Received A Speeding Ticket? 3 Common Defenses That Can Be Used

If you were pulled over and given a ticket for speeding, you may think that your only option is to pay the fine and move on. However, there are a few defenses that can be used to help you fight the ticket in court. Here are three common defenses that can be used to help defend you against a speeding ticket. 

1. The 'Radar Maintenance' Defense

One of the most common defenses used to fight speeding tickets is the radar maintenance defense. Most people who are pulled over for speeding are caught thanks to the assistance of a radar or lidar detection device. These devices tell an officer just how fast you were going. However, in order for these devices to be accurate, they must be properly maintained and calibrated. If the unit is not maintained or calibrated, the reading that it gives may be off. You can ask to obtain the maintenance records for the unit, and if the unit does not meet the maintenance requirements in your state, you can ask to have the charges against you dismissed. 

2. The 'You Weren't Speeding' Defense

Another common defense that you can use to fight a speeding ticket is the "you weren't speeding" defense. In most cases, a police officer uses a radar or lidar device to track your speed. But in other cases, a police officer may pull you over because they perceive you to be speeding. If the officer perceives you to be speeding, you can challenge their perception. Ultimately, it comes down to your word against yours, and it can be hard for an officer to prove you were speeding under these circumstances. 

3. The 'Driving a Safe Speed' Defense

The last defense that can be used to fight a traffic ticket is that you were driving at a safe speed. In some cases, you may very well have been speeding. However, you may have been going with the flow of traffic, and it may have been harmful to you to drive slower. In most cases, the driving a safe speed defense will only work if weather conditions are good, the road is straight and safe, and you are pulled over for driving 10 miles or less than the speed limit. If the judge agrees that you were speeding, but conditions were safe to do so, and you were keeping up with the flow of traffic, they may dismiss the ticket. 

A speeding ticket is one of the more challenging traffic tickets to defend against. If you have received a speeding ticket that you want to challenge, a traffic ticket defense lawyer may be beneficial to you. They can help you determine which defense makes the most sense for your case and then present it to a judge, helping to increase your chances of getting the ticket reduced or dismissed. 

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