When you get a speeding ticket, you may believe that you should simply pay it off. After all, to many people, going to court over a minor speeding infraction seems like a lot of work for very little gain.
However, a speeding ticket is actually a much bigger deal than you might think. Accordingly, you may also want to rethink paying it without a fight.
Insurance increases and initial expenses
Nerd Wallet discusses how to handle a potential speeding ticket. First, go into the situation understanding as much as possible about speeding tickets. For example, did you know that a single ticket can result in increases to your insurance that can last for years to come? These increases are often large, too, with some rates skyrocketing by hundreds of dollars a payment.
A speeding ticket itself is usually expensive, too. Depending on the type of speeding infraction you face charges for, an officer can order you to pay up to thousands of dollars for a single instance of speeding.
Additional penalties
On top of that, you may face additional penalties like a license suspension for up to a year, depending on the infraction. This will make it hard for you to get around if you need your car for commuting, medical appointments and socializing.
Finally, paying the ticket is an admission of guilt. This means you will have a misdemeanor charge on your record, which can affect your employability in some cases. If you decide to fight the ticket instead of paying, consider contacting legal help to learn about how to prepare your case for court.
