were in an emergency situation that necessitated speeding, say so. If in a presumed speed limit state, argue that the conditions of the road made it acceptable to exceed the posted speed limit. If you believe you were not going above the speed limit, contest that claim at your trial.
3. Photograph the location in which you were ticketed if you were ticketed by an officer using a radar gun. Often, road obstacles can confuse radar guns. If you can prove that obstacles were obstructing the radar gun's line of sight, you can cast doubt on the radar's speed reading.
4. Request maintenance records for a radar gun if one was used to give you a ticket. If you can prove that the radar gun was poorly maintained or does not function properly, you can possibly win your case.
Tags: speed limit, speeding ticket, your case, prove that, were ticketed, against speeding
