Speeding Ticket

Speeding Tickets

A speeding ticket is a type of traffic ticket issued by a law enforcement officer to an individual who has violated the posted speed limit.

Car pulled over on the side of the road for speeding.

Examples Of Moving Violations

• Running a red light or stop sign
• Failing to yield to another vehicle that has the right of way
• Failing to signal for turns or lane changes
• Not wearing a seat belt
• Failing to stop for a pedestrian at a crosswalk
• Driving in a car pool lane illegally
• Failing to stop for a school bus when children are boarding or exiting
• Reckless driving
• Street racing
• Driving under the influence of a controlled substance

A speeding ticket usually serves as a notice for a fine, and usually results in a deduction of points off someone's driving record. In extreme cases such as criminal speeding, (generally when a motorist is traveling at 15 miles per hour over the posted speed limit), speeding tickets may be accompanied with a criminal charge in the form of a class 2 misdemeanor, such as reckless endangerment and carry increased fines plus a massive point deduction against the driver.

Violations may also be classified as more serious if a motorist is a repeat offender, has shown willful disregard to public safety, or causes death or serious bodily injury or property damage. These offenses will appear on the individual's arrest record. Generally speaking, a traffic violation becomes a misdemeanor or felony if it:

• Causes injury to a person or destruction of property
• Causes a real threat of injury to a person or destruction of property

Traffic laws in the United States are codified and will vary between states, counties, and municipal laws. Most minor violations are classified as civil infractions. Each state's Department of Motor Vehicles or Bureau of Motor Vehicles maintains its own database of motorists. This database includes all convicted speeding tickets and traffic violations.

Since speeding tickets are processed through the court system, moving violations are public record and can be accessed at any time by members of the general population. Contrary to popular belief, speeding tickets can be issued, and a motorist can be cited for speeding even if he or she was traveling at only 1 mile per hour over the posted speed limit.

Speeding Ticket Fast Facts

Around 41 million speeding tickets are issued each year in the US. This breaks down to:

• 4,680 people get a ticket each hour
• 78 people get a speeding ticket each minute
• In 2011, speeding was a contributing factor in 30% of all fatal car crashes
• That same year, 9,994 lives were lost in speeding-related car crashes
• The National Highway Traffic Security Administration estimates that the annual cost of speeding is around $40.4 billion each year
• About 20% of all drivers will get a speeding ticket this year
• Virginia is the most expensive state to receive a speeding ticket in, with the average cost of a ticket at around $1,300
• Tennessee has the least expensive speeding tickets, with the average ticket at around $50
• Males receive more speeding tickets than females
• The top four most-ticketed car colors are white, red, grey, and silver

Examples Of Traffic Misdemeanors

While exact classifications vary on a state-by-state basis, common examples of traffic misdemeanors can include:

• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Failure to stop at the scene of an accident
• Driving without a valid license
• Driving without insurance
• Reckless driving

Examples Of Traffic Felonies

• Repeat DUI/DWI convictions
• Hit and run offenses
• Vehicular homicide

Speeding Tickets On Instant Checkmate

When available, speeding tickets and other types of traffic-related offenses may be found in an Instant Checkmate background report. While speeding is considered an infraction, other traffic-related offenses could be categorized as misdemeanors, or even felonies and can result in more serious punishments such as increased fines, loss of driving privileges, and even imprisonment.