Speeding Ticket - Consider All the Costs Involved

After getting a speeding ticket, you may be wondering what will end up happening. The consequences tend to vary depending on how many tickets you already have, how severe the infraction is, and what state you live in. Consider the common penalties, most of which involve your finances.

The most obvious cost is the fine you will be charged. This is usually a few hundred dollars, depending on the exact infraction. If you plan to pay the speeding ticket, you can simply make sure you have the funds, and then send a check to the address listed on the citation. You may also be able to go to the court's website to pay the fine using a debit or credit card, which should go through right away. If you do not have the money right now, but still want to pay the citation, you may be able to contact the court to push back the due date of the fee. You may even be able to get a payment plan if the fine is over a certain amount. Call the court if you have questions about this.

Once you have budgeted for the fine, you should consider how your insurance will handle the speeding ticket. In many cases, your premium should stay the same, as long as you have been with your provider for a long time without any other citations or at-fault accidents. This is because many providers understand that mistakes happen, so if this is a one-time issue, you are not considered a high risk. However, if you even have one or two tickets in your recent past, your premium may increase. Some providers offer a discounted rate if you get no tickets for several years, so if you currently enjoy this discount, you should expect it to go away once your citation becomes apparent.

You may choose to go to a traffic school instead of paying the fine. While this can be a good option, note that it is not a way to save money since the school usually costs about the same as a speeding ticket. It may cost a little more or less, especially since all schools are priced differently, but the point is to keep the citation off your record, not save you funds. One thing to remember, though, is that traffic school can keep your insurance rates from increasing, so in that way, you do save some cash in the long run.

These are just the typical costs to expect after getting a speeding ticket. If you have been charged with a criminal citation, though, such as due to extreme speed, you will face much higher charges and costs. Either way, you always have the option of hiring a lawyer, or at least talking to one to find out if you might have a case so you can fight the charges.