Green, go! Yellow, slow! Red, stop! One of the first rules of the road that we pick up years before our feet can even reach the pedals is that cars must stop at a red light. It’s such a basic procedure that accidentally running a red light can fill us with a sense of shame and dread – sensations that only get worse when we see a police officer’s flashing lightbar in the rear-view mirror.
You might think that running a red light is such a cut-and-dry traffic violation that there’s no way to fight your ticket. After all, entering the intersection at a red light poses a danger to yourself and others. Still, there are certain defenses you could use to beat a traffic light ticket if they apply to your unique situation.
Defenses to Red Light Tickets in New York City
Typically, red light traffic tickets in New York City are fined at $190, plus court fees and three points on a driving record. Avoiding these penalties is possible if you can convince a traffic court judge that you ran the red light for a good reason, for a reason beyond your control, or that you actually didn’t run it at all.
Specifically, you can use defenses such as the following:
- You ran the red light to avoid an accident
- Your brakes failed
- The light was not visible
- The officer made an error in judgment
- The light changed too quickly
Defenses such as these make contesting a red light ticket possible – you don’t have to simply accept the consequences if the reason you got a ticket was beyond your control!
Get an Attorney’s Assistance on Your Side!
Not everyone is prepared to stand up in court and deliver a carefully prepared legal argument that may convince a judge to rule in their favor. For this reason, you should consider hiring an attorney to help you identify the defense that suits your situation and collect evidence that supports it.
If you’re wondering what an attorney can do for you, reach out to Stites Law for help fighting your red light traffic ticket. Our attorneys have many years of combined experience when it comes to representing clients in traffic court and delivering favorable results in many previous cases.
Although individual outcomes will vary, we are confident that our personalized approach to legal representation can help you increase your odds of securing a favorable result.
For more information, please schedule a free initial consultation with Stites Law today. Get in touch with us by calling (212) 729-0472">(212) 729-0472 or by contacting us online.
