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Is it possible to fight speeding tickets?

On Behalf of | Jan 1, 2021 | Firm News |

While most people might do their very best to drive the speed limit, there are factors that can make it difficult to do so. For example, it can be very frightening to follow the speed limit when everyone else on the road is traveling much faster. Mississippi police officers rarely take things like that into consideration when issuing speeding tickets though.

Fighting a speeding ticket for this or similar reasons can be worth it, especially if your driving privileges are on the line. You might feel intimidated by this process, or maybe you are not even sure if your situation warrants fighting the ticket. Here are some reasons you might want to consider.

Why were you speeding?

If you were speeding because of an emergency, you might be able to fight your ticket. For this defense to hold up, you have to show that you or others would have suffered serious injury if you had driven the speed limit. For example, maybe you had to speed away from a dangerous wildfire, tornado or other natural disaster.

Perhaps you were driving above the posted speed limit because that was simply what was safe for the conditions at the time. When the speed limit is 35 mph and all the other drivers are traveling 45 mph, it can be dangerous to travel at a significantly lower speed. You could argue that while you were exceeding the speed limit, what you were doing was considered safe for the conditions at the time.

How did the officer determine your speed?

You might consider whether you can challenge how the officer determined you were speeding. The method an officer uses to determine speed violations is very important. Police officers generally use the following methods to determine driver speed:

  • Laser
  • Pacing
  • Sight
  • Radar

Not all methods are equal, and some are more accurate than others. If the officer simply observed you driving faster than other drivers then he or she might have assumed you were speeding when you were not. You could also challenge the officer’s experience or training with a particular device.

Gather your evidence

It takes more than just stating your side of the case to fight a speeding ticket. You will need evidence, and a good place to start is the scene where you received your speeding ticket. Returning at the same time of day and taking pictures from multiple angles might prove helpful. You should also consider creating a diagram of the road to help demonstrate any important factors.

Fighting speeding tickets can feel overwhelming at first, but it is often worthwhile. Taking everything on by yourself might not be the wisest course of action though. Instead, you could probably benefit from working closely with an experienced attorney who is prepared to stand up for your rights.

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