If you’ve been ticketed for failure to yield, your first instinct may be to pay the ticket.
After all, it’s the fastest way to put the matter behind you and move forward with it. However, every ticket you get accumulates points against your driver’s license in Georgia and if you accumulate a certain number of points in a specific time period, your license may be suspended.
If you fight the ticket, you may be able to have it dismissed without paying any fees or getting points against your license. If you’ve gotten tickets before and this is the one that would “tip the bucket,” so to speak, it’s even more important to defend yourself. Here’s what you need to know about fighting a failure to yield ticket.
Common Defenses for Failure to Yield in Atlanta
Here are some common defenses for a failure to yield ticket:
- Poor visibility. If there was dense fog or the sun was in your eyes and you could not see the vehicle or sign you were supposed to yield to, you may be able to use this as a defense. The conditions causing poor visibility typically must have been out of your control.
- An emergency situation. If you were in an emergency situation, such as driving someone who was injured or having a baby to the hospital, and you didn’t yield, you may be able to have the ticket dismissed. While urgent situations may not qualify, true emergencies likely will.
- You could not estimate the speed of the other vehicle. If for some reason you were unable to estimate the speed of the vehicle you were supposed to yield to and believed you had more time before the vehicle approached, you may be able to use this defense.
- Video evidence shows you yielding. If you were in an area where security cameras were present, such as traffic cams or even cameras on the outside of businesses, you may be able to secure the footage to show that you did, in fact, yield.
When to Contact an Atlanta Traffic Ticket Lawyer
Don’t make the mistake of believing a traffic ticket is no big deal. If you pay the ticket, you are automatically pleading guilty and not contesting the points against your license.
Protect your driving privileges and avoid a costly fee by fighting failure to yield tickets. The Kimbrel Law Firm can help. Call us now for a consultation at (770) 349-9219.