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Perhaps the most common encounter most people have with the law involves a traffic violation. And of those violations, speeding is perhaps the most frequent. It’s estimated some 41 million speeding tickets are handed to drivers across the U.S. every day. If you’re unfortunate enough to become one of them, you likely have plenty of questions. Luckily, this article has answers. Find out everything from whether you need to go to court to what penalties you can face and how you can best handle this common legal woe.

Do I Have to Go to Court?

A common question among the uninitiated is whether they are required to go to traffic court for a speeding ticket. In general, minor traffic infractions can be prepaid online or over the phone. More serious infractions, like reckless driving, may have a mandatory court appearance. Where things get tricky is that each jurisdiction can determine what is a “serious infraction.” In some states, for instance, speeding is only a serious infraction if it’s a certain amount over the set speed limit. If ever you aren’t sure if you have to appear, look on your ticket – it will usually tell you if it’s a mandatory court appearance violation.

What Penalties Can I Expect for a Speeding Ticket?

Another area that makes motorists nervous is what penalties they might face following a speeding ticket. This also varies greatly from locale to locale. But in general, speeding tickets involve fines and points on your license. Once you get to a certain number of points, you may forfeit your license. The big exception to this rule is serious offense such as reckless driving or DWI. For those you can immediately face heavy fines, lose your license and even get jail. If you are facing a drunk driving charge, it’s critical that you get a DWI lawyer to represent you soon.

Will a Speeding Ticket Raise My Auto Insurance?

The answer depends on how many violations you’ve had before and how bad the current violation is. If you get a ticket once in a blue moon for driving just over the limit, you shouldn’t see much change. If you were going more than 10 miles over the speed limit, however, expect to see the impact on your insurance premiums.

Speeding tickets are frustrating, but more so when you don’t understand their consequences. Use the above tips and contact a speeding ticket attorney and you’ll be prepared should you get one.

Thank you to the experts at the Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt for their input on speeding ticket law.