Everyone speeds — at least once in a while — and sometimes, you get caught. In fact, every single day, 112,328 people are slapped with an average speeding fine of about $150, and about 41 million speeding tickets are issued each year.

Getting a ticket can be very undesirable — costs are high, insurance premiums may go up, and taking a ticket to court can mean missing out on work and pay. Fighting your ticket, and getting the help of a traffic ticket lawyer, could save you from some of these negative effects. Check out these tips for traffic court:

Challenge the Officer’s Observations
Your citation is often solely based on what the officer who ticketed you thought happened. If you are able to cast a doubt on his ability to accurately perceive what happened, or that he misunderstood a crucial part of your narrative, you may be able to prove your innocence. Consider sourcing the statement of witnesses who will testify to your version of events, photographs of intersections, stop signs, and road signs. Provide any other evidence that you feel proves that your version of the events is true.

Prove That Your Action was Necessary to Avoid Harm
Sometimes, extenuating circumstances make it so that it is very hard to precisely obey the law, which is why you sometimes need to break it. This is a fact recognized in all states. For instance, you would be able to beat a speeding charge if you could prove that you were speeding to avoid an out of control truck. Some more realistic examples include speeding to make room for cars entering a highway or speeding to avoid an unseen obstacle.

Your Conduct Was Legally Justified
There are circumstances that could prove that your conduct was legally justified. For instance, stopping on a highway because of a loud noise coming from your vehicle, or speeding to the doctors because of heart pain.

The National Highway Traffic Security Administration estimates the collective cost of speeding and related accidents to be around $40.4 billion annually, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to figure out the best way to get out of your traffic ticket by taking a ticket to court. Get a speeding ticket lawyer or traffic lawyer to help you make your case.