Throwing your traffic ticket away and hoping that it will just go away might be a great plan if you live in Neverland. But here in the real world, that plan can cause some serious problems. Literally millions of drivers make this mistake every year. Let’s take a look at what can happen next if you choose this path:
- You are ignoring a ticket, you are NOT making it go away
- A few dollars and a traffic violation are NOT going to slip by unnoted
- If you do not pay a ticket on time, the total amount could increase tenfold
- If you have been issued a traffic ticket, better pay the fine immediately. Here’s Why
1. Paying Your Ticket or Not Paying it at All?
Over 41 million traffic tickets were issued in 2023, which equals about 112,000 tickets per day. The total number of traffic tickets can get higher in certain states and lower in others. The point is that these tickets come to all the drivers, no matter what state they live in.
So the main question is, what should a person do if he or she gets a traffic ticket? Ignoring this traffic violation and expecting that it will not be punished, will turn into a nightmare which you will never have a rest from. Yes, it is actually true. A ticket is not a minor document that can simply be placed in the drawer. A ticket is, in fact, a summons to court.
A traffic ticket Miami drivers receive is no different from one issued anywhere else. Failure to pay will result in several penalties. There will be collection agencies and surcharges, which will follow you until the last day of your life. Sounds a little dramatic? Let’s have a look at the example of 5 drivers from Washington D.C., who were recently sued for over $1 million in traffic tickets all together.
In this list, one Washington, D.C., man owed $187,200 for 344 traffic infractions. As you may see, it is a long list. But even 5-10 tickets can raise hundreds of dollars that will be needed to pay later.
This shows how significantly late or unpaid traffic tickets can add up and the penalties that will be waiting for you.
2. Consequences of a Driving Ticket to Your Insurance Company
If you ever tried to throw away the traffic ticket, you better should have known one or two things. The second thing is that insurance companies will learn about all your traffic violations as well. If you think that by throwing away the ticket you can protect yourself from higher insurance premiums, it is not a reality. Insurance will still find a way to inform your insurance company about your violations.
As a matter of fact, according to a 2024 NerdWallet study, most insurance companies raise insurance premiums by 25% following a speeding ticket. The number can be higher based on your record and the exact violation.
Meaning if you are paying $1500 a year for car insurance, with a 25% rise, that means $375 to your annual insurance premium. If you try to calculate how much money it will take from your pocket, you will become frightened. This increase will last for 3-5 years after the traffic violation was issued. So for all the years together, a speeding ticket will cost you over $1600 in insurance penalties.
If your violation is severe, the consequences can be higher. A DUI conviction can double or even triple your insurance rates. In this case, the insurance company can cancel your insurance coverage leaving you to look for high risk insurance at a price.
3. A Hearing in Front of the Court
If you missed your opportunity to pay the ticket on time, you will be issued a court summons. Let’s see if you will miss it too.
If yes, then there will be a Failure to Appear (FTA) notice, which will start all kinds of events happening in your life.
First of all, your license will be suspended, and you will be prohibited to drive on the roads. If you drive on a suspended license, it is a different violation that will also be penalized. If you are driving on a suspended license, you will be charged with extra fines and points on your license. And most likely you will spend some time in the prison as well.
If you make a Failure to Appear after you were issued a traffic ticket, a bench warrant will be released. This means that the police can arrest you any time. You can be arrested in a traffic stop, or while you are at work, or just in the street.
The worst thing is that this arrest warrant will be in all your background checks. This information can ruin your housing or job opportunities as well as lead to your professional license’s being annulled.
Throwing your traffic ticket away will be a beginning of a terrible story. As you see, it is not at all funny to throw your traffic ticket away, is it?
4. How to Deal with a Traffic Ticket
Dealing with a traffic ticket can be as simple as 1-2-3. The first thing that you should do is to take it seriously and do not leave it for later. Here are some tips that might help you with that issue. It is much better to pay the fine earlier, so you will be able to take advantage of certain discounts, or you will pay late fees.
The second thing to do is to ask the court about a possible payment plan if you are having some financial difficulties and are not able to pay all the fine at once. You should be allowed to make payment plans and pay the sum you owe in installments.
Contesting your traffic ticket in court, is the third way to go, if you are sure that the officer did not have a right to issue you a traffic ticket. The forth thing to do, and that is if your license is suspended, you should take an approved defensive driving course. Doing that, you will pay less money, and it can get the ticket off your record.
Last but not least, you should consider professional assistance if your traffic ticket is a serious issue and you do not know how to handle it. Traffic ticket services or attorneys can help you to get through this process. They can even lower your charges and let you out in a right situation, but it will cost some money.
95% of drivers pay their tickets without any contest. But it doesn’t mean that paying a ticket is always the smartest choice to make. Sometimes fighting a ticket is a smart decision which can help you to keep points off your license and avoid insurance rates hike.
The Wrap Up
The most important thing about any traffic ticket is to never ignore it.
If it is a minor thing, after a while, it may create serious problems like license suspensions, arrest warrants, and years of high insurance premiums. Ignoring a ticket can land you in jail. It can cost you thousands of dollars in fines and surcharges. It can ruin your credit and land you in collections.
The financial and legal consequences that a driver may face because of a traffic ticket can easily outweigh the small inconvenience of dealing with the ticket itself.
- Pay your traffic ticket or else…
- Don’t ignore a court summons!
- The 4 Best Traffic Ticket Services Online (Get a Huge Fine Reduced)
- If you want to know how to get a traffic ticket, Read on
Don’t let a single traffic ticket turn into years of problems.
Deal with a ticket as early as you can. Look at your options. Fight your ticket if it makes sense. Seek professional help if it is necessary. And most importantly – pay it before the deadline. The choice is clear. Deal with the problem now or pay for it later.
