DAVENPORT, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road every week, helping Orlando-area residents become better drivers by being better educated.
No one likes a traffic ticket, but there are a few options to take care of them. Susan, from Davenport, asked exactly what they are.
When issued a moving violation, there are a few things that you need to know. Option one is to pay the fine and have the points put onto your driver's license. Option two is to attend a driver safety school and, in return, have the points taken off your driver's license, but you still are required to pay the fine.
Of course, if you don’t agree with the ticket, you have the option of taking that citation to court.
You are given a 30-day period that you are given in order to take care of the citation. Whether it is a moving violation or a non-moving violation, you mus tell the clerk of the court within that 30-day period how you want to take care of that ticket.
Failing to communicate and take care of a citation before the 30 days are up will result in your driver's license being suspended. With other types of violations, there are some other options you can choose from.
All options are clearly printed on the citation -- for every ticket, no matter what it looks like. The side of the road is not the place to argue with the law enforcement officer after receiving a ticket.
Take it home, read over it and then decide how you will go about handling it.