Traffic School

Why fight your speeding ticket when you can go to traffic school instead?

By Damon Dallah

Almost every state allows a person ticketed for some types of moving violations to attend a 6 to 8 hour course in traffic safety in exchange for having the ticket officially wiped from their record!

Often attending school is your best choice, even if you think you have a watertight defense.

After all, while a trial is always something of a gamble, traffic school is 100% reliable in keeping the violation off your record. (As long as you remember to set your alarm clock and make it to class.)

Policies on allowing you to eliminate a ticket from your record vary from state to state. (They can also occasionally vary within a state, where local courts have some discretion to set their own policies.)

For example, in some states you can attend school once a year, while in others you must wait 18 to 24 months before you can eliminate a new ticket. And in some states, you aren't eligible for school if you're ticketed for exceeding the speed limit by more than 15 or 20 miles per hour.

Procedures for getting into traffic school also vary from place to place. Most courts allow you to sign up through the court clerk, but a few require you to appear before a judge to make your request.

How an attendee's ticket is handled is also different in different areas.

For example, in some states courts dismiss your case when proof is received that you've completed traffic school.

In other states, courts require you to pay your fine (forfeit bail) with the understanding that the conviction will not be placed on your record if you complete traffic school by a prearranged deadline. Under this system you must pay twice -- once for the fine and again for the school.

In brief outline, for those who are eligible, the advantages of attending school are as follows:

As long as you show up, it's normally a 100% sure way to keep a violation off your record.
It reduces the possibility of your license being lifted or your insurance rates going up if you get new tickets, and
If you pay attention, your driving skills may improve. (Or you may be so bored that you will drive more safely to avoid another day in school.)

The disadvantages include:

It typically lasts 6 to 8 hours.
In many areas it is expensive. This is especially true if you are in a state where you must pay for your schooling plus the fine for the ticket.
In some states, you can go to traffic school only once every 12 to 18 months. If you can beat this ticket, you can save the school option just in case you get a tougher ticket later on.

In some states, erasing a ticket through school may be accomplished while sitting at home.

For example, California is just one of a number of states where traffic courts authorize online traffic schools (they use tests and other devices to be sure you are paying attention).

This trend is almost sure to spread. But be sure to check with the court in your particular area to make sure that an Internet-based program is acceptable.

Do not pay any money to the traffic school unless you are sure the court accepts that particular school's program.