It is not uncommon for even the safest of drivers to get stopped by law enforcement. There are a wide variety of traffic tickets you could receive after being pulled over. But some are more serious than others.
While many people are willing to simply pay their ticket, an experienced traffic ticket attorney could be able to get your ticket reduced or even dismissed altogether. Below, we go into further detail about some of the more common types of traffic tickets, their respective penalties, and why it’s important to fight your traffic ticket instead of paying it.
Speeding Ticket Violations
When you drive even one mile per hour over the speed limit, you can be cited for speeding in the state of Colorado. The number of miles you were driving over the speed limit will determine the amount you are fined.
If you were driving up to four miles per hour over the speed limit, you could expect to pay approximately $36. If you drive up to nine miles per hour (mph) over the speed limit, you could expect to pay $80. Drivers accused of speeding up to nineteen mph over the limit could pay fines and fees up to $151. Drivers who speed up to twenty-four mph over the speed limit can expect to pay fees and fines of up to $232. These are all considered Class A traffic infractions under Colorado law.
Anyone speeding more than twenty-five mph over the speed limit can face Class 1 or 2 misdemeanor traffic offense penalties. This can include fines and fees up to 1,000 and up to one year in jail.
Driving Without a License
Driving without a license can be a traffic infraction or a misdemeanor, depending on the details of your case. If your license expired recently or you simply don’t have your license on you at the time you were pulled over, you could pay fines and fees up to $100. But if your license is suspended, revoked, or you don’t have a license at all, you could face harsher penalties. Fines could reach as high as $500, and you could spend up to six months in jail.
Failure to Stop or Failure to Yield
Failure to yield at a crosswalk or intersection, and failure to stop at a red light or stop sign are minor traffic infractions in Colorado. You could expect to pay fines and fees of up to $170 if you are found guilty.
Why Fight Your Traffic Ticket?
Some of these tickets may seem minor. Maybe you got a $100 ticket and simply want to put this experience out of your mind and behind you. So you decide to pay the ticket. You effectively plead guilty to the traffic violation you have been accused of. You think that’s the end of the trouble, but you may be surprised at some of the other consequences you might have to deal with after paying a traffic ticket.
To start, you will have points added to your driving record. The more points you have on your record, the higher you can expect your auto insurance premiums to be. If your points get to be too high in a certain period of time, you could even face additional penalties such as license suspension.
If your license is suspended, you could be out of work, have trouble getting to and from work, and otherwise be unable to drive yourself or your family. This can also cause a lot of embarrassment and shame for you. For this reason, it may be in your best interests to do everything you can to beat your traffic ticket as opposed to pleading guilty by paying the fine.
