Speeding Over Limit Ticket In Washington State

In Washington State, a speeding ticket for speeding over the limit is issued when a police officer or other code enforcement officer has reason to believe that a driver is traveling at a speed that exceeds the maximum amount (the limit) allowed on a particular roadway. This is also known as “absolute” speeding. Sometimes these speeds are posted with signs; at other times, the speed is not posted, but based on the location (for example, a certain type of roadway in a particular city), a driver is presumed to know the speed. The laws covering a violation of speeding over limit are codified in RCW 46.61.400 as well as several municipal codes.

Click here for speeding too fast for conditions tickets.

Defenses To Speeding

Many defenses exist to speeding, but the defenses vary greatly depending on many factors. Although not an exclusive list, such factors include how the officer obtained the speed, where speed was obtained and observed, and even what a driver might have said to a police officer on the roadway.

Penalties

There are several penalties to a speeding ticket. A lot of people think that the fine listed on the ticket is the worst penalty, but more severe and long-lasting is the increase in insurance premiums over several years and the marks on a driver’s record. For some drivers, speeding tickets can result in a loss of a job.

How Can An Attorney Help?

There are many ways an attorney can help. Although a speeding ticket might seem simple at first, the procedures are actually full of pitfalls that can damage your case. An experienced attorney can evaluate a speeding ticket and determine if it’s worth fighting. A traffic attorney who understands speeding violations can also review evidence that drivers do not see at the roadside when a ticket is issued, and an experienced traffic attorney can create ways to keep out bad evidence in your case to get a dismissal of the ticket or create opportunities to keep the ticket from affecting your insurance, your driving privilege, and your job. Discussing your case with an attorney versed in Washington traffic tickets, at the earliest possible time, is critical to empowering you with information about available options so that you understand what can be done as well as the benefits and risks of those options.