Even if you were facing what seemed to be a minor traffic offense, it could be a good idea to take every measure possible towards reducing the consequences. That is because Virginia, like many states, operates its driving violation laws on the system that could give you increasing penalties for subsequent offenses.
Of course, you probably do not plan to get many more tickets in your life. You may have been passing through the state without immediate plans to return. The question would be whether you planned to get even one citation. By this reasoning, it could benefit you to make every effort to maintain your current record.
Apart from avoiding a mark on your record, there are other reasons you might want to reduce or contest a traffic charge. Some of these violations might come with a sentence of jail time, such as speeding over 90 miles an hour. As shown on FindLaw, there are many different traffic laws governing reckless driving, speeding and even seat belt violations. It is important to look at the details of the case and decide what penalties you might face — some could be quite severe.
If you were to end up with multiple convictions in your past and another looming violation, you could still have options to reduce the long-term consequences. However, it is important to have realistic expectations at this point. Successfully navigating the offense process for ticket often optimizes your outcome, but courts are often not as lenient with multiple offenders as they are with people who have clean driving records.
There is no single solution when it comes to traffic problems — you would need to examine the details of the case to determine strategy. Therefore, please do not take this as legal advice on any factual situation. It is only generalized information.
