My 16-Year-Old Got A Speeding Ticket. What Can I Do?

A teenager or 16-year-old getting a speeding ticket is a concern for parents because teens drive on a Class E intermediate license. Parents should be concerned about their child’s traffic ticket because teens have a higher risk of fatal accidents.

In fact, 2,400 fatal car accidents involved teen drivers in 2019.

Over 250,000 teens were injured in accidents in the same year. As a parent of a teen driver, it’s important to know and understand Louisiana laws for a 16-year-old with a speeding ticket.

16-year-old Speeding Ticket and Class E Intermediate License

As a new driver, your teenager will have an intermediate license that lowers their risks of driving during prime accident times and puts restrictions on passengers. These license holders can only drive between the hours of 5 am and 11 pm.

Furthermore, between the hours of 5 am and 6 pm, the teen cannot transport more than one non-family member in their vehicle.

One caveat is that if the parent or guardian is in the vehicle, these rules do not apply.

A major concern is the teen’s ability to graduate to a traditional driver’s license. The teen must be free from traffic violations for 30 to 180 days to graduate to a traditional driver’s license. If the offense occurred close to the time when applying for a driver’s license, the application might be denied.

If the incident included other factors, such as drinking alcohol, texting while driving or an accident, the fines and penalties may be much more severe. You’ll want to discuss your options with a traffic ticket attorney who can help you and your teen fight the tickets in traffic court.

Your Legal Options Following a Speeding Ticket

A speeding ticket is a serious offense, depending on the speed your child was driving. If your child is 5 or 10 miles over the limit, there’s a good chance that a lawyer can help lower the violation to something less serious.

However, if the teen is driving 20 miles per hour or more over the speed limit, fines will be higher.

The ticket will list the fine.

Typical fines for speeding are:

• $115 if driving 10MPH or less over the limit
• $215 if driving 10 – 14MPH over the limit
• $240 if driving 15 – 20MPH over the limit
• $240+ if driving 21MPH+ over the limit

These are minimum penalties, and they can go higher where necessary. The officer can also assess a higher fine if your teen is driving 21MPH over the limit.

If these tickets are coupled with other serious violations, the fines and penalties can be severe.

A few of the violations that can lead to the most severe punishments are:

• Reckless driving
• Driving under the influence

If speeding results in an accident or injury to another person, penalties can be harsh.

Your options are:

1. Pay: You can look at the back of the traffic ticket to find out how to pay the fines. Some parishes and cities offer online payment options, but you’ll need to research your options for the location where the ticket was issued.
2. Not Guilty: If a teen wishes, they can plead not guilty to the charges against them. When pleading not guilty, you’ll need to go in front of the traffic court to plead your case.
3. Appeal: If you don’t like the traffic court’s decision, you can appeal the decision in front of the judge. The ticketing officer will also be present. You can represent yourself during an appeal, but it’s highly recommended that you work with a lawyer.

Parents can also take steps to help stop their teen’s bad driving habits.

Four Steps Parents Can Take After a Teen Traffic Ticket

You should take a proactive approach in helping reinforce traffic rules with your teen. A few of the steps that you should take after retaining an attorney are:

• Enroll your teen in traffic school. You’ll want to ask your attorney what they think about enrolling because the course may not benefit your child.
• Defensive driving courses are a good option for your teen. Even veteran drivers benefit from defensive driving classes because they help reinforce maneuvers and techniques that can prevent accidents from occurring.
• Monitor your child’s driving. You can install apps on your teen’s cell phone that alerts you to their driving habits. If a teen is a routine offender of traffic laws or likes to speed, you can use these monitoring systems to gain insight into how they drive when you’re not around to supervise them.
• Be a good example when you’re behind the wheel. If you speed or drive recklessly, there’s a good chance that your child will, too.

Parents concerned about their 16-year-old with a speeding ticket can call an attorney to help fight their ticket in court. An attorney will work to have the ticket dismissed or lowered to reduce the fines and penalties involved.

Contact us today and we will review your teen’s traffic ticket for free.