Got A Speeding Fine? Is it Worth Fighting?

Posted by Jade Anderson on August 28th, 2019

Many of us have received a speeding fine once in our lifetimes and it's common for our friends and family to comment and suggest taking it to court. But is this worth it? What are the advantages and disadvantages of contesting your speeding fine? Below, we explore the benefits and detriments of going to court to contest a speeding fine.

Benefits

Reduced Fine

If you decide to contest a speeding fine, it is most likely that you will be summoned to court or contacted by the police to attend court. When in court, this is your opportunity to contest the speeding fine and explain why you believe that you should not have received a speeding fine. There is no saying whether or not your fine will be upheld, thrown out or downsized. This is up to the magistrate of the court. It’s important to note that whilst taking your speeding fine to court can possibly get you a reduced fine, it is not always likely.

You Don’t Believe You’re Guilty

For some people, going to court to contest a fine is less of a financial situation and more of a moral one. If you believe that you weren’t speeding and that the police officer was wrong in giving you a speeding fine, it may be beneficial to go court. There is not a guarantee win, but at least you are doing the right thing. Further, if the police officer does not have evidence against you, this may increase your chances of success.

Risk of Losing Driver’s License

Another big factor in many individual’s decisions to go to court is the risk of losing their drivers license. For some drivers, receiving a speeding fine means a loss or suspension of license due to a loss of demerit points or because of their high-speed offence. Thus, it may be out of necessity to go to court to fight the speeding offence. It may be worth going to court to fight the speeding fine with the help of traffic lawyers like LY Lawyers if it can mean keeping your license.

Financial Difficulties

For others, paying the speeding fine can be a difficulty and thus they may decide to go to court to contest it to try and get a smaller fine or get it thrown out completely. Whilst this may be beneficial, it is also crucial to remember that there are many factors involved, including potentially needing legal representation and this may add to the prices of trying to contest the speeding fine and of course, the fine may not necessarily be reduced or thrown out completely.

Disadvantages

Alongside with the benefits of going to court to contest a speeding fine, there are also disadvantages to take into account when considering taking the fine to court.

It is Timely

Many individuals do not realise this but going to court can be an extremely long and timely process. When you decide to take your speeding fine to court, you will be given a court order for a specific date. This may be days, weeks or even months ahead. Further, on this day, you may have to wait hours for your case to be heard. Thus, when considering taking your speeding fine to court, time is a factor to take into consideration.

May Receive Worse Penalties

When deciding to take the fine to court, the magistrate is not required to impose the same fine if you are unsuccessful. In fact, the magistrate may impose a greater fine. In addition, the magistrate may even disqualify your license immediately. Although this is unlikely, it is still a possibility. Thus, this is a significant factor to take into consideration when wanting to take your fine to court.

Costs

Cost can also be a disadvantage. It’s important to note that unless you are knowledgeable of the legal system, chances are you will be self-represented in court or will need to engage the services of a lawyer if you decide to take your fine to court. Lawyers can be significantly beneficial and can actually help you in getting a reduced fine, they can also be costly. The total cost can often be greater than what your original fine was.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to bringing a fine to court for contestation but ultimately it is up to the individual who has received the fine as each individual circumstance is different. Taking into consideration these above advantages and disadvantages may be able to help narrow down the decision.