Serious Traffic Violations Can Ruin Your Life

There are many different types of traffic offenses in the United States. Illegal parking, driving at night without headlights, making illegal turns, taking the right of way from another driver, driving vehicles without functioning turn signals or brake lights, and many other offenses are committed by many drivers, but these are relatively minor.

Very serious offenses like speeding, driving under influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs, reckless homicide and driving while a license is suspended may entail severe punishment. All these offenses, if not defended properly by the services of an experienced law firm, can ruin the life of the driver.

Speeding is an offense all by itself. However, when a driver is speeding they begin to commit other offenses as well, such as wrong lane changing and failure in displaying signals. Unfortunately speeding often culminates in an accident. If you are involved in an accident, and were not speeding, it will be considered as a plus point on your side. If you want to stay out of trouble you should always remain within the speed limits permitted on the roads you drive.

Driving after excessive consumption of alcohol is a major cause of road accidents in the United States and is looked upon as a very serious offense. In some states, anyone charged with DUI is liable to remain in jail for up to one year. Such a conviction may result in a license revocation for up to two years.

Another traffic law violation considered to be serious, is driving while your license is suspended. Many people do not realize it, but in some states a person can lose their license for several reasons other than a serious traffic violation. These things include seemingly unrelated causes like failure to pay child support, or the non-payment of a court fine. Refusal to undergo a chemical test when arrested for DUI or failure in the test itself may cause suspension.

When a driver kills a person with his vehicle unintentionally, it becomes a reckless homicide. As you might have expected, the gravity of the offense increases if speeding is involved. Anyone convicted on such a charge is not just faced with criminal liability alone. The criminal case is sure to be followed by a civil law suit for compensation to the victims. If the offender is not sufficiently covered by insurance, the civil claim can be enough to ruin that person.

These charges are serious and one of the first things you should do when you are charged with any traffic offense is consult with an experienced traffic lawyer or DUI attorney. This is especially the case if you feel you have been unfairly charged with an offense. A skillful lawyer will not only help you out of the case, but also will help you win compensation for the false charges inflicted upon you.

Even if the charges seem to be daunting, professionals have many techniques for lessening your punishment. One tactic is proving that the evidence is unclear, incomplete and faulty. Another is to obtain witness statements which can be brought forward to prove you are not guilty as charged. Lawyers can also call for scientific tests and the testimony of reputable mechanics to prove the reliability or unreliability of the vehicles involved.