Avoiding a Traffic Ticket
There are countless traffic citations issued every year around the United States, and the penalties for each seem to be getting more and more expensive with each passing year.
To avoid getting a ticket, there are many rules to follow while driving, and even while not driving. One of the first things that should be taken care of before someone even thinks about taking their car out on the road is to make sure the car is registered and has insurance.
Registration and insurance are the first things an officer asks for when they pull you over. Failure to have these two things, and have them current and valid, will result in a large fine and your car being towed on the spot.
To avoid this, be sure to go to the court house to get current registration and license plates every year, or two years, depending on your state laws. After registration is taken care of, it is very important to receive insurance for your vehicle.
The requirement for insurance is not just to pay the damage to your car in case of an accident, but more importantly to pay for the other person’s car if the accident is your fault. Your insurance is assurance for the other drivers on the road whom you could potentially be involved in an accident with.
After the proper paperwork for your vehicle is completed, and you have a current driver’s license; certain things on your car should be checked. Most people fail to check to make sure their tail and brake lights are working properly, and this is an easy thing to miss since you cannot see them while driving.
Unfortunately, the police officer who is behind you in traffic can see if your lights are working properly, and if one of them is broken, he will pull you over and issue a citation. Though this seems like a harmless crime, broken break lights are dangerous for anyone following because they do not know when you are stopping and therefore, do not know when to stop themselves.
After these out of car checks are performed, it is important to know that following traffic laws will not only ensure your safety, but the safety of others around you. The most common violation for drivers is speeding.
With cars that can go upwards of 100 miles an hour, it is easy to just push down on that pedal and go fast, especially when in a hurry. This impulse is a risky one, and if it so happens that your tire blows out or the person in front of you abruptly stops, you and the cars around you will undoubtedly be severely damaged.
When going that fast, however, it is difficult to spot out the lurking police car behind the over-pass on the freeway. A lot of police officers position their car in a place that they know is not visible to oncoming drivers. This tactic allows them to catch the unsuspecting speeder quite easily and issue a citation.
It is also important to follow traffic signs posted on all roads. A common mistake is drivers who do not stop completely at stop signs. There is a strong urge to just slow down or not come to a complete stop because you know no other cars are around; but many police cars wait around the corner to catch drivers who do this.
There is really no excuse for running a red light, but many police officers pull people over because they go through a light that turns from yellow to red while they are going through the intersection. An easy way to avoid this is to remember that yellow means “slow down,” not “speed up.”
Many drivers who are close to the light will speed up to go through a yellow light because it is legal as long as it is not red, but sometimes they get into the intersection as the light turns red, this allows police officers to cite them for running a red light.
Following traffics laws are important, not only for the sake of not receiving a ticket, but to ensure the safety of yourself and other drivers.
Tom Selwick is a public safety representative for 25 years and has authored hundreds of articles relating to public safety and barricades. He has worked in public safety for years promoting safe transportation practices.
Contact Info:
Tom Selwick
TomSelwick09@gmail.com
http://www.interwestsafety.com
