Wow! According to the population clock of the United States Census Bureau, there are more than 320,000,000 people in the United States. That’s probably not surprising to most people, but what is surprising (and should be concerning) is that when births, deaths, and migration from other countries are taken into account, we gain one person every 14 seconds. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not satisfied with the idea of people dying, nor do I advocate reducing immigration. It’s just that it’s a lot of people and most of them, roughly 75 percent, are of driving age. In fact, more than 41,000,000 people receive speeding tickets each year in the United States. That equates to roughly 17 percent of the population who drive.
This is not only a large number of speeding tickets, but it also equates to a huge amount of revenue for the states and municipalities that issue those speeding tickets. Even if you use the conservative estimate of $ 152 fine for the average speeding ticket, the amount of money it raises is staggering – more than $ 6.2 billion a year in the state of Florida alone. Yes, you read that correctly, six billion! This figure does not include ancillary costs for drivers that can result from a speeding ticket, such as defensive driving school, increased insurance premiums, or a good traffic lawyer. Additionally, this number only addresses the number of speeding tickets issued and the revenue they generate. It doesn’t even touch on the myriad of other traffic tickets that are issued annually and the cost to drivers.
Now before you think that you don’t have to incur the expense of a traffic lawyer, keep in mind that in the long run, a good traffic ticket lawyer can save you a lot of time and money. You can choose to fight your traffic ticket yourself, but having the experience of a traffic ticket attorney greatly increases your chances of having your speeding ticket dismissed. Keep in mind that our experience lends itself to knowledge you probably don’t have, such as the fine for a speeding ticket varies depending on the county you are in when the ticket is issued. We also have first-hand knowledge, such as that you can be assessed 3 or 4 points against your license depending on how fast you were traveling and, based on the same information, your fine can vary between $ 150 and $ 650.
When you factor in those ancillary expenses, hiring a traffic ticket attorney doesn’t sound too bad. Although my job is to help people once they get a traffic ticket, let me give you a little tip that can save you from having to deal with a speeding ticket.
Be careful and watch out for speed traps
One of the best ways to avoid a speeding ticket, in addition to never speeding, is to spot and avoid speed traps. School zones and construction zones are known to have speed traps because there is a greater chance that someone will be injured or killed in these areas. With a tremendous increase in traffic volume at school peak hours, including school buses picking up and dropping off students, it is difficult to keep track of where all the children are, making accidents more likely .
The same goes for construction sites. Road work causes traffic jams, which is why many drivers often try to get around construction. Unfortunately, not following construction directives and not knowing where construction workers are can cause property damage or death or injury to a worker who is simply doing their job. This is why you will often see a police officer sitting outside at construction sites. It is also the reason why fines are not only doubled in these areas, but if your speeding causes a traffic accident you could end up in jail because it can be considered a crime. You can be charged with both speeding and reckless driving.
An example of increased fines is as follows:
1 to 5 mph $ 123.50
6 to 9 mph $ 123.50
10 to 14 mph $ 273.50
15 to 19 mph $ 323.50
20 to 29 mph $ 373.50
30+ mph $ 573.50
School and construction zones aren’t the only places you’ll find speed traps. Often times, police officers like to hide within tree-lined medians landings or within “authorized vehicles only” U-turns. In fact, during the holidays, it is not uncommon to see multiple police officers doing this along busy stretches of roads.
Police officers will basically find anywhere they can point radar at you before you can spot it as an attractive spot for a speed trap. These areas include places like the farthest side of a curve in the road, at the top of a hill, or the opposite side of an overpass. I’ve even seen policemen stationed on overpasses while monitoring the speed of traffic below them.
It is not illegal to signal other drivers that they are approaching a speed trap. However, you may want to try to avoid being seen by the police officer. If you see him trying to help other drivers avoid you, he may just stop you. Cops can always find a reason to issue traffic tickets, and a truly determined cop can probably find multiple reasons to cite it.
Pay attention to your fellow drivers
This is absolutely the best way to avoid a speed trap, excluding driving the speed limit. Most drivers will apply the brakes when they see a police officer, even if they are not speeding, just as a knee-jerk reaction, so watch the traffic ahead of you for braking or cars that are otherwise reducing speed quickly. Even if it is not due to a speed trap, there is still the possibility that there is some other danger, such as the presence of children or an object on the road, that could cause an accident or damage to your vehicle.
Speed traps are just one of many reasons why you need to know the other drivers around you. Safety is a key factor because if there is a driver near you who is driving erratically, poor driving can affect your ability to proceed unimpeded. Whether it’s you’re drunk, suffering from road rage, or just an idiotic driver, you could end up getting hit by him or her.
There is also the issue of unmarked police cars. Use your mirrors frequently to prevent police from approaching behind you. There was a time when all unidentified police cars looked the same, but this is not the case anymore. You are as likely to see a police officer driving an SUV as you are driving a Crown Vic, but if you pay attention, you can often spot them. They will often have an odd number of antennas, low-profile lights in the rear window and on the top of the windshield, or they will often have lights positioned inside the front grille of the vehicle. Some police divisions use vehicles that have been impounded as a result of illegal activities, so you may even see sports cars, etc. sometimes personalized to the whole fact that they were obtained due to illegal activity. Motorcycle cops are even harder to spot because you usually can’t tell if he’s a cop until you’re right next to him or he’s behind you with flashing lights.
Hopefully, these tips will help you avoid being stopped. If you are unlucky enough to receive a speeding ticket, call our office for a free consultation at 967-954-9888.