Most Recent Blog Entries

Traffic Tickets and Car Insurance: An Expensive Combination

For many, traffic tickets are more of a headache that anything else. After getting pulled over, having to pay a ticket may seem like you can finally put an end to the annoying ordeal. But not so fast! Did you know that when you pay a ticket and do not attend traffic school (either by choice or because it was not offered), you will have points placed on your Florida driving record? And the more points you have the bigger loser you become in the driving game. This is why it is important to always keep track of your Florida driving record—you may have points on there you did not know about! Paying your Florida traffic ticket is an automatic admission of guilt, a little known fact by many Florida drivers.

Your Florida auto insurance rates are influenced by a variety of factors, including: vehicle type, age and where you live. Some insurance companies even offer special discounts for being a good student. But nothing causes your rates to go up or down the way a good or bad driving record does. And usually when your rates go up, they stay there for a while.

Points can not only lead to a suspended Florida driver’s license, they also cause your car insurance premiums to go up.…

What Happens If You Drive With Expired Vehicle Registration In Tampa?

No valid vehicle registration, expired vehicle registration and attaching an unassigned registration tag to your car are three of the bigger issues Tampa drivers have to deal with when it comes to vehicle registration. Unfortunately, all three of these registration issues come with potential jail time—a punishment that is even more alarming when you think of the fact that many Tampa drivers may not even be aware of the offense! The purpose behind requiring Tampa drivers to register their car every year is two-fold: to help establish clear ownership and to provide an additional source of revenue for the state of Florida. At the time of registering your car, be sure to bring proof of insurance and financial responsibility with you or you may be turned away.

Perhaps one of the bigger issues Tampa drivers face when it comes to vehicle registration is those scenarios in which the driver is driving around with expired vehicle registration. Florida police can find this out in a number of ways, including: the tag on your car (hence the different colors every year), running your license plate and when the officer asks for your registration when you are pulled over. The problem is that many drivers may not even be aware that their registration is expired and unfortunately, this is not an excuse the Tampa police readily accept.…

Will You Get A Ticket For Texting While Driving In Florida?

We recently blogged about tips to help avoid distracted driving. The potential for car accidents while texting and driving is certainly a hot button issue. So hot that the state of Florida is considering joining 45 other states nationwide that place a ban or restriction on this very activity.

This past Tuesday, Florida lawmakers proposed Senate Bill 52. The Bill would make texting while driving a secondary offense in Florida. Rather than an all-out ban (like 37 states have), making texting while driving a secondary offense in Florida would mean the police officers would be able to issue a ticket IF the driver was being pulled over for a different offense. Put differently, a police officer could not pull a driver over and issue a ticket simply because the driver was texting. But if the officer was already pulling the driver over for another offense (i.e. speeding, running a stop sign, etc) then the officer could also issue a ticket for texting in addition to the initial offense. The texting fine would be $30. If texting while driving were ever to become a primary law then the police would be able to pull drivers over and issue a ticket simply because he or she was breaking the law by texting and driving.…

Florida Police Ticket Drivers For Speeding More Than Any Other State

Did you know that today, in 1995 President Bill Clinton ended the federal 55 MPH maximum speed limit? In doing away with a federally-imposed maximum speed limit, states were free to set their speed limits as they see fit. Texas took advantage of this change and has since had the highest speed limit in the nation at 85MPH. Although Florida drivers are not allowed to drive that fast on any highway in the state, if you choose to put the pedal to the metal in Florida then be prepared to pay.

In a recent study of national traffic data examined by Carinsruancequotes.com, the results show that speeding drivers are more likely to be ticketed in Florida than any other state in the nation. That’s right, you speed on the streets and highways in Florida, your chances are much higher than if you speed in another state. One city that you should be especially weary of is Waldo, Florida. Waldo made the list for one of the worst cities for speed traps.

The Bradenton Herald reports that Florida police issued 17,995 non-non criminal traffic citations for speeding above the posted limit last year alone. Bringing that number well past 20,000 were the additional 6,132 citations that were issued for driving too fast for the conditions.…

Tampa Traffic School 101

Remember the excitement surrounding studying and practicing for your driver’s license as a teenager. The potential to drive around town with your friends was enough to inspire many to learn the rules of the road. Well it may be time to revisit the excitement and dive into relearning the rules of the road. If you were recently given the option to avoid points on your record and attend traffic school then this is one class you should take. Available for civil infractions, attending traffic school is a very good idea. Not only will it help you avoid points and keep your insurance rates down, but can also help refresh your memory on important rules that will hopefully avoid future traffic tickets.

When you receive a ticket for a citation in Tampa, you are presented with three basic options:

Pay the ticket: If you decide to simply pay the ticket then you will not only be admitting guilt but also automatically placing points on your driving record.
Elect traffic school: When this option is available, take it. Can we say that enough in this blog?!
Fight the ticket: Fighting the ticket is always an option, although choosing to do it on your own may not be the best idea.

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A Look at Florida Traffic Tickets

Did you know that almost fifteen percent of all moving violations in the country come from Florida alone? Knowing the strictness with which the Florida police approach traffic violations, cautious driving is essential anytime you are on the road. But even the best of drivers can still get caught for one violation of a Florida traffic law or another.

Much different than criminal cases in which there is often a state of mind requirement the prosecution must prove as part of the crime, the majority of traffic tickets issued in Florida do not require any type of mental intent on the part of the driver at all, just proof that he or she actually committed the act. A legal concept known as strict liability, when the police and/or prosecution can prove that the driver acted in particular manners (i.e. speeding) then they have also proved guilt. Strict liability traffic offenses in Florida includes:

Speeding
Overdue parking meters
Not using turn signals
Parking in a handicapped zone without authorization

Defenses for any of the above mentioned strict liability traffic offenses are fairly straightforward—proof that the driver did not commit the act. When a Florida driver receives a traffic citation or ticket, it will indicate the nature of the violations as well as information on how and when to respond to the ticket.…

A Look at Suspended Licenses in Clearwater

Did you know that almost 30% of Florida drivers currently have their license suspended for one reason or another? That high number should alert you to just how easy it is to get your license suspended and how seriously police in Clearwater and throughout the state take laws surrounding safe driving.

To begin, here are some reasons why an individual would have his or her license suspended in Clearwater:

Habitual traffic offender: Those three words pretty much sum it up! A habitual traffic offender is a driver that just keeps getting in trouble with the law when driving. In Clearwater, a driver is considered to be a habitual traffic offender if he or she was received three major violations in the last five years or fifteen convictions for various moving violations with points in the last five years. Under either evaluation, a Clearwater driver will be classified as a habitual traffic offender and have his or her license suspended for five years.

D–6: Around 2.6 million drivers in the state of Florida have a D-6 license suspension. Failing to take action on a court citation or failing to comply with a court directive are the common reasons why a driver would have a D-6 license suspension.

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Hold Up: How To Handle Traffic Stops In Sarasota

What to do if you get pulled over in Sarasota, Florida

Getting pulled over is never a fun experience. However, you can make the experience easier on yourself by staying calm, being prepared and not giving the police any reason for further suspicion. Staying in control of your emotions and the situation will also help you down the line if you choose to fight any ticket you may receive. Here are the top five tips for handling a traffic stop in Sarasota.

Pull Over: As soon as you see the flashing lights in your rear view mirror (or other indication that you are being pulled over) be sure to do so quickly so the police officer knows you are not trying to escape the stop. Always use necessary signals when getting over and try to position your vehicle in a safe location on the side of the road.
Calm Down: It is easy to get overly emotional before even speaking to the police officer. Whether the officer is nice or not, you should approach the conversation politely. Other than rolling down your window to speak with the police officer, you should remain relatively still and wait until you are told to show your license and registration.

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How to choose a Traffic Ticket Attorney

The most important factor in choosing an attorney to fight your ticket is whether or not you feel comfortable hiring them. A large factor in your feeling comfortable is the attorney’s experience and their availability. You want an attorney who knows what they are doing. You also want an attorney who won’t ignore your calls. A good attorney can explain things to you in a way that you can understand them so you can make the best decision for you. When hiring an attorney ask them the following questions:

How many times have you been in traffic court? The higher the number of times, the more likely it is that the attorney knows what they are doing. The more an attorney practices in a certain area, the more the attorney knows about it. Traffic court works differently than a criminal courtroom. The State is not present. It is only the officer who wrote you the ticket. This means the attorney’s approach has to be a bit different than in a traditional courtroom if they are going to win your case. If they have never been in traffic court before, an attorney may be out of their league.
Are you available to answer my questions?

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