Getting a traffic ticket can really ruin your day, but it can ruin a lot more than just your day. The effects that can result from simply paying your traffic citation can not only have an immediate impact, but can continue to rear its ugly head for years after you receive it and think you’ve resolved yourself by paying the fine.
Most people know that getting a traffic ticket can increase your insurance rates, but how much and for how long are variables that the average person won’t know. This is because these are subjectively based on individual insurance company policies and the number of points that are assessed against your license. The number of points you receive depends on the traffic violation for which you were charged. A misdemeanor will not result in the same points as a criminal traffic violation, and when it comes to speeding, points can vary depending on how much you exceeded the speed limit.
Some estimates indicate that insurance rates may increase by hundreds of dollars per year for three or four years. This can be a tremendous burden on someone who can’t afford the traffic ticket to begin with, let alone the other penalties that come with it. Of course, the consequences of just paying the ticket are a fine, court costs, and the insurance rate increases mentioned above, but sometimes there are other costs that you don’t anticipate when you make the decision to pay the ticket.
These secondary costs may vary depending on the course of action you choose to take. One of those costs that may not occur to you at the time of the traffic ticket is the fact that paying the ticket is an admission of guilt and will appear on your driving record… forever. This can be devastating if you are applying for a job.
The obvious jobs where a poor driving record has many effects are those that involve driving, such as a truck driver or taxi driver. Even if the amount of time you spend driving is short, such as valeting or running errands, your job could be affected. If your employer requires you to drive for work and is responsible for insuring the vehicle you drive for work, the cost of insuring it may be prohibitive for that employer.
One thing to consider is that there was a time when you showed up for a job interview and sold yourself based on your past work history and how you presented yourself. With the increased demand for a good, stable job, especially one with benefits, it’s much harder to get your foot in the door, let alone get the job. The ever-increasing omnipresence of the Internet in our lives makes it that much more difficult. Even if you’re very cautious about what you post on social networking sites, there are an unlimited number of websites that will provide potential employers, or anyone else willing to pay a fee, with your background information. This, of course, includes your driving record. Many interested parties can find this information without going to one of these websites. Consider how easy it can be to find just about any information about someone online these days. Regardless of whether that information is obtained through social media or other for-profit websites, suspicious details about other people can have devastating consequences.
There are some who may think that instead of paying the traffic ticket they can claim no answer or no contention. Although this is true, it can still have a negative impact on your license. Choosing this course of action may give you the opportunity to plead guilty to a misdemeanor, but you will still have to appear in court and will likely have to pay a fine and court costs. Also, even a reduced guilty plea will likely affect your insurance and driving record.
Keep in mind that if you decide to pay your traffic ticket directly, you only have 30 days from the date of the citation to do so. If your traffic ticket does not indicate a due date, contact the clerk of court’s office in the county where the ticket was issued to make sure you don’t miss the due date. You can mail the payment to the clerk of court in the issuing county or, in some counties, you can avoid the headache and wasted time by paying your traffic ticket online through the county website. Other acceptable payment methods include personal check, money order, cash, or credit card.
Another option you may want to consider, depending on the offense you have been charged with, is to attend traffic school. This will prevent points from appearing on your driver’s license and help you avoid an insurance rate increase, but as with paying the fine in full, this is not something I recommend. If you choose to attend a basic driver improvement course, you need to make sure you understand the ramifications of this choice. You will still have to pay the fine and court costs, in addition to paying the cost of the class. You should also remember that you can only choose this option a limited number of times, so if you are a habitual traffic offender, this may not be an option available to you, but it is an option for some who have tickets. committing traffic violations.
These are all things to consider for the average driver who receives a traffic ticket, but the considerations are a little different for those drivers who drive for a living that I mentioned earlier. If you have a Florida CDL (Commercial Driver’s License), you must notify your employer once he is convicted of the penalty. This includes admitting guilt by paying the traffic ticket. You must also notify the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles if you receive a conviction in another jurisdiction. This applies to another county or out of state. Unfortunately, those drivers who hold a Class A, B, or C driver’s license do not have the option to enroll in a driver improvement class if they receive a traffic violation. According to the FL DHSMV website, the license classes are as follows:
A CLASS: Trucks or truck combinations weighing with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 lbs. or more, as long as the towed vehicle weighs more than 10,000 lbs.
CLASS B: Straight trucks weighing 26,001 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating or more.
C-CLASS: Vehicles transporting placardable quantities of hazardous materials, or vehicles designed to transport more than 15 people, including the driver, with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 26,001 pounds.
Almost without exception, it is always in your best interests to indulge not guilty and fight your traffic ticket, and it is also almost without exception in your best interests to hire a good traffic ticket attorney to fight for you. Notice that I used the words good traffic ticket lawyer. Not all attorneys who are willing to represent you in court to defend your traffic violation are experts in the field of traffic law. We do, however, have many years of successful experience in the traffic court arena, so if you want to fight your traffic ticket, and I highly recommend you do, call us at 954-967-9888 for a free consultation. .