7.31.2009

Seattle Speeding is an Absolute Infraction

If you saw the title of this post, you probably have no idea what this article is going to be about. And that is okay. Because you are reading now. And because you are reading, you are increasing the chances significantly that you can beat your next Seattle traffic ticket. Why? Because you will not contest your ticket and go into court thinking you can sweet talk your way out of it or that by admitting that you were going five miles per hour over but not 10 that everything will be okay.

Speeding is an absolute defense in Washington State. That means if you are going even one mile over the speed limit you could potentially be cited with a Seattle speeding ticket. Whether or not that ticket goes onto your insurance is up to your insurance company. They probably have rules related to the speeds at which tickets count against your insurance rates (just think if someone got 5 speeding tickets for going one mile an hour over - that isn't that fair is it?). The higher you are over the speed limit, obviously the more it affects your insurance (and the higher the fine).

So, why don't the cops always give out Seattle speeding tickets no matter how little over the speed limit you are? For the most part, it's because they know the speeds at which you are driving aren't dangerous for the conditions. That's why that magic number of 10 miles per hour over seems to exist. At about that point I think officer's begin to question the safety of the driver and the cars around them, and that is why they start issuing tickets at that point. Cops also don't do it because it doesn't really go along with the point of the law. It is impossible to keep your car at a constant rate of speed. Sometimes you'll be going a little faster than the limit, sometimes slower. Police officers realize that, and don't want to get in the way of that.

How does this relate to contesting your speeding ticket? In court, the judge doesn't care why you were speeding or how far off the officer was with his number about your excessive speed. In the end speeding is speeding as far as he is concerned. If you admit to him that you were speeding, he will, most likely, find you have committed the infraction of speeding and make you pay the fine.

This is important to remember when contesting a speeding ticket. If you know you were speeding don't lie, but you don't have to admit (necessarily) that you knew you were speeding. I would recommend not testifying if you were speeding, because that is a question the judge will ask, and a statement he will expect to hear from you (if you were speeding or not).

If you want to have the best chance to beat a Seattle traffic ticket, though, you need a Seattle traffic lawyer. We can't guarantee victory, but we can promise to work hard to fight your case and give our best effort to beat your Seattle traffic ticket. Call us today to find out more.
Posted by BM at
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