Almost everyone who drives on a regular basis will speed at some point in their lives. It is almost inevitable. Due to modern technology, vehicles are much faster and better handling than ever before. Exceeding the speed limit is so easy that simple inattention can result in increased insurance rates and DMV demerit points. Speeding in Fairfax County is taken seriously even though it is only an infraction and many are not simply reduced by Judges just because you have a good driving record. However, an attorneycan help your speeding ticket by working towards a reduction and, sometimes, a dismissal. Remember, prepaying your speeding ticket is a guilty plea to the charge and you will be assessed points according to the severity of the offense.
SPEEDING 1-9 MPH ABOVE THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT
Speeding at 1-9 mph over the speed limit is a 3 point offense. This means that 3 points will be deducted from your driving record upon a guilty finding. In addition, it will remain on your driving record for 5 years. Depending on your insurance company, your rates may increase.
Speeding at 1-9 mph is a rare charge because Fairfax County Police Officers and Troopers typically don’t bother people driving at this speed. In fact, we have seen Judges in the past dismiss these charges simply because the violation is so minor. One in particular case we observed a Judge advise the officer that he did not wish to see these types of charges. Fair enough.
SPEEDING 10-19 MPH ABOVE THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT
Speeding at 10-19 mph over the speed limit is a very common charge in Fairfax County. A conviction is a 4 point offense that will result in a loss of 4 points on your driving record. This offense will remain on your driving record for 5 years and may also lead to an insurance rate increase.
Speeding at 10-19 mph over the speed limit is avoidable in Fairfax County. If you have a good driving record, many times, we can work towards a reduction to disregarding a highway sign and, in many cases, to a no-point non-moving violation that will not affect your insurance rates or appear on your driving record. To achieve this, we will want to discuss your background and gather mitigating evidence to show the court that you are an upstanding individual with a good record. Sometimes, we will have you take a driver improvement course prior to court. In our experience, these steps are worth it in the end.
SPEEDING 20 MPH OR MORE ABOVE THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT
Speeding at 20 mph or more is another common charge in Fairfax County. A conviction is a 6 point offense that will result in a loss of 6 points on your driving record. This offense will remain on your driving record for 5 years and may also increase your insurance rates.
If you have been charged with speeding at 20 mph or more in Fairfax County, there will be a decision to make whether or not to have an attorney. At this speed, you could have been charged as reckless driving but the officer cut you a break and wrote you up for simple speeding instead. Depending on how fast you were clocked, we may recommend to simply prepay the offense. In other instances, we will recommend you go forward with an attorney to help with damage control. Typically, we can help reduce the speed so that it goes from a 6 point offense to something like a 3 point offense so that it will not affect insurance rates or DMV points as much as the original charge would. In certain cases, we can do even better than that depending on the record and officer’s observations.
HAVE A LAWYER FOR YOUR SPEEDING TICKET IN FAIRFAX COUNTY
Prepaying the ticket can seem cheaper in the beginning but can be more expensive in the long-term. We can appear in court, on your behalf, and resolve the speeding offense in your absence. This will save you from missing work or family obligations. We will also be sure to understand your expectations and will only enter a plea within the confines of our attorney-client agreement.
We have clients that have used our help with traffic tickets many times over the years. We are proud to say that these clients maintain an impeccable record because these clients were able to use us from the outset. In other instances, we get clients calling us because they face a license suspension because of a rapid accumulation of points . In each of those instances, we can help and recommend you give us a call. We offer a free consultation and will discuss whether or not an attorney is worth the expense.