Know The Law

Being involved in a traffic accident can be pretty scary, especially if you or someone you care for gets hurt.   Besides concern for safety, there are criminal and administrative consequences that stem from accidents as well.   Depending on the seriousness of the accident and your actions, you could be facing points on your driving record, a license suspension and possibly even jail time.

Here Are Some Guidelines To Consider If You Are Involved In An Accident

First of all, never leave the scene of an accident.   Regardless of whether you think it is your fault or not, you have to stay put.  If you leave, you will likely be charged with Hit and Run, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, or Failure to Report an Accident.”  You do not really want to be charged with one of those violations.   Ideally you should contact the police office and report the accident as quickly as possible.  The police will come to the scene of the accident and investigate before writing a report and issuing citations.

That brings me to my second point – as difficult as it might be, stay calm and cool.  Even if you are not in the wrong at all, do not get worked up with and angry at the other driver(s) and do not get confrontational.  You really never know who you are dealing with, what they are going through or what may have happened that caused a certain driving maneuver.   Just try and have some compassion.  But besides exchanging basic information, such as insurance details, it is probably best to just keep to yourself so that you do not say or do anything that can be used against you later in Court.  Remember, you have to look out for your interests here because you could be charged with a traffic violation, which is a crime in Georgia.

The third guideline is that when the police officer arrives at the scene, you definitely want to explain to the police officer, in as much detail as possible, your point of view as to what happened to cause the accident.  If you believe the other driver was at fault and not you, you really need to provide the officer with details and any evidence.  For example, if there was a third party (hopefully someone unbiased) that witnessed the accident that can vouch for you, make sure the officer hears that.   Once the police officer creates his or her accident report, it will be very difficult to get them to make any changes, so this investigation period is critical.

In the end, if an officer does determine that you are at fault for all or part of the accident, you will have to face the ticket in Court.   If that happens, please contact us.  We have helped thousands of people with traffic violations all over Georgia and have significant experience and success at keeping violations from traffic accidents off our clients’ driving record.

Being involved in a traffic accident can be pretty scary, especially if you or someone you care for gets hurt.   Besides concern for safety, there are criminal and administrative consequences that stem from accidents as well.   Depending on the seriousness of the accident and your actions, you could be facing points on your driving record, a license suspension and possibly even jail time.

Here Are Some Guidelines To Consider If You Are Involved In An Accident

First of all, never leave the scene of an accident.   Regardless of whether you think it is your fault or not, you have to stay put.  If you leave, you will likely be charged with Hit and Run, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, or Failure to Report an Accident.”  You do not really want to be charged with one of those violations.   Ideally you should contact the police office and report the accident as quickly as possible.  The police will come to the scene of the accident and investigate before writing a report and issuing citations.

That brings me to my second point – as difficult as it might be, stay calm and cool.  Even if you are not in the wrong at all, do not get worked up with and angry at the other driver(s) and do not get confrontational.  You really never know who you are dealing with, what they are going through or what may have happened that caused a certain driving maneuver.   Just try and have some compassion.  But besides exchanging basic information, such as insurance details, it is probably best to just keep to yourself so that you do not say or do anything that can be used against you later in Court.  Remember, you have to look out for your interests here because you could be charged with a traffic violation, which is a crime in Georgia.

The third guideline is that when the police officer arrives at the scene, you definitely want to explain to the police officer, in as much detail as possible, your point of view as to what happened to cause the accident.  If you believe the other driver was at fault and not you, you really need to provide the officer with details and any evidence.  For example, if there was a third party (hopefully someone unbiased) that witnessed the accident that can vouch for you, make sure the officer hears that.   Once the police officer creates his or her accident report, it will be very difficult to get them to make any changes, so this investigation period is critical.

In the end, if an officer does determine that you are at fault for all or part of the accident, you will have to face the ticket in Court.   If that happens, please contact us.  We have helped thousands of people with traffic violations all over Georgia and have significant experience and success at keeping violations from traffic accidents off our clients’ driving record.

Most states have some sort of points system when it comes to driving infractions.  You can think of this as a demerit structure. When you do something “bad,” for example, get a speeding ticket or fail to stop at a stop sign, you are assessed points on your driving record.  In the state of Georgia, the organization that keeps track of all your driving points is the Georgia Department of Driver Services.  This is the same body that also issues you your driver’s license.

Why Keeping Points Off Your Driving Record

The reason that points matter so much is that if you get too many points, your privilege to drive can be suspended.   As a Georgia resident over the age of twenty-one (21), if you accrue fifteen (15) points in any twenty-four (24) month period, the Georgia Department of Driver Services will administratively suspend your driver’s license.  That means you cannot operate a motor vehicle for any reason.  You cannot drive work, to school or even to the hospital for an emergency.  That is pretty rough.  If you think about it, even someone who is found guilty of Driving under the Influence gets a limited permit to drive to certain places, like work.

With that in mind, let us turn to the more important inquiry, which is how you keep points off of your driver’s license.  Remember, most moving violations carry points.  Something like failure to yield, improper lane change or failing to stop at a stop sign carry 3 points; while others like aggressive driving or failing to stop for a school bus that is loading or unloading kids carry a hefty 6 points.    For that reason, you should do everything you reasonably can to keep points off your driving record.

Keeping points off your driving record will require you to appear in court and take some action, rather than just paying the ticket.   Once you get to court, one option is to try to negotiate a reduction of your infraction with the prosecutor assigned to your case.  Perhaps there are some favorable facts or circumstances unique to your case that can help to get a reduction.   Another option is to contest the accusation by taking your case to trial.  Remember, all traffic violations are crimes in Georgia so the case must follow criminal procedure.  The State is required to prove that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  You can force them to do this by taking your case to trial.  But you better have a good reason why you think you will win – taking a case to trial out of spite and hoping you will win is not a good strategy.

If you have a traffic violation of any type, it is well worth your time to contact our office.  We have handled thousands of tickets all throughout Georgia and have a high success rate at getting violations amended, reduced or dismissed.    We would love to help you achieve the best result possible on your case.  Call us today for a free consultation.

As if getting a speeding ticket is not bad enough, in the State of Georgia, you can also be classified as a “Super Speeder” depending on the circumstances surrounding your speeding ticket.   While most drivers have probably at least heard the term “Super Speeder,” not everyone is aware of the details surrounding it.  So let us go ahead and discuss this law so that you have a clear understanding of its impact.

What is a Super Speeder Citation?

First of all, according to the Georgia Department of Driver Services, a “Super Speeder” is a driver that is convicted of speeding at 75 miles per hour or more on a two-lane road or at 85 miles per hour and above on any road or highway in the State of Georgia.  The definition of what is a “Super Speeder” itself is simple and straightforward and does not need much explaining.

Why You Should Hire An Attorney!

However, you should know what the implication of being a “Super Speeder” is.  Just like any other speeding ticket, you will have to pay fines and fees to the particular jurisdiction in which you received the ticket.   That pretty much means you will have to pay the court to resolve your speeding case.

How Many Points Is A Super Speeder Ticket

Additionally, you will be assessed up to 6 points on your driving record depending on how fast you were traveling above the posted speed limit.   These points are assessed by the Georgia Department of Driver Services as follows:  15-18 miles per hour over the posted speed limit is 2 points on your driving record, 19-23 miles per hour over the posted speed limit is 3 points on your driving record, 24-33 miles per hour over the posted speed limit is 4 points on your driving record, and anything 34 miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit is 6 points on your driving record.

Georgia Super Speeder Ticket Payment

However, what makes the penalty for a “Super Speeder” ticket worse than your normal speeding ticket is that you will have to pay an additional $200 Super Speeder state fee in order to keep your driver’s license if you are convicted.  This is a fee that you will have to pay directly to the State of Georgia.  The State of Georgia will send you a letter in the mail (to the address on your driver’s license) once your court case has been finalized.  This letter will provide you with official notice that you are a “Super Speeder” and will give you 120 days to make the $200 payment.  It is critical that you make a timely payment; otherwise your driving privilege will be suspended after the 120 payment period.  If this is the case, then in addition to the $200 payment, you will have to pay a reinstatement fee of $50 to the Georgia Department of Driver Services in order to have your driver’s license reinstated.

Georgia Super Speeder Law Out Of State Driver

Please note that this rule also applies to out of state drivers.  So for example, even if you have a Texas driver’s license or a California driver’s license and you were just passing through Georgia, you are still subject to the same requirements as Georgia drivers.  Failure to pay the Super Speeder fee following a speeding conviction in court will result in the Georgia Department of Driver Services imposing a suspension of your non-resident driving privilege in Georgia.  Furthermore, the Georgia Department of Driver Services will then report the suspension to your home state’s licensing authority, at which point your home state’s driving privilege could also be suspended.  In other words, you may not be legally permitted to drive in any state.

If you receive a speeding ticket, please contact us to discuss your options.