Were you pulled over for speeding? Did you get a ticket for rolling through a stop sign? Maybe you received a traffic ticket but do not think you deserved it. While very few drivers actually contest traffic tickets in court, it is an option. Here are a few frequently asked questions about fighting a traffic ticket in Connecticut:

Q: How do I plead not guilty to the alleged traffic violation?

A: There are three ways to plead not guilty. You can plead not guilty via a web portal, by phone or by mail. An experienced attorney can walk you through these options and make sure you enter the plea correctly.

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of car crashes in the United States. It results in thousands of deaths every year, and hundreds of thousands of injuries, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Distracted driving takes many forms. Basically, any activity that takes the driver’s eyes off the road or hands off the wheel, or keeps him from concentrating, is a distraction.

For example, distracted driving might be a driver who takes his hands off the wheel to juggle a sandwich or other meal. It might be a driver who is trying to do her makeup because she is running late for work. It might be a driver who is trying to referee an argument between her kids in the backseat. But commonly, it is a driver who is talking on his phone, responding to a text message or otherwise using a handheld cell phone.

Traffic violations - like driving under the influence (DUI), speeding, and reckless driving - have consequences, including the possibility of temporarily losing your driver’s license. Reasons that the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) might suspend your driver’s license include:

• Accumulating more than 10 points during a two-year period. For example, driving while impaired is worth three points, passing a stopped school bus is worth four points, and not obeying a stop sign is worth two points.
• Driving while drunk or refusing to submit to a breathalyzer test.
• Failing to appear in court after receiving a traffic summons for violating a traffic law.
• Committing vehicular manslaughter, homicide or another serious crime.

These are only some of the reasons you might lose your driving privileges. (There are also additional reasons for suspending a teen driver’s license.) Do not delay in reaching out to an experienced attorney after receiving a traffic citation. We can help fight to keep your driving privileges intact.

Suspension Notice

It is illegal to drive recklessly in Connecticut. Reckless driving “requires a conscious choice of action either with knowledge of the serious danger to others involved in it or with knowledge of facts which would disclose this danger to a reasonable” person.

While speeding and driving under the influence might not by themselves constitute reckless driving, they can contribute to a reckless driving charge. However, if the vehicle speed is so fast that it endangers another person’s life, then that alone is considered reckless. Driving faster than 85 miles per hour generally falls into that category. Tailgating (following another car too closely) is another example of reckless driving.

The punishment for reckless driving is:

In Connecticut, the charge of hit-and-run is termed “evading responsibility.” The charge is a serious one and may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the property damage and any personal injuries caused by the accident. With penalties for a felony conviction including jail time or a five-figure fine, mounting the strongest possible legal defense is a necessity.

Defining Evading Responsibility in Connecticut

Connecticut state law defines evading responsibility as the leaving of the scene of a car accident that has caused a personal injury or property damage without providing proper identification to the injured person(s), property owner(s), or without calling law enforcement.