No one wants to face the prospect of receiving a traffic ticket. It’s expensive and if you’re looking up at a police officer who has stopped you in traffic to write you a citation, it may be embarrassing as well.

With the advent of the photo radar ticketing, you may not realize the damage until days or possibly weeks later when you open your post to find an image of your license plate on your vehicle captured whilst speeding or running a traffic light. Also inside the envelope is a hefty fine for breaking the law.

If you observe the flashing red and blue lights in your rear view mirror there are some important steps you can do at that moment that can help you to beat the traffic ticket and pay a reduced fine or in some cases no fine what so ever. Anyone who has been pulled over for speeding knows how it’s tempting to argue with the police officer. This isn’t something you should do for a number of reasons. It might be in your best interest to say nothing at all, just present the documentation when requested.

There are certain reactions that may help. However do not pretend that you do not know why you were pulled over, and do not act scared or upset as these are the reactions the police are most confronted with. Police are first and foremost people just like you and sometimes human nature takes over and they may let you leave with only a warning. That is not to say that you should break into tears when the policeman comes to your car but showing some emotion certainly cannot hurt.

Depending on the size of the citation it might be in your best interest to consult an attorney who specializes in traffic violations or retired police officers who just want to help the average citizen. Their familiarity and expertise in the area of speeding and traffic affords them insight into some of the lesser known loopholes.

Another alternative to hiring someone to fight the traffic ticket for you is to defend yourself. Rather than paying the fine, you attend court on the date specified on the original citation that the police presented to you. Your plea is going to be “not guilty.” Again there are many small things the motorist can do in court to increase their chances of not paying such a high fine.

When facing a traffic ticket it is important for the motorist to remember that the fine is not going to be the only price. Traffic tickets often mean an increase in insurance premiums. In some cases, depending on the violation the fine can be hefty, however traffic tickets increase your insurance premiums for several years after the offense. Weighing all the options could result in lots of money saved.