There are traffic laws in all states/countries of the world that attracts penalties when violated. One of the penalties for violating a traffic law is being issued a ticket by the police.
Most times, before one is issued a ticket, he or she will be pulled over by a police officer, but can you also get a ticket without being pulled over? Is it possible?
Yes, you can get a ticket without being pulled over by the police because it is within the jurisdiction of a police officer to send a ticket to a registered owner of a vehicle who has violated traffic laws.
Can You Get a Ticket Without Being Pulled Over?
Yes, you can get a ticket without being pulled over.
It is common to have police officers and traffic officers to issue tickets to drivers by pulling them over for various traffic offenses.
Just as it is possible for car drivers to be issued tickets by getting pulled over, they can also get a ticket without being pulled over.
In many states, there are measures put in place by the government that ensure traffic offenders get caught and punished accordingly.
It is possible for a police officer to issue a ticket without necessarily pulling the car over, all he needs to do is capture the car’s license plate number and look up the information from where he gets access to the personal information of the driver such as; name, residential address and of course, the mailing address which is needed for the purpose of issuing a ticket.
If you are able to get away before the police officer gets your license plate number you are good.
It is also possible that a car’s license plate number gets captured on a traffic monitoring camera installed at various positions on the highway.
Traffic monitoring cameras are installed at various locations to help catch traffic offenders that patrol officers may have missed.
As a matter of importance, in some states, there are different cameras for different traffic law violations. There are cameras in place to snap a picture of your car if you are speeding if you run a toll without paying, etc.
You can also get a ticket without getting pulled over if someone other than a police officer sees you violating the law and gets it on camera or makes a video. If the person takes it to the police, you can get a ticket.
What to Do if You Get a Ticket Without Being Pulled Over?
If you get a ticket without being pulled over, you can:
Look up the Offence You Violated
You will most likely get the ticket in your mail if you were not pulled over, therefore, the first course of action should be looking up the offense you are accused of violating. Your findings will help you come up with different possible defenses if you want to fight them.
Decide not to Pay
If you decide not to pay, then you must be ready to defend yourself in court by showing the necessary elements the traffic offense missed. It is also possible to challenge the officer’s subjective conclusion in the observation of what happened.
Pray the Officer Does Not Show Up
If an officer gives you a ticket without being pulled over, you may be required to appear in court and the officer is also expected to show up in the court.
Your best bet if you do not have much defense will be to pray the officer doesn’t show up. If the officer does not show up, the judge will most likely rule in your favor by dismissing the citation. If it happens that the officer shows up, you should be ready to defend yourself.
Driving Offences that can Get a Ticket
There are varying traffic offenses that will get you a ticket, they are:
- Driving Without a License: One of the many driving offenses that can get you a ticket is driving without a license or driving with one that is not valid. If you get pulled over by the police and they find out you do not have a license, you will most definitely get a ticket. The amount to be paid will be between $40 to $300 depending on the state.
- Reckless Driving: Reckless driving can be a result of drunkenness or a person trying to show his driving prowess, whatever the reason may be, if you get caught, you will get a ticket as it is seen as a disregard for the safety of others road users. Different actions can be considered reckless driving. These actions range from racing to eluding the police, etc. You can get a ticket to the tune of up to $500 or as low as $25 also depending on the state.
- Overspeeding: Another driving offense that can get you a ticket is overspeeding. In order to prevent speeding, some states have speed limits that are placed on the sides of the road to help drivers know and remember not to go above or below a certain speed except under certain conditions. The amount payable when you get a ticket is usually between $100 to $500. The amount to be paid vary from state to state.
- Driving Without a Seatbelt: Seatbelts are put in vehicles as a safety measure and as a matter of importance, they are usually in place by the manufacturer and not an afterthought by the car owner. If you choose not to use a seatbelt when driving, not only are you endangering your life but that of the passengers in the car and other road users. The ticket cost of driving without a seatbelt in most states is between $10 and $60, however, in some states, it can be more than that while some others have no laws regarding it.
- Running a Red Light: Running a red light is a serious driving offense that can get you a ticket. Traffic lights are in place to maintain the free flow of traffic, especially on busy roads. If you decide to move when the red light is illuminated, you can get a ticket that cost between $50 to $1000.
Conclusion
It is important to know that if you get a ticket without getting pulled over, you can defend it in court if you were wrongly accused. The ticket will however be sent over to your mail bt the police officer.