Can You Reduce Your Traffic Violation Fine By Going To Traffic School?
Posted on: 16 June 2015
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Many motorists who have been hit with a traffic violation fee are primarily concerned with reducing the costs of their tickets. While a typical traffic violation will cost somewhere between $75 and $300, multiple violations at the same time or over a very short period of time can quickly add up and become unaffordable for many drivers.
Reducing fines
One possible method of reducing fines is volunteering to go to traffic school. A driver's ability to have fines reduced by attending traffic school will depend on his or her state of residence and the exact circumstances of his or her violation.
One limitation placed on traffic school for reducing fines in all states is the 30-mph speeding ticket threshold. If a driver was driving more than 30 mph over the speed limit, traffic school can not be used as a means of reducing the resulting fine.
Advantages of traffic school
It's always worthwhile to discuss a traffic school option with a lawyer, like Hogan-Kimrey LLP Attorneys At Law. Not only can the completion of a traffic school course reduce a fine, but it can also reduce the amount of points added to a license because of a violation.
In some cases, traffic school might make the difference between losing or keeping a license. If a violation costs a driver enough points to cause his or her license to be revoked, volunteering for traffic school might help the driver to keep his or her license.
If a driver has arranged to attend traffic school, it's important that this is discussed with his or her insurance company. While a traffic ticket can often raise insurance rates, attending traffic school can in turn reduce them. Of course, rates won't be reduced if the insurance company doesn't know about traffic school attendance, so communication is important.
Traffic school courses
Traffic school is not designed to be entertaining, and some drivers might find the experience boring or unpleasant. However, courses do not usually last more than eight hours, and they can in some cases be completed online.
Completing the process
Usually, fines and points will remain on a driver's record until he or she has submitted proof of having attended traffic school. It's, therefore, very important that the driver remembers to send documentation of traffic school completion to the court.
If this important step is not carried out, fines will remain outstanding and could increase and lead to even harsher penalties down the road.