Texting while driving, or otherwise manually handling a mobile phone while driving, isn’t a very safe choice. Distracted drivers may fail to notice changing traffic circumstances. Mobile phones increase reaction times by creating mental distraction, taking a driver’s eyes off the road and often getting them to remove their hands from the steering wheel.
State statutes prohibit the manual use of mobile devices while driving. Police officers can issue citations to drivers who they spot using their phones while operating a vehicle. The fine associated with such citations is often just $50, although the driver may also have to pay a surcharge of up to $93 as well.
Most motorists just pay the ticket and consider it an expensive lesson about road responsibility. Some people pay their tickets even if they didn’t actually have their phone in their hands when the officer initiated the traffic stop. However, fighting a citation could be the right choice given the secondary consequences attached to the ticket.
Tickets put licenses at risk
The state tracks the conduct of motorists by adding points to their records for every traffic violation they commit. The decision to pay a ticket is the equivalent of pleading guilty to the accusation of breaking traffic laws.
While that may not seem like a major concern, it can actually have significant consequences. A citation for using a phone while driving adds five points to the motorist’s record. Just three texting while driving tickets might be enough to cost someone their license. Those with prior citations in recent years they already have a few points on their record. It only takes 11 points for the state to suspend a driver’s license.
Additionally, it is worth noting that traffic tickets tend to lead to an increase in car insurance premiums. Drivers have to pay more for the coverage that the state requires them to carry because they now represent a more significant crash risk due to their unsafe behavior.
Fighting a traffic ticket can potentially help people reduce their financial losses and protect their driving privileges. Distracted driving citations may not cost that much on their own but can lead to major penalties for those who plead guilty by simply paying a ticket.