Everyone dreads seeing the lights of a police cruiser illuminate behind them in traffic. No one wants the hassle of a traffic stop or the expense of a ticket. They may also worry about losing their license of if they have had several other recent traffic tickets.
For commercial drivers, a traffic ticket can be more than just inconvenient. It could result in the loss of eligibility for a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Traffic violations in a commercial vehicle are obviously a concern for someone with a CDL, but even tickets in a personal vehicle have career consequences.
Commercial drivers may panic when they realize that a traffic citation could prevent them from working, but there are ways to potentially fight back against tickets to protect a CDL. Instead of paying the ticket, which is essentially pleading guilty, people may need to go to court to fight the citation. The following are examples of potential options for contesting a recent traffic citation.
Questioning automated enforcement
Illinois has begun utilizing technology including traffic cameras and special software to identify traffic infractions. However, there are still many limitations to the systems in place to identify vehicles and issue citations for those who may have broken traffic laws.
Someone who receives a citation in the mail could potentially fight that ticket depending on the type of traffic camera and the violation that allegedly transpired.
Responding to the citation in court
Someone actually stopped in traffic may require a different approach to traffic ticket defense than someone issued an automated citation because of traffic cameras. Questioning the legitimacy of the alleged citation or the justification for a traffic stop could be among the viable responses to a recent traffic ticket. There are various strategies that can work in a host of circumstances.
Commercial drivers do not have the luxury of just paying a ticket and gambling with their careers. They often need to be proactive when responding to a recent citation. It is sometimes possible to eliminate a citation altogether or to reduce the infraction to one that shouldn’t have an impact on the driver’s eligibility for a CDL. Understanding that there are options available may motivate someone to defend against a recent traffic ticket. Commercial drivers who successfully fight citations can protect their CDLs and their careers.
