For most people, at one time of another in their lives they end up getting a speeding ticket or traffic ticket in Washington DC. Most people, in fact over 75%, just pay the ticket without thinking through other alternatives that could save them money in the long run. Few people really realize how much a ticket actually costs when you take into account the car insurance impact and impact on your driving record. To make this more clear, let’s use an example. Let’s imagine that I live in Washington DC and just received my first traffic ticket for speeding. The ticket I was given costs $250. My monthly insurance rate is $150 and until this ticket I had a clean driving record. After getting the ticket, I have three options for taking care of it – I can just pay it; I can take Washington DC traffic school; or I can fight it in court.
Option 1: Just Pay the Ticket, Total Cost: $2200
If I decided to just pay the ticket, the total cost of the ticket would actually end up being $2200! How? Well the ticket itself was for $250, but when I went to pay it there was an additional $150 in court fees and administration fees bringing the total ticket price to $400. Additionally, when the car insurance company finds out I received a ticket, my premiums will increase by 20% (national average). So my monthly payment will go from $150 to $180, or $30 extra every month. The ticket will be on my record for 5 years, so that means an additional $1800 in car insurance costs. Together with the ticket, that is a extra $2200 for just one ticket!
Option 2: Take Washington DC Traffic School, Total Cost: $435 or less
The second option I have is to take Washington DC traffic school to dismiss my ticket. In many cases I will still have to pay the ticket itself, which is $400, but sometimes that fine is reduced for taking traffic school. You just need to check with the court. The traffic school course costs $35 but once I complete it successfully the ticket isn’t added to my driving record. This means my insurance costs won’t increase and I will save $1800 from taking the traffic school course.
Option 3: Fight the Ticket in Court, Total Cost: $2200 or $0
The last option I have is to fight the ticket in court and see if I can have it completely dismissed. If I win, I will not have any fines or fees to pay. However, if I lose then I will have to pay for the ticket, the insurance increases, and any additional fees. I will also have to spend time preparing for court to make sure I am ready.
In the end, I decided to take Washington DC traffic school. I was able to get my fine reduced to $75 and finished the online course quickly and easily. My car insurance rates never increased and I was able to maintain my safe driver status which actually got me deeper insurance discounts in the years to come.