THE RIGHT THING TO DO The Ethics of Paying Your Traffic Ticket
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If our years of experience in traffic law have taught us anything, it’s drivers feel guilty about fighting speeding tickets. In talking to new clients, they often feel like they are doing something wrong by fighting the charge. Some folks even go so far as to claim it’s unethical to dispute a speeding ticket. This is dangerous thinking, and here’s why. DON’T BE SHAMED OUT OF YOUR RIGHTS Last we checked, we still live in the United States of America, a nation built on the idea that people are innocent until proven guilty. In fact, those who hire a traffic attorney and hold the government to their burden of proof get their ticket reduced or dismissed 95% of the time. Yet, the vast majority of those who receive traffic tickets choose to pay up. WHO WINS? Do you owe some sort of debt to society for your speeding ticket? Will paying the fine go toward making the roads safer for all of us? The answer to both questions is “no.” Paying the fine means taking a conviction which, in turn, means your insurance company will raise their rates on you. Paying the ticket isn’t some sort of moral absolution. If you feel guilty because you were driving unsafe, then the best thing you can do is correct the driving behavior. But oftentimes a ticket has little to do with safety and, even if you do want to correct the driving behavior, oftentimes the collateral insurance consequences are too punitive for the offense you committed. THE COST OF FIGHTING The last part of this equation is hiring a traffic lawyer. Many believe it’s simply easier to pay the ticket and move on, but that is a misnomer. When you add the original fine and higher insurance premiums to the risk of losing your license, the legal fees for an experienced lawyer are dwarfed by comparison. Why should you give up your rights when so much is on the line? Why put your livelihood on the line by establishing a record and risking your license?
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