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◉ What to do in Traffic Court

Tag: Online Traffic School

So highway patrol caught you speeding on the way home from work yesterday. You tried arguing with the officer a little that the speed really wasn’t posted anywhere and you were only traveling at the speed that felt safest. He still gave you a ticket. You still don’t feel it was rightly deserved and want to try and fight it! What do you do? You go to traffic court! But then, what should you do when you get there to help the case?

Here’s What NOT To Do

Court Room Decorum

When you go to court dress appropriately. Do not wear shorts and a tank top. Take the time to dress in a manner that shows the judge that you are a mature individual who deserves to have the privilege of driving. Wear some nice dress slacks and a button-down shirt. Females may want to dress in a longer skirt and a nice blouse or sweater. Try to keep the attire business casual. Do not chew gum while in the courtroom.

Don’t Talk Over or Interrupt the Judicial Officer

Have respect for the judicial officer hearing your case. Be polite and only talk at the appropriate times. Don’t argue or interrupt. If you can’t be polite and courteous in the traffic court room the judge may not believe that you are capable of being a polite and courteous driver.

Don’t sit in the audience talking.

While other cases are being heard you need to remember to sit in the audience quietly. Be patient. You don’t want to annoy the judge and have an opinion formed about you before it is even your turn.

Turn off your cell phones in the courtroom.

It is important to remember to turn your cell phone off in court. Many courts will actually post signs saying cell phones are not allowed.

Here’s What TO Do

Reach the Code Section you are being charged with.

Make sure that you have all the facts lined up before you set a trial. For most states, you can find the code section online.

Pay attention to other people’s cases being heard.

You’ll generally learn something if you listen to other people’s cases. See what they do to make things better or worse and use it for your own situation accordingly.

If you have an issue with the officer’s behavior, do not make this the only focus.

If your issue is with the officer’s behavior make sure that is not the only focus for your trial. Generally, that is an issue to be taken up with the policy agency. Be sure to mention it as a secondary issue and don’t use it as the entire reason you want the ticket to be dismissed.

Be prepared to spend most of the morning in court.

Don’t expect to get out of there early. Just be patient and wait your turn. You may not present your case properly if you are frustrated and anxious to leave. Also, remember, everyone there is in the same position you are so remember to be courteous.

Additional Advice for Traffic Court:

  1. Legal Counsel: Consider hiring a traffic attorney or at least consulting with one before your court date. They can provide valuable insights into your specific situation and might increase your chances of getting the ticket dismissed or reduced.

  2. Gather Evidence: If possible, return to the scene and take photographs, especially if there are no clear speed limit signs. This can be used as evidence to support your claim.

     

  3. Driving School: Some jurisdictions offer the option to attend a defensive driving course in lieu of paying the fine or getting points on your license. Inquire about this possibility.

     

  4. Witnesses: If someone was with you at the time of the alleged violation, consider bringing them as a witness. Their testimony might support your case.

When you’ve accumulated points on your license, you often find yourself in the position of needing to reduce them. There are several reasons to attend traffic school to lower the number of points reflected on your license. Perhaps you’re in danger of losing your license due to repeated infractions, or maybe you just don’t want to deal with an increase in your insurance rates. Regardless of your reasons, when you choose to attend a traffic school in Florida, you want to make sure you’re not the victim of a scam and that you don’t end up being caught by a bait-and-switch pricing tactic.

How They Catch You

Many traffic schools offer what seem to be inexpensive up-front rates. “For just $7.95, you can remove points from your license today!” “Attend traffic school online for just $9.95!” The inexpensive up-front cost pulls you in, leading you to assume that the school is offering the most inexpensive option for removing points from your license and getting your driving record back to its usual sparkling condition. Unfortunately, those low fees don’t last long.

Buyer Beware: Bait and Switch Pricing Schemes

You chose the so-called cheapest option for your online traffic school. Unfortunately, it’s not destined to last. Once you register and select the course you want to take, you’ll find plenty of fake fees associated with the course that will drive your price up and eat away at those savings. In many cases, you’ll end up paying more for those fees than you would have if you’d chosen a more reputable traffic school to begin with. Some will claim a “certificate fee” — that is, you can take the course for their low price of $7.95, but you can’t get a certificate showing that you completed it without paying their certificate fee of $19.95. Others push the blame off on the state: you have to pay a “state processing fee” to complete the requirements. Here’s a hint: Florida does not charge a driver any state processing fee. The goal, of course, is to convince you to go ahead and hand over the money, even though it’s substantially higher than what you thought you were paying. You’ve already chosen a school and decided that this was the one you wanted to go with. You’ve registered with the site. Now you just want to get the class finished so that you can get back to your regular responsibilities. Not only that, you may assume that every school offers these fees — and that’s simply not the case.

The Traffic School Online Difference

At trafficschoolonline-dev.plume.co.uk/, we don't play games with our customers. Instead, we lay out our fees in a fair, upfront way. What you pay is what you pay, with no hidden fees that will come up during the registration process. We understand that when you take one of our courses to reduce the points on your license, you need a responsive company that will ensure that you get your records quickly and efficiently, removing the points from your license before you face any other penalties. Not only that, we want to offer a solid price that you can count on: no hidden costs that don't appear until you've already started the process. Your Google search for a Florida traffic school will be filled with false promises: "the cheapest online traffic school," "traffic school for just $6.95," and "the lowest-priced traffic courses online" are just a few of the promises that you'll find in the first page of results alone. Unfortunately, many of those are false promises that will fail to deliver the results — and the savings — you need. By choosing trafficschoolonline-dev.plume.co.uk/, you can rest assured that you're getting a high-quality online traffic school where the cost is given openly upfront.

The Pioneer of Defensive Driving Online & Online Traffic School

We didn’t invent traffic school. We just perfected it.

What if you could protect your driving record without leaving home? How could traffic schools be more accessible? Steve Soldis asked himself these questions and forever changed traffic school for the masses. Steve, CEO of Traffic School Online, received a ticket in 1996 on a Californian highway. To avoid points on his record and increased insurance rates, he opted for traffic school. Steve found out the nearest traffic school was over 30 miles away. He was then committed to making the traffic ticket experience more convenient. He originated the idea of an online traffic school as an alternative to an in-person class.

Steve’s idea gave drivers a new way to fight traffic tickets.

our best traffic school logo

Myth: It’s boring.

Fact: Traffic school doesn’t have to be boring.

For instance, many of our courses have an interactive option that includes full audio narration and interesting visuals to keep you engaged. For all of our courses, if you do find you need a break, you can stop whenever you want, and start again at any time.

Experienced drivers will probably already be familiar with the basics, but we also keep our courses up to date with the latest safety tips and traffic laws for your state.

Many of our students found our course to be more interesting than they were expecting and even felt like it would be a good refresher for any driver. Take a look at our reviews page to see what other students thought.

Myth: It’s inconvenient. You have to wake up early, sit in a classroom, and spend the whole day doing it.

Fact: You can take traffic to school wherever and whenever you want.

You can take your traffic school course from home, school, work… anywhere that’s convenient for you! All you’ll need is a desktop or laptop computer with an internet connection.

Our course is designed to fit around your schedule. You can start and stop whenever you need to. Complete it all in one day, or do a little at a time.

Myth: Traffic school isn’t worth the money.

Fact: Getting a ticket can mean shelling out a lot of cash, but traffic school can prevent your ticket from costing you even more in the future.

In most states, you still have to pay your fine to the court, even if you’re taking traffic school to have your violation dismissed. On top of that, you may even have to pay an extra fee to the court for this option. And then there’s the fee for your traffic school course – is it all worth it?

While this seems like a lot, having points on your driving record could cost you even more.

Depending on your auto insurance company’s policies, points on your license could result in higher insurance premiums, costing you a bundle over time. Even worse, many states will suspend your driving privileges if you accumulate too many points! Taking traffic school can help you avoid points on your license, keeping your insurance costs low and allowing you to keep your license.

And since we know you don’t want to spend any more than you have to, we give you the total price upfront and don’t surprise you with any hidden fees.

Check the price for the course you need, and contact us with any questions!

Myth: There’s no way to tell if an online traffic school is legitimate.

Fact: You can easily verify that we’re approved for your state or court.

If you’re taking traffic school to get a ticket dismissed or to get points removed from your license, your state DMV or your court will provide a list of approved schools. You can confirm that we’re approved for your state or court by checking that list for our school name, Traffic School Online.

If you’re interested in one of our insurance discount courses, contact your insurance company to confirm that they will accept our course, and find out how much of a discount they will provide.

Myth: I won’t be able to get in touch with anyone.

Fact: You can talk to a real person at our office every day of the week.

Our customer service hours are 7 AM – 5 PM Monday through Friday, and 9 AM – 1 PM on Saturday and Sunday, Pacific Time.

We encourage you to contact us by phone, live chat, or email – we’ll be happy to help you!

Find more information about taking traffic school with us by selecting your state in the drop-down menu at the top of the page, or contact us with any questions!

trafficschoolonline-dev.plume.co.uk/

The pioneer in online driver improvement with over 1 million satisfied graduates … since 1998.

Find out more now!

If you’ve received a traffic citation in the state of Arizona, you should be aware that there are two completely different types of “traffic schools”, and that there are big differences between the two. Depending on the type of violation you committed, or the type of citation you received, you may be required to attend a class, or you may be given the option to attend a class in exchange for dismissal of your violation.

So, what’s the difference? The short answer is that Traffic Survival School is required, and Defensive Driving is usually optional, though there are some exceptions. You may be required to attend Traffic Survival School if you received a ticket some time ago, and have already had points assessed against your driving record. If you receive a letter from the MVD stating that you must complete a Traffic Survival School program, this is not optional — you must comply, or else risk having the MVD suspend your driver’s license. Defensive Driving is a court diversion program commonly offered to drivers who have received a traffic citation but have not yet been convicted of a violation. In most cases, when you receive a traffic ticket in Arizona, you can choose to attend a Defensive Driving program, whereby upon completion, points will not be assessed to your driving record. Be aware that even if you do not elect to attend Defensive Driving, in some cases, a judge may require you to attend Defensive Driving or Traffic Survival School.

Differences in Course Material and Delivery

There are a few key differences in the rules and curriculum for a Traffic Survival School versus a Defensive Driving School. It is for this reason that the two are not interchangeable. If you accidentally take Defensive Driving when you should have taken Traffic Survival, your completion certificate will not be accepted, and you’ll end up having to enroll with another school and complete the correct type of course in order to remain licensed.

Defensive Driving courses are intended to be 4 – 4 ½ hours long and may be taken either online or in person. The lessons will cover Arizona traffic laws and basic safe driving practices. Defensive Driving is known as a “court diversion” program because (most commonly) the people who take it are doing so to have their violation dismissed and thereby diverted from a conviction.

Traffic Survival School is a slightly more in-depth program. The classes are intended to be 8 hours long, and may only be taken in-person. Online courses are not permitted. This should be a red flag to anyone searching online for an approved Traffic Survival School — if the course itself is conducted via the Internet, it will not satisfy the requirements. Even if you live out of state, you will not be allowed to take the course online. The Traffic Survival School Administration gives detailed instructions for those who live out-of-state, but the requirement to attend a class in person remains the same.

Determining Which Class To Take

In the majority of cases, you will have received some kind of written documentation or notification that clearly states either “Traffic Survival School” or “Defensive Driving”. If you received a letter from the MVD, a court order, or other documentation from the court, give it a thorough read-through and you’ll likely find that the required class type is indicated. Many times a list of schools is provided as well. If you’re given a list of approved schools from an official source, it’s a safe bet to stick to that list.

If you are unable to find a clear indication of which type of class to take, call the court that is handling your citation and inquire.

Am I eligible to take Defensive Driving?

Your eligibility to attend Defensive Driving will depend on several factors, including the severity and/or type of violation committed. Drivers who were issued a citation for involvement in a collision that resulted in serious injury or death are not eligible. The Arizona Supreme Court provides a list of eligible violation codes, to which you can compare the violation code shown on your citation. In some cases, the citation may show more than one violation code. This means that you were cited for more than one violation. The Defensive Driving Court diversion program may be used to dismiss only one violation in a 12-month period, so only one of the violations can be dismissed, while the other will go on your record.

Of course, if you have attended Defensive Driving in the past 12 months for a completely different citation, you wouldn’t be eligible to attend again within that 12-month timeframe. The state of Arizona uses the citation dates to gauge the eligibility time period, meaning that when you take a Defensive Driving course for a violation, you are not eligible to do so again unless the citation date of the second violation is at least 1 year from the citation date of the first violation.

There are also restrictions for commercial drivers. Commercial driver’s license holders who were cited while driving a vehicle that requires a CDL are not eligible to attend Defensive Driving.

Why am I being required to complete Traffic Survival School?

Traffic Survival School is intended as both a penalty and a corrective measure for drivers who have committed severe and/or frequent traffic violations. There are a variety of circumstances or violations that may cause the Arizona MVD (or an individual judge) to require your attendance, including:

  • Red light violation
  • DUI
  • Aggressive driving
  • If you have 8 – 12 points against your license within a 12-month period
  • If you have a graduated driver’s license (drivers 18 or younger) and receive a traffic conviction

The state of Arizona takes a hard-line approach about serious or repeat traffic violators, which is why they will require this more extensive type of program in those cases. The idea is to educate drivers so that they’ll be less likely to commit a violation in the future, and Arizona roads will be that much safer for all of us.

Still not sure which Arizona traffic school course is right for you? Feel free to leave us a comment or contact us with your questions. 

We’ve covered a lot of questions about getting a ticket in California in our first California Traffic School: Q & A post, and on our California FAQ page. Here are a few more great questions we’ve received from California drivers who want to prevent their tickets from affecting their driving record and insurance rates!

More Common California Traffic School Questions

How do I know how much my fine is? Why doesn’t it list an amount on the ticket I received?

Often, an officer will hand you a ticket that doesn’t have an exact fine amount listed. That’s because determining how much your fine will be is pretty complicated – take a look at California’s Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule to get an idea of what’s involved.

Your base fine is determined by what your violation was and where it was committed, but additional penalties and surcharges are tacked on to every fine, and additional fees may apply if you have related prior convictions or you pay your fine late.

Check your ticket for instructions on how to look up what your fine amount is. You can also contact your court online, by phone, or in-person to find out.

 

My violation is marked “non-correctable.” Does that mean I can’t take traffic school?

A correctable violation, commonly known as a “fix-it” ticket, can be issued for things like a broken taillight or an expired license or registration. You may be able to get your fix-it ticket dismissed by showing proof of having corrected the issue to the court and paying a dismissal fee. You can’t take traffic school for these types of tickets, since they’re not moving violations.

If your ticket is marked “non-correctable,” you may be able to take traffic school to have it dismissed. To find out, contact your court to pay your fine and request traffic school. Then, enroll in any traffic school course approved by the California DMV, and complete it before the due date the court gives you.

 

I forgot to change my address on my driver’s license, so the officer wrote down my old address on the ticket. What do I do?

You are responsible for paying your fine amount whether or not you receive a courtesy notice in the mail, so your first step is to contact the court. They can update your address in their records so that any courtesy notices are sent to the correct address.

Then, make sure you change your address with the DMV. You can submit your address change online. Since the DMV doesn’t give you a new license when you change your address, they suggest carrying your new address with your license, written or typed on a small piece of paper with the date and your signature.

 

After I take traffic school, how do I know if the court dismissed my ticket?

If you take your course with us, you’ll receive an automatic email notification once your court has reviewed your certificate of completion. If any problems are preventing the court from accepting your certificate, for example, if you did not pay your fine or request traffic school, these will be indicated in the notification. You’ll need to correct these with the court before they will dismiss your ticket.

To confirm that the court has dismissed the ticket and updated its records, you’ll need to contact the court directly. Your court may have an automated case lookup system that you can access online or by phone, or you can speak to a clerk by phone or at the courthouse.

Keep in mind that while your completion certificate is submitted electronically immediately after you complete the course, it takes time for someone at the court to process the certificate and update the court’s records. If your court is very busy, this can take up to about two weeks. But don’t worry – the court will look at the date you completed the course to verify that you completed it on time.

Don’t see the answer to your question here?

Still have questions? No problem. Give us a call at 800-800-3579 or drop us a line at questions@trafficschoolonline.com and we’ll be happy to help you find the information you need!

trafficschoolonline-dev.plume.co.uk/

The pioneer in online driver improvement with over 1 million satisfied graduates … since 1998.

Find out more now!

Getting a ticket in California can be a hassle, but don’t panic! From figuring out how to contact the court to decide whether traffic school is the right option for you, we’re here to make it as easy as possible. Here are just a few of the many questions we get from drivers in California looking to make their tickets disappear!

Common California Traffic School Questions

Should I take traffic school before or after I pay my ticket?

You will need to pay your ticket and request the option to take traffic school from the court before you complete a traffic school course. After you do this, the court will give you a new due date that you’ll have to complete your traffic school course by.

 

If I still have to pay for my ticket, what’s the point of taking traffic school?

Getting a California traffic ticket is already expensive, but getting your license suspended or having your insurance company raise your premiums could be even more costly.

California uses a point system to keep track of traffic violations. Each type of traffic offense carries either one or two points. If you receive too many points in a certain period, your license could be suspended or revoked. In addition, points on your driving record can cause your insurance premiums to increase.

But as a result of completing traffic school, your court will dismiss your ticket, and the DMV will mask the violation on your record. This means that while the DMV will still know about your ticket, it won’t appear as points on your driving record, and it won’t be visible to your insurance company.

Still trying to weigh the costs and benefits? For more information about how your traffic ticket could affect your driving record, check out the California DMV’s list of points for each violation. You can also contact your insurance company to find out how points on your record would affect your insurance rates.

 

What if I have more than one ticket? Can I take traffic school for both?

You can take traffic school to have a violation dismissed once in any 18 month period. The 18-month period is counted from the date you received the last California ticket you took traffic school for to the date you received your current ticket.

So, if you’ve got two tickets right now, or two violations listed on the same ticket, you’re going to have to pick just one violation to have dismissed by taking traffic school.

 

What if I decide to fight the ticket? Will the court dismiss it if the officer doesn’t show up? Will I still be able to take traffic school if I’m found guilty?

Pleading not guilty to your violation, also known as “fighting” or “contesting” the ticket, is also an option. In most cases, you can contact your court to ask for a court trial or a trial by written declaration. The court may require you to pay your fine amount in advance, which will be held as bail and later returned to you if you are found not guilty.

If the officer who issued the ticket does not appear in court, it’s possible that the court will dismiss your ticket. However, it’s best not to rely on that option.

Instead, be prepared to defend yourself in case the officer does show up. You can either defend yourself or hire a lawyer. The officer will explain to the judge why they gave you the ticket, and you or your lawyer will be able to present evidence, argue the law, bring witnesses, and question the officer.

If you are found guilty, it will be up to the judge whether to offer you the option to go to traffic school.

 

How do I contact my court?

After you get a ticket, you may find yourself needing to contact the court. Before you resort to waiting in line at the courthouse or navigating through a maze of automated recordings in the court’s phone system, check to see if the information you need is available through your court’s website.

Many courts have an online case lookup system that you can use to locate your citation, pay your ticket, request traffic school, or even request a due date extension. Some courts also have this type of system available by phone.

If you do have to speak with someone at the court, check online for their traffic department phone or window hours so you don’t waste your time. Some courts are extremely understaffed, and clerks may only be available to the public for a few hours each day.

Don’t see the answer to your question here?

First, check out our California FAQ page for information on our low-price guarantee, computer/system requirements, and what to do if you have a commercial drivers license. Then take a look at Part Two of our California Traffic School: Q&A series!

Still have questions? No problem. Give us a call at 800-800-3579 or drop us a line at questions@trafficschoolonline.com and we’ll be happy to help you find the information you need!