Aside from the many people who live and work in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the area also sees hundreds of tourists each day visiting the famous Civil War site. This means that Gettysburg’s roads are full of people not only commuting to and from their jobs but also full of tourists trying to get to their destination.

When you are not familiar with an area, it can be easy to make mistakes while driving. You might be lost and trying to find a street sign, only to completely miss the stop sign at the intersection. Being unfamiliar with the area can mean that you do not know the speed limit and are going too fast before you finally see a speed limit sign. You could be looking at your GPS and not noticing that you are following the car ahead of you too closely. But no matter what your reasons are, if a Gettysburg police officer sees you commit any of these traffic violations, they will write you a traffic ticket.

Whether you live in the area or are from out of town, getting a traffic ticket can be a stressful situation. When you realize you are expected to pay a fine for your mistake as well as several other penalties, you may feel helpless and unsure of what to do. A Gettysburg traffic ticket lawyer can help you understand what your ticket means and figure out the best way to handle your ticket.

The first thing you should do when you get your ticket is to understand what the penalties are for your ticket. Your lawyer can assist you with this as well. Read your ticket carefully to see how much you are expected to pay in fines for your ticket and how many points will be added to your driving record, as well as if there are other fees or surcharges you have to pay.

In general, fines for traffic tickets in Pennsylvania cities and towns correspond to how serious the traffic offense was. Going ten miles per hour above the speed limit in a 40 mile per hour zone will land you a fine of $45, and not giving a pedestrian the right of way in a crosswalk will result in a $50 fine. A first offense DUI, however, will cost you $300.

The point system works similarly. A relatively minor traffic offense, like violating a vision restriction on your license, gets you two points on your record, but not stopping for a school bus flashing its lights will get you five points because of the danger it poses to the children. And those points add up on your record for every violation. Once you reach six points on your record, you start facing consequences like a mandatory safe driving test. Even if you get a few points removed for good behavior, any subsequent times you get six points total on your record will likely result in having your license suspended for a period of time.

In addition, you may be expected to pay court costs and surcharges in certain circumstances, and your car insurance company may reserve the right to increase your monthly premiums because of your traffic ticket. Taken together, these penalties can be harsh and difficult for anyone to have to handle.

But you do not have to accept these penalties right away. You have the option of pleading not guilty to your traffic ticket, and your Gettysburg traffic ticket attorney can help you prepare for your court date, which will be listed on your ticket should you choose to not pay the fine and accept the points on your record. When you speak before the judge in the Gettysburg District Court, you will have to explain why you do not deserve to have to suffer the penalties from your traffic ticket. The police officer who wrote your ticket will also be there to explain why they think you deserve your ticket, so you will need to be prepared for court so that you can effectively convince the judge to reduce or dismiss your ticket.

Working with your attorney is the best way to be prepared for court. Your lawyer will help you prepare a solid defense that will force the judge to consider your side no matter how convincing the police officer is. They will make sure that you feel confident and prepared before you go before the judge. As soon as you get a traffic ticket in Gettysburg, give our offices a call so that you have the most time possible to prepare for your court date. Let our years of experience handling traffic tickets in the Gettysburg area work for you when it comes to fighting your traffic ticket.