Given the option between increased insurance premiums and a potential license suspension and a half-day or full-day course, the choice seems obvious. But many Sarasota drivers do not realize just how great traffic school can be. Like golf, your driving record should be a low scoring game. And traffic school can help you keep it that way. Points are tacked onto your Sarasota driving record for various reasons (and in various amounts): non-moving violations, speeding, reckless driving, drunk driving, etc. As you accumulate more points on your driving record, you will also see your car insurance bill go up. And if you get to a certain number of points in a given time period, then the state of Florida will actually suspend your driver’s license.
You are presented with three basic options after receiving a traffic ticket in Sarasota:
- Fight the ticket
- Pay the ticket
- Enroll in a traffic school course
One thing to note: paying the ticket also means admitting guilt and allowing the points to start going up on your driving record. This is an important detail that many Sarasota drivers do not realize and why we always recommend drivers to give us a call before you pay the ticket.
For those of you that have traffic school available to you (meaning you received a non-criminal moving violation), you can find a list of approved courses on the Florida DMV website. A typical traffic school course can actually be a good refresher— for many of you reading this, the last time you reviewed important driving rules may have been when you first studied for your learners permit! Not surprisingly, studies report a decrease in traffic offenses by drivers that successfully complete a traffic school course as compared to those that had the same or similar defense and did not attend any sort of traffic education course. Sarasota traffic school pricing is contingent on the exact course you choose and as well as the nature of the course.
If you fit the criteria for traffic school but were not offered it as an option, you may fall into one of three exclusions for otherwise eligible drivers. Sarasota drivers cannot attend traffic school if he or she has already attended a course within the last twelve months. Additionally, a driver can only elect to take a traffic school course five times…ever! And finally, traffic school is not available to commercial drivers. This restriction even extends to commercial drivers not operating a commercial vehicle at the time the ticket was issued.
One option you should always consider when dealing with traffic tickets is getting in touch with the law firm of Finebloom & Haenel P.A. We will go over all the options you have after receiving a traffic citation in Sarasota and will work hard to ensure that you get the best results possible. We are available day and night for a free consultation and look forward to hearing from you!
