5 Things To Do About Distracted Driving Among Millennials
Distracted driving has become all too common, and millennials are the most violators. Distracted driving accounts for almost 25% of all auto accident fatalities in the U.S. It is the number one cause of teenage vehicular mortality.
Statistics show that millennials have a higher rate of traffic violations than any other generation. Although the reasons for this aren’t quite clear, you’re more likely to get a speeding ticket than your parents. Everybody knows that they shouldn’t speed but sometimes, people make mistakes. For this reason there is less safety on the road.
It might be that you’re running late for work and you don’t want another earful from your boss, so you push it just a little bit. Maybe you were distracted by something else and you didn’t even notice how far you were going. In some cases, it might not even be your fault because the roads were badly signposted. Now, you didn’t realize that the speed limit had changed.
Whatever the reason for the ticket, you need to know how to deal with the situation in the right way. You could soon end up with some big charges to pay if you’re not careful. So, what should millennial drivers do if they get a traffic ticket?
If You Are Pulled Over, Ask For Details
The police officer will ask you if you know why they pulled you over and then, they’ll tell you. After this, they will expect you to give them your details so that they can start writing up the ticket.
However, some officers might be willing to help out a little bit. Some of them might even let you off with a warning. If you know that you were distracted while driving, then this is definitely the time to apologize but, if you don’t know why they pulled you over, you need to ask.
It’s also important to ask what method they used to determine that you were distracted while driving and make a note of it. This information will be important later on if you think there is a mistake and you want to challenge the ticket.
Check The Ticket For Mistakes
Computer systems send out traffic tickets automatically, which can mean that some of them have mistakes. So, even if you do admit guilt to the officer and they start writing up the ticket, go through it with them to make sure there are no errors.
A mistake could be something like the wrong car license plate number or your name spelled incorrectly. Check what speed they think you were going because you may find that it’s much faster than what you thought. Any mistakes on the ticket make it easier for you to challenge it later on.
However, you have to be honest with yourself, and if you know that you were in the wrong and you were definitely going way faster than the speed limit, challenging the ticket might not be the best idea.
Decide Whether To Challenge The Ticket
Whatever your situation is, you need to decide whether you want to go through the trouble of challenging it or not. There are positives and negatives to both options so think carefully before you do anything. If you do decide that you think that there’s a mistake with the ticket or that they pulled you over incorrectly, then challenge it as soon as you can.
In order to issue a ticket, the authorities need to prove that you were going at a speed greater than reasonable or prudent for the situation. That means exceeding the speed limit. It can also refer to not slowing down in difficult weather conditions or heavy traffic.
So, consider whether you actually have grounds to challenge it or not. You don’t want to put yourself through the process and pay all of the associated fees if you’re just going to have to pay the ticket anyway.
But if you do decide to challenge it, you will need some legal advice. So, gather as much information as you can and speak to a lawyer, they will tell you whether you have a case or not and what your next steps should be.
A good car accident lawyer will be able to walk you through the process and help you to come out with the best possible result, otherwise you could risk having lots of points put on your license, a considerable fine, or even something more serious such as a total driving ban or jail time if you get lots of tickets in a short space of time. No matter whether you believe yourself to be in the right or in the wrong, always seek legal advice from a reliable source before you pursue any further actions when trying to defend yourself or deny a ticket.
Pay The Ticket Immediately If You Are Not Challenging It
A lot of people feel that getting a ticket is like getting an invoice for breaking the law so they pay it right away. It’s not usually this simple because there are some things you can do to reduce the cost of your traffic fine. But, if you think that you were in the wrong and don’t plan to challenge it, then just pay the ticket and consider it a lesson learned.
There will still be some fees but if you pay it as soon as you can, then that means that you won’t have to worry about receiving bailiff letters or other reminders. Plus, paying sooner should mean that it’s easier for them to remove any negative marks on your driving record.
If you leave it for a long time without paying, you will get added fees. It will end up costing you more, so it’s best to just get it out of the way.
Rethink Your Driving Behaviors
No matter what the situation is, you need to think about your driving behavior and whether anything needs to change. If you got a speeding ticket, it’s likely that you were driving recklessly. It is evident that you need to think differently about road safety if you are intentionally speeding.
Even if you got a ticket as a result of not realizing how distracted you were, that’s still not good. You should always be vigilant when you are on the road. If you are not paying attention, that is dangerous.
So, think about some of the big driving mistakes you could be making and be more careful in the future so you can stay safe and avoid any more tickets. Put your smartphone down when you get in the car, and only use the provided sat nav system to get around so that you aren’t tempted to stray from the maps provided by your phone. Don’t blast your music too loud, else you won’t be able to concentrate or hear what’s happening outside. Just focus on your driving and your driving only if you want to drive safely without the chance of getting a ticket or any other kind of fine or punishment.
Millennials are getting speeding tickets and other traffic violations at a higher rate than any other generation, so it’s important that you know how to deal with them. In some cases, paying it off and chalking it down as a lesson learned is the best thing to do. However, if you don’t think that the ticket is deserved, you should always challenge it.
