Many teens will be experiencing the freedom of summer with a car or motorcycle and a driver’s license for the very first time. Unfortunately, some of them are going to find themselves facing penalties that result from it, perhaps, including a restriction on their ability to drive.
Traffic laws are wide-ranging and not always constant. A speed limit that is allowed on one road may be completely illegal on another. A maneuver allowed in one state (for example, lane-splitting on a motorcycle in California) will be illegal in another (such as Pennsylvania).
As such, it is no surprise that many new drivers are stopped for breaking one or more traffic laws. In many cases, newer drivers simply make mistakes because they’re unfamiliar with the rules. Unfortunately, explaining to a police officer or court that you’re sorry you did not know may be honest, but it won’t necessarily save you from a ticket.
It’s your responsibility to know the rules of the road
As soon as you set out onto the road in or on a motorized vehicle, you are expected to abide by all the relevant laws and traffic rules, whether you know them or not. In effect, it is your responsibility to learn them, and there are far more rules and regulations than you likely learned for the knowledge test that you took before obtaining your license.
Keeping to the flow of traffic is not an excuse
Another honest excuse you might want to give is that you were just doing what the other drivers were doing at the time, or staying in the flow of traffic. Many drivers have heard, for example, that they are “allowed” to keep up with other vehicles if everybody else is speeding — but that is not true.
If you are ticketed, there may be things you can say in your defense that do lead to the charges being reduced or dropped. Getting legal guidance to find out what they are would be a sensible move.
