So, you got a speeding ticket. It happens, even to the best drivers. As you see it, you can either (1) pay the ticket or (2) pay an attorney to “take care” of the ticket. Many people, when faced with the hassle of hiring an attorney and paying the attorney’s fee, choose option number one, make out a check, sadly sign their admission of guilt, and move on with their lives.
Behind the scenes, however, there are forces at work that are costing you money beyond the simple fine and fee you pay with your ticket.
An Illustrative Example 
Let’s take the basic eleven over the speed limit ticket in a 55 mph zone. The North Carolina Safe Driver Incentive Plan (SDIP) places two insurance points on your license. The SDIP then requires your insurance provider to increase your insurance premium 45% for the next three years.
That 45% adds up to a pretty sizable chunk of change. If your insurance premium is $1,400 per year, over a three year period you will be paying more than $1,800 over and above your current premium (that’s a premium increase from $1,400 to $2,030 per year).
Do the Math – Speeding Tickets are Expensive
The cost of hiring an attorney is insignificant in comparison to that kind of premium hike. In many cases, an attorney can negotiate a lesser plea that carries no SDIP points, and at a cost far less than the insurance premium hit that awaits in the event you choose option one. It simply makes economic sense to hire an experienced traffic attorney to deal with your ticket—you save yourself a trip to the courthouse and you save money, in the aggregate, over the next three years.
Not Speeding, but Other Traffic Offenses
Police officers do occasionally write tickets for non-speeding offenses as well. If you have received a ticket for driving without a license, driving with an expired registration, no proof of insurance, failure to yield to a stop sign, or others, you may experience the same (or in some cases, a worse) SDIP point impact discussed above. If a police officer wrote you a ticket following an accident or for any of the other non-speeding offenses mentioned above, there are savings to be had in having an attorney help you navigate the waters.
Coltrane Grubbs & Orenstein routinely handles speeding and other traffic tickets in Forsyth and Guilford Counties. We try to make the process as painless and convenient as possible—give us a ring today to help with your traffic ticket dilemma.
Importantly, don’t let your friends and family “just pay” their speeding ticket. Let them know that there are financial implications beyond just the basic fine and fee at the bottom of the page. As always, you can always give our firm a call if you have any questions or need help (336-996-4166).