Things to Keep in Mind About Traffic Violations and What They Mean
The Texas roads can be chaotic. Driving is a big game of chance and trust. After all, you trust that others will follow the principles of defensive driving and follow traffic signs and lights. And yet, there has probably been a moment in your driving life that you have found yourself committing a traffic violation. And, of course, the moment that happens, law enforcement is there to capture it and make sure that you acknowledge your mistake. Traffic violation tickets, after all, are a type of deterrence and a way to have people remain alert and maintain consistency in their driving. So what should you know about Texas law and traffic violations? There are a couple of key things we’d like to review what you should know about what might seem like common traffic violations.
The initial reaction after receiving a ticket for a traffic violation involved three main questions:
- How much will I have to pay?
- Will it affect my driving record?
- Will it affect my insurance rates?
It’s important to know that when you get a ticket you have a choice about how to plea. You can plead guilty, no contest, or plead not guilty. Each plea has its own ramifications and the best plea might depend on your particular circumstances.
- Guilty: You’ll likely be required to pay your fines and tickets. You might often be able to get defensive driving.
- Not Guilty: Pleading not guilty is a little trickier, especially without an attorney to advise you. You must present your case in front of a judge.
Many people will simply try their luck and hope that the officer doesn’t show up to the court date or simply take no action and forget about the ticket altogether. This is why it’s important to have an attorney at your side, especially if you have several traffic violations.
The Texas laws require that every violation be assigned its own fines and penalties. In the state, surcharges may also be applied for points and convictions. Every violation is assigned a point value and this point value is recorded and slapped onto your record for a few years. Once a conviction is added to your record, you might have to pay additional surcharges as well. Convictions that carry these possible surcharges include DWI (first offense), DWI (2nd or 3rd offense), driving with invalid license and more.
Get it Dismissed
Of course, getting a case dismissed is one option to keep your record clean. In order to do this, however, you must take a Texas approved defensive driving course. If you admit guilt to your violation, you’ll have to request permission to take defensive driving. There are certain restrictions, however, in taking defensive driving depending on the last time you took a course or the nature of your violation.
Don’t Let it Mark Your Record, Get an Attorney
If you’ve allowed traffic violations to accumulate or have several that you can’t get rid of, make sure to hire an attorney to help you through the process. Whether big or small, we can help make sure your driving record remains clean.