Traffic Offenses and Speeding Tickets Attorney in Union County, NJ

Learn about New Jersey speed limit laws and how violations can affect your driving record to safely and wisely navigate the state’s roads.

When you get a driver’s license, you assume the responsibility of following traffic laws and driving defensively for the safety of other motorists, pedestrians, and yourself. One of the first driving laws that motorists tend to become lax about following is speed limits. Different states handle violations of speed limits differently. Within each state, different court judges will rule differently depending on the circumstances of the violation, a motorist’s driving history, and the strength of your legal defense. However, despite this variability, there is a system firmly set in place in New Jersey to guide motorists in following speed limit laws, as well as a punitive system for speed limit traffic lawbreakers.

New Jersey police and traffic enforcement officials tend to be particularly strict in enforcing speed limit laws because drivers in New Jersey are known to be aggressive and risky in their behavior. Across the state, highway patrol looks out for speeders, especially on the rural outskirts of metropolitan areas where drivers may be rushing to or from work, under the influence of the adrenaline those types of environments create. Such preventative strict enforcement by law officials makes for elevated rates of speeding tickets issued.

Speeding Ticket Fines in New Jersey, and When You Must Make a Court Appearance

There is a standard set of fines for speed limit violations in New Jersey, depending on the number of miles per hour over the speed limit you were traveling and whether you were in a Safe Corridor or Construction Zone speeding violation. If you are caught speeding, you do not necessarily have to go to court. Only speeding violations of 40mph over the speed limit require a court appearance, or speeding violations of 20mph over the speed limit if you were in a Safe Corridor or Construction Zone. For other lesser offenses, the fine can be paid unless other traffic violations were also broken at the time of the speed limit breach, and the court is required.

• If you are caught speeding fewer than 10 miles over the speed limit, you will be responsible for paying an $85 fine.
• Breaking the speed limit by 10-14mph results in a $95 fine.
• A speed limit breach of 15-19mph results in a $105 fine.
• Speeding by 20-24mph lands you a $200 fine. Note the above regarding Safe Corridors and Construction Zones.
• Breaking the speed limit by 25-29mph results in a $220 fine.
• Speeding by 30-34mph results in a $240 fine.
• If you are caught speeding by 35-39mph, you must pay a $260 fine.

Any higher speed limit breach required a court appearance, at which a judge will determine the fine you must pay and any additional punishment, such as points on your record and required driving school.

The leeway here regards how many miles per hour over the limit the judge finds you were traveling; regardless of what the ticket says, with the support of a skilled traffic attorney, you can get your violation reduced to therefore impact not only the fine you must pay but the number of points you receive on your record.

If you are caught speeding in a Safe Corridor or Construction Zone, not only must you make a court appearance if you were traveling 20mph or more over the speed limit, but the fines are elevated. For example, speeding by 1-9mph in a Safe Corridor lands you a speeding ticket of $140.

How are points given?

Speeding tickets result in points on your license. For this reason, having the support of a traffic attorney can greatly lessen the effect of a speeding ticket on your driving record.

• 2 points are assigned for speed limit violations of 1-14mph
• 4 points are assigned for speed limit violations of 15-29mph
• 5 points are assigned for speed limit violations of 30mph+

Drivers with New Jersey driver’s licenses receive 2 points on their driving record for all speeding violations in other states. Accumulating points on your driving record can lead to increased car insurance premiums, additional fines to the state of New Jersey, or even suspension of your license.

At Edward Cooper Law Firm, our experienced team of traffic law attorneys supports clients in all matters related to speeding tickets and resulting restrictions.

If you have been involved in an accident involving a driver who was speeding, or was otherwise distracted, or you are confronting charges because of those issues, Edward Cooper and his firm can help you. Contact us today for a consultation on your situation at 908-481-4625 or through our online form.