Getting a speeding ticket in CT can be serious and expensive. If you don’t live there, the costs and requirements may be different from where you come from. If you do live in Connecticut, you still may not be fully clear on the laws and penalties there. The best choice is to avoid speeding fines and tickets, but if you can’t do that the next best choice is to be aware, so you know what to expect. The current CT speeding laws are all available to everyone, so you can look at the fines for every infraction. Here are some of the most important things to know about speeding penalties in Connecticut.

What Constitutes Speeding in Connecticut?

A CT traffic ticket can be issued for speeding any time your vehicle is exceeding the posted legal limit. For most people, though, driving a couple of miles per hour over the speed limit is not enough for an officer to pull them over and cite them. They can, but they generally don’t. That’s often because speedometers have a margin of error and proving speeding for one or two miles per hour over the posted limit is difficult. Anyone driving well over the speed limit, though, risks a ticket for the offense and an expensive fine, as well as other types of costs.

Moving Too Fast Can Also Mean Reckless Driving

If you’re driving more than 15 mph over the speed limit, that’s considered a serious offense that can constitute reckless driving. If you’re driving 20 mph over the speed limit, that’s automatically also reckless driving. Getting a ticket for speeding along with driving recklessly can be much more significant than a simple speeding ticket. Two of these serious offenses within three years can mean a 60-day license suspension, and three offenses in the same period of time is a 120-day license suspension. These more serious tickets can cost more money than a standard speeding ticket, as well.

Speeding Fines Can Be Very Expensive

Across the state of Connecticut, the speeding ticket cost can be relatively uniform. Near the bottom right of the ticket, there is an area that says, “amount due.” How much you were speeding and whether there were any extenuating circumstances, such as reckless driving or a DUI, can all affect the cost of the ticket. Additionally, there are court costs and fines that can be imposed. While these are the same throughout the state, it’s important to realize that they will be a part of the total cost if you choose to go to court over the infraction.

Taking Care of a Ticket Quickly is Important

Having the option to pay your ticket online shows that CT courts understand that people are busy and may just want to take care of their ticket and move on. Not everyone is going to go to court and fight a ticket. Sometimes they are involved in work and other activities, and the ticket isn’t a priority to them. Other times they may use the CT ticket lookup to find their ticket and they recognize that they are guilty of the infraction. If they’ve been to court and found guilty, they can also pay their ticket online.

There’s a set time to pay a ticket, and there are also some special categories to be aware of when it comes to the cost of a ticket. Being under age 24, having a CDL, or having previous tickets or other driving infractions on your record can all affect what happens to you after you receive a Connecticut speeding ticket.

The first step to handling your ticket is to contact the court that gave it you. From there – you can either pay the ticket fine, pay the ticket fine plus a traffic school administrative fee (we highly recommend this to avoid having points go on your record), or you can fight the ticket.

Lets get you to step one:

Find Your Court

Once you’ve paid your ticket and the option to take CA traffic school, you can now take the course in person or to take it online, CLICK HERE

It is a fact that vehicles break down or other incidents may happen on the road causing your journey to come to a halt. If these events happen, remember to use one of the lessons learned from CA traffic school online, and use your AAA card. Fortunately, with AAA member services, you can be back on the road in no time. Here is why you should consider Triple AAA insurance for your roadside assistance needs.

24/7 Customer Service

AAA customer service is available around the clock to take care of your needs when on the road. Moreover, the company has fast response units; able to come to your rescue within a short time upon making a distress call. You are assured of assistance whenever you need it.

Get Assistance Wherever You Are

Triple A auto insurance has branches spread out across the country. If you have been wondering, ‘Is there a triple A near me? Then worry no more. You can access the roadside service wherever you are across the USA and Canada in no time. Enjoy peace of mind on the road knowing that someone has got your back covered.

In addition, you can use the Triple A service even if you are carpooling with a friend or family member. The triple A membership provides the benefits to members and not a given vehicle. It means that if you are with someone who has car problems; you can help them get roadside assistance with your card.

Towing assistance

Triple A towing offers to tow your vehicle when it is immobilized due to a mechanical, electrical failure or due to an accident. The vehicle is towed to the nearest garage for fixing. This saves you from spending lots of time on the road trying to fix a problem or waiting for a service center technician to fix your car. The service also guarantees your safety, which comes in extra handy if your vehicle breaks down near an unsafe location, woods or in foul weather. Triple A prioritizes calls made by people in dangerous and unsafe places to get them out of danger as soon as possible.

Prompt Service

All members should always have the AAA phone number with them when they are on the road. This enables them to call AAA swiftly when they run into problems on the road. There is always someone on the other side waiting to respond to their needs or answer their questions.

Enjoy Great Discounts with Your Card

In addition to roadside assistance, you can use your Triple A card to get discounts at selected retail centers, movie shops and gas stations among other areas. You can locate these AAA preferred partners by connecting to the AAA mobile app. You will just click to find a hotel near me or other service provider and you will get directions to the nearest service provider.

Keep Your Card with You Always

If you are asking, ‘Can I use AAA without my card?’ You cannot use the service without the card. However, if you have a friend traveling who has a card with him, he or she can ask for assistance using his or her number. Fortunately, you do not have to carry a physical card. There is a Triple A digital card that you can carry with your AAA app. It is easy to use and very convenient.
Consider enrolling for Triple A service as soon as you leave the traffic school. It will save you from wondering, ‘Is there road assistance near me?’ as you will get quality roadside assistance service wherever you are. As a member, you only need your card and Triple A phone number: 800-AAA-HELP (800-222-4357) and your road problems are sorted.

• For information on When To Call AAA for Road Service, click:
  Six Tips to Know When Calling AAA for Road Service

If this is okay with you, then the easiest thing to do is to pay the ticket online.

Pay Ticket Online

Usually, all you need to know to pay your CA traffic ticket online is your birthday and drivers license number. Some court websites will be able to find your citation with those two bits of information. But it’d be smart to have your citation number handy.

Check your ticket to see which court you need to pay. Find your court below and click the traffic link to make your payment.

Find Your Court

To find your court’s website, location, contact info, and online payment page CLICK HERE

Pay by Mail

Another payment method available for traffic tickets is mail. In case you pay bail before appearing in the court or trial, the bail deposit will be used to pay for the fees, penalties, and fine if you are found guilty. The court will mail a refund if the bail deposit exceeds the deductions.

Pay by Phone

You can also pay for your ticket by phone. However, you need to check the court website, reminder notice, or the ticket to confirm if this payment method is available in your location.
Sometimes your traffic ticket may not show how much you are supposed to pay. In such, you should contact the CA county court indicated on the ticket for clarification. Paying the ticket on time prevents fines and penalties such as suspension of your driving license among others.

It is fairly simple to pay your traffic ticket. As long as you know your court and ticket information, you can pay your traffic ticket fines and go about normal life. However, don’t forget…

The Repercussions

When you agree to pay your ticket without opting for traffic school, your points will accrue. A moving violation will see 1 or 2 points placed on your record depending on the infraction. Your license may be suspended after accruing 4 points in 12 months, 6 points in 24 months, or 8 points in 36 months. Also, when you pay your CA ticket, you will forfeit your right to take traffic school, points will go on your record and your auto insurance rates will go up. This is because insurance companies always check the driving records when determining rates.

Pay that Traffic School Admin Fee

Whether you pay online, by phone or mail, as long as traffic school is an option, you will be able to pay that fee too. As of 2018, it’s usually between $64-$74. It may seem like a large sum of money, but it is nothing compared to the amount of money you will spend in the next three years in auto insurance rates. Attending an online traffic school will keep points off your driving license.

Given the many benefits that come with attending a traffic school, it is advisable to always go for this option even when not in trouble.

Get Started Now

Wait times at DMV offices across California are often measured in hours. Extended wait times have become so commonplace, the issue has gotten the attention of state legislators. Antiquated computer systems, understaffed offices, and the requirement for California drivers to go to the DMV in person for basic requirements that are fulfilled online or through the mail in many other states have all been identified as major issues, to the surprise of no one who has stood in a line halfway around the block on a summer day waiting to submit a half sheet of routine paperwork to avoid a fine or ticket. Whether California’s lawmakers act to improve the situation or not, there are many simple measures you can take to minimize your wait or avoid a trip to the DMV altogether.

How to Minimize Your Wait

Many Californians appear at the DMV with proof of traffic school completion to mitigate the cost or insurance impact of a ticket. It’s not necessary to go to the DMV or to court in California to drop off proof of traffic school completion. However, it’s a great idea to go to traffic school if you get a ticket and traffic school is offered as an option. In California, completing traffic school in the time specified on your ticket can eliminate the cost and insurance impact of a moving violation if you have a valid drivers’ license and you aren’t driving commercially on a commercial license. The full list of specifics and a complete list of certified traffic schools can be found on the California Courts website.

Preparation Help Immensely

If you’re unsure whether you have to take a trip to the DMV, you should visit the California DMV website to make sure you’re required to go before you waste time in line. The California DMV website is well organized and easy to use. There’s a chance whatever business you have with the DMV can be taken care of on the website. If not, you can print the forms you need for your appointment, saving time once you get to the DMV office and eliminating the chance of waiting hours for your turn in line only to discover they don’t have copies of the form you need in stock (it happens). Most importantly, if you determine you must go to the DMV in person, you can schedule an appointment time on the DMV website.

Schedule an Appointment

Scheduling an appointment on the California DMV website is very easy. You can schedule most types of transactions online. If you’re not sure which DMV office is closest to you, there’s an interactive map with all current DMV offices and their hours. You might discover there’s a DMV close to your house that is newly opened or that you didn’t know about before. Once your appointment is scheduled, you can change or cancel it easily. The one problem with the appointment system is the slots at some offices fill up weeks or months in advance, especially for popular times. If your chosen office doesn’t have an appointment that’s convenient or timely for you, it’s worth checking other nearby offices; you might be able to find a slot that works for you at an office that’s slightly farther away than your usual one.

If you’re unable to schedule an appointment and have to wait in line with everyone else, there is one tool that can help you avoid the worst of the line delays: yogov.org has a page that automatically tracks wait times in most California DMV offices.

• For information of AZ Emissions Testing – What You Need to Know, Click:
  AZ Emissions Testing – What You Need to Know

Your teenage son or daughter is driving a car. Simply thinking that or saying those words aloud might fill you with a little pride and a lot of worry. You think, or at least hope you impressed them with the gravity of the responsibilities involved with getting behind the wheel and the consequences of mistakes or lapses in attention for other drivers, pedestrians, their passengers, and themselves. You sent them to a solid prep program like a certified California Drivers Ed class. But they don’t know what they don’t know, and all you can do is hope they don’t fill in the gaps in their knowledge the hard way.

Receiving a Text While

You can picture it clearly; your son or daughter is late for something and driving a little faster than they probably should. Maybe they blow through a yellow light that’s really red. They approach another intersection in the distance when their phone buzzes and beeps, the face lighting up with the message, “Where are you? We’re about to leave. Hurry up.” Your child picks up the phone and tried to type the standard “OMW”, but they hit the wrong keys. They look down for three seconds to correct their text.

Visualizing the Worst Has Happened

At 45 miles per hour, the car travels over 200 feet. By the time they look up, there’s a crosswalk, an intersection, and a red light in front of them. There is no way the teen driver can possibly stop in time. What happens now? Do they hit a pedestrian? When you picture that, do you picture the carnage first, or the months and years in and out of jail and court for your child? Do they enter the intersection and get hit by another car? Or do they whiz right through the empty intersection, feel shook up for a while, but in the back of their mind think maybe they’ve been wrong to be so conservative and nothing bad will ever really happen to them?

Did You Know There Are Apps to Help?

All those scenarios are bad, though some are obviously worse than others. Fortunately, there are proven, effective measures to keep teenagers (or anyone, for that matter) from texting while driving. On the iPhone, iOS 11 and later has an embedded Do Not Disturb While Driving feature. This feature blocks incoming calls, messages, and stops notifications when the phone is traveling at driving speeds on a road. It will send an auto-reply or message to the sender if programmed to do so.

If you’re a parent, you can set your child’s phone so this feature is impossible to turn off. This free feature embedded in the operating system is one of the best available, but many others are similar in functionality, albeit easier for a teenager to disable. Driving Detective, a free app for Android phones, is very effective, as are a host of other apps, most of them free. AT&T, Verizon, and most major cell phone carriers have or are developing similar driving apps that block some or all incoming transmissions. Apple’s software is still the only one that requires an outside password to disable, but most are effective.

A Responsible Parent

An innate sense of responsibility, a good head on a teenager’s shoulders, and a good driver’s education class are all important, but when temptation strikes, and other measures break down, the most effective way to make sure teenagers don’t text and drive is to make sure the phone itself is disabled while it’s in motion.

Natural disasters come at a moment’s notice. You can predict oncoming hurricanes, tornadoes, and storms, but can’t do anything about unexpected wildfires. When natural disasters do happen, try to remember what your online defensive driving course has taught you as well as the tips below.

What do you do whenever a natural disaster strikes?

Depending on the circumstance, there’s a standardized step-by-step action guide to steer you to safety when you’re driving during an unfortunate event. You can turn the natural disasters into natural good fortune. To stay prepared and ahead of the storm, we’re prepping you on your safety protocol when on the road during a natural disaster.

Hurricanes and Tornadoes

If you live on the coast or somewhere in the Midwest, you could be subjected to hurricanes or tornadoes. These vats of swirly winds can be memorizing to look at, but dangerous to drive through. When driving through a hurricane or tornado, finding shelter is important.

Staying inside your car will be helpful only to drive to the nearest safety location. Stores or houses serve as excellent shelter during these disasters. If those options aren’t available, your next best option is to find shelter under a highway overpass.

Moreover, you should avoid driving through water as it can damage your car. This will leave you susceptible to being stranded. Also, be on the lookout for debris and downed electrical wires. Driving through these disasters are dangerous, you don’t want to be caught off guard with manmade disasters.

Hail Storms

Hail falls at high speeds. Sometimes these chunks of ice can be as large as a golf ball. With that massive at a high enough velocity, you could damage your vehicle when driving it on the road during a storm. When you’re on the road during a hail storm, you should pull over immediately.

Try to find a sheltered area where your car can park to be out of the line of fire. If you can’t find an overhead structure to shield your car, try angling it in the direction of the hail path. This will create a smaller target and less damage to be accrued.

Wildfires

The best way to drive during a wildfire is: don’t. Wildfires are extremely dangerous when you’re stuck in your car. However, there is a safety procedure in the even that you are trapped in a car during a wildfire.

Roll up all the windows of the vehicle, close the air vents, and keep the engine running. Doing so will prevent smoke bellowing into the vehicle. The next step is to lay down in the flooring of your car. Smoke rises to the top, so staying as low as possible is the only way to avoid the breathing in the harmful air.

If you must drive, do so with your high beams on. Driving slowly will help you catch any debris that could damage your vehicle. The next thing to remember is to remain calm.

Floods

Blockbuster films like to dramatize tidal waves sweeping cities and causing mayhem in its path. This could be farfetched, but flooding isn’t an impossibility. When driving during a flood, try your best to not use your car as a boat.

In fact, try to avoid all water the best of your ability. Especially moving water. Driving through the water could cause your car to become stuck or get swept away in an unseen current. You may have the urge to drive through the water like you’re on Splash Mountain but try your best to fight that urge. Drive slow through the water to protect your engine and brakes.

California is among the states with the most courthouses in the country. With over 500 courthouses across 58 counties, they are dishing out justice to hard criminals and maintaining the laws of liberty. Without our courts, the injustices of the world and unlawful settlements would run rampant across the state.

At least that’s what we would like to think is happening behind those regal court doors.

Most of the hardball court criminals are involved in traffic-related incidents. Handled inside of a traffic court, these culprits make their persuasive arguments about wrongly being ticketed, which, most of the time, ends the same: a quick dismissal, an inevitable fine payment, and a request to enroll in traffic school. It’s like clockwork.

The cases most often heard in front of a judge pertain to violations of a motor vehicle or traffic law. A few examples of these common hearings deal with speeding, illegal parking, reckless driving, driving while intoxicated or under the influence of a substance (DWI/DUI.) With a plethora of drivers on the California roads (places infamous for driving), you can easily predict the sheer volume of court visits. In case you can’t, it’s an enormous amount of cases seen daily.

Between 2015 to 2016 alone, there were roughly 4 million traffic-related misdemeanors and infractions filed in CA courts. You can imagine how many people walked through those court doors. With so many people attending court because of the traffic, which courts pump out the most cases in California?

San Francisco Hall of Justice

If you’ve ever driven through San Francisco, you understand why there are so many traffic violation related cases for the city. The San Francisco Hall of Justice is the primary court used to handle traffic-related crimes. Therefore, it gets the bulk of the myriad of violators. If you thought the roads in San Francisco were bumpy, the traffic cases are worse.

Glendale Courthouse

Glendale is located just northeast of Downtown Los Angeles. But, directly north of Los Angeles in the amount of traffic court cases heard. The seemingly docile city is bursting with drivers who commit traffic violations. As a result, the Glendale Courthouse sees an abundance of testifying citizens every day.

Santa Barbara Superior Court

The Santa Barbara Superior Court will get flooded with traffic violators willing to take their chance contesting a ticket in court, especially from the Santa Maria area. The smaller city may not have a lot of residents compared to other areas on this list, but they have just as many speeders. When those guys get busted, they all get funneled through Santa Barbara.

Alameda County Berkeley Courthouse

South of Oakland and east of San Francisco is the wonderful town of Berkeley. It’s most famously known for its prestigious university and beautiful bay location. The campus brings thousands of genius minds, inspiring artists, and reckless drivers inside court doors to duke it out with a traffic judge. It could also just be the law students trying to get their reps in traffic court before they represent a client in the real world.

West Covina Superior Courthouse

The West Covina Superior Courthouse is no stranger to the onslaught of traffic violation disputes. At times, this space could seem like a revolving door of people addressing the obvious guiltiness of their tickets and trying to squeeze out of a fine payment. No matter how many people make it through the doors of this court, only a lucky few will escape it without payment.

Antique cars are pieces of modern engineering history that you can drive, unless you’re an eccentric billionaire who prefers to place them in glass containers for display and guest perusal. Regardless of your purchase intention, you will be mystified by the largest historical auto sale by the Volo Auto Museum.

The Volo Auto Museum has one of the biggest collections of collector cars. And now they’re selling off a finite amount of their stock to anyone who wants to make a bid! Before you start thinking about a good final bidding price, you might want to freshen up on California Drivers Ed to avoid getting into a traffic accident and denting the immaculate exterior when you drive it home from the auction.

Volo Auto Museum

The Volo Auto Museum is a family owned and operated car collector establishment. Established in 1960, the antique car lot has been selling, buying, and trading collector cars inside and outside of Volo, Illinois. This family business has had a mission to purely purchase and sell thousands of collector’s cars every year.

Since its establishment, the museum has been run and operated by three family generations. The museum has displayed 33 different car exhibits ranging from military to vintage campers. They’re also known worldwide for their Hollywood car displays.

Now, because the owners are making way for new collections, you have the chance to purchase a Hollywood set piece, famous movie or TV automobile or collector car with this prestigious museum.

Reduced Price Vehicles

Corvette ZR-1

Among the sales happening at the Volo Auto Museum is a major eye catcher: a Corvette ZR-1. The previous owners were so mindful of the car that they close-to-never drove it. With only 3,740 miles on the odometer, the car rests in the museum in pristine condition.

1973 Dodge Challenger

The 1973 Dodge Challenger is a devil red, hardtop All-American muscle car that’s waiting to be driven off a dirt ramp. Well, dirt-made road. It is a quality piece of American ingenuity that would be a classic piece in anyone’s collection. The sound system in this vehicle was refurbished and priced at about $2,000.

1963 Ford Galaxie 500 R Code Fastback

Darker than night itself, the Ford Galaxie 500 Fastback has a black coat and extremely rare asset for muscle car collector. What’s more is this vehicle still has the majority of the parts it was created with, which leaves this powercar at near original condition. This vehicle was created to be competitive in a NASCAR setting, but you might want to keep in a SAFECAR area.

1971 Chevrolet Nova

If you want to turn heads, then the 1971 Chevrolet Nova would be an excellent choice. The color of the one on sale can only be described as “synergy green,” because of its vibrant appearance. Before you ask, the LED backlights do match the exterior coat. For late night cruises, the car comes equipped with LED lighting to make sure people see you – even in dark areas.

1986 Ferrari Daytona Spyder from Miami Vice

This 1986 Ferrari Daytona Spyder is among the last of its kind. There were only two ever built. The reason being was because the producers of the show Miami Vice wanted an attractive sports vehicle to make the protagonists look even cooler than they were. Now, the Spyder is being auctioned off within the month to – what we would assume – some lucky detective (or lucky Miami Vice fan).

But, what would taking an initiative look like?

The bystander effect is when someone assumes another person will handle a situation that is unfolding in front of them. In this case, an AMBER alert. Instead of being a bystander, you can do your part in helping prevent AMBER alerts. It may not be as easy as enrolling in an online traffic school and learning how to drive safely, but it could help to keep our state’s children safe from abductors driving on our highways.

How to Handle an AMBER Alert

During an AMBER alert, a notification is broadcasted out to everyone across the state through media coverage, phone notifications, and – even – email notifications. When you receive an AMBER alert, you will be prompted with a quick identification of a missing child and, potentially, the culprit. Along with this, you will receive information on where they were last seen or where the alert was reported.

Using this information, the AMBER alert system encourages willing bodies to be aware of the description of the people involved with the abduction. This is where the bystander effect comes into play. Most people swipe away the notification and shove the information in the back of their mind.

In the event of an AMBER alert, being aware and willing to respond to suspicious activity is important for everyone. Instead of expecting someone else to handle it, be empowered to speak up when you see someone act out.

If You Spot an Abduction

If you’ve ever wondered what you would do if you spotted an abduction, the first thing you should do is call 911. Reporting the incident is detrimental to the success of returning the victim. However, if you have a child or believe a child to be missing, there is a specialty hotline just for you. Calling 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678) is the national number for guardians who believe their child has gone missing.

When a child is reported missing, their profile is vetted through a quick reporting process to escalate the issue, if need be. Not all AMBER alerts are requested. Some instances of a missing child result in a quick recovery by an individual thwarting the attempt, police intervention, or the child was not missing the entire time.

The important thing to do, when you spot an abduction, is to report it immediately. Falling victim to the inner monologue of “this is someone else’ problem” or “maybe it’s not a kidnapping” doesn’t help the situation. Unfortunately, there are kidnappings that go unreported because of these thought patterns.

AMBER Alert Statistics

In most AMBER alert reports, the perpetrator often turns out to be someone the abductee knows. Usually it’s the parent. In 2017, 13 of the 21 abductions reported involved a parent or guardian related to the victim.

Over the last 3 years, there has been 32 AMBER alerts sent out to California residents to encourage the awareness of vehicles. What’s more impressive is out of those 32 AMBER alerts, all 32 of the victims were recovered. So far, in 2018 there has been 2 AMBER alerts, which is the lowest in the past decade.

The effectiveness of AMBER alerts is phenomenal. Across the country, there has been about 800 children rescued because of the alert system. You can do your part to keep it up!

The time has come to test your pedal skills. Soon, you will be taking a California driver’s test to challenge the notion of receiving your California Driver’s License. You could be a coming-of-age teenager or an anxious adult. No matter your background or history to this point, you have two goals: pass your CA Driver’s Test and avoid going to traffic school.

You may want to be aware of the most common mistakes and flaws students make during their behind-the-wheel test.

Nothing is worse than finally being able to enroll in a CA drivers ed course only to fail the final test. That’s why we’re helping you along your journey to becoming a certified car operator in the state of California. Below, we’ve listed the top CA driver’s test mistakes, so you can practice and make perfection.

Curb Cutting

Striking the sidewalk will count as an automatic failure in most states. Hitting the curb in California is considered a critical driving error and will result in a failing grade/result. When driving, pretend the curb is lava and avoid it all costs – unless that just freaks you out.

Parallel Parking Poorly

You’re not a California resident if you don’t know how to parallel park. Get in the next available vehicle to practice the most putrid parking procedure before your big day. Parallel parking is a required field, and most people do it poorly.

Lane Lines and Merging Maneuvers

Keep a tight eye on the lanes on the road. If you fail to stay within the lines, you should expect to be docked some points. Similarly, merging onto highways, lanes, or other roads will be a critical part of the test. Impress your driving tester by nailing it on your first attempt. Don’t forget to flip on that turn signal.

Sort of Stops (Rolling Stops/California Stops)

Sort of stops, rolling stops, or California stops – whatever you like to call the process of rolling up to a stop signs, not coming to a complete stop, and driving away, is up to you. Never perform one of these stops while being tested. “Sorta” stops aren’t stops. They’re the biggest reason for failure among people who test and are in a rush. Remember to take your time, relax, and go along with the drive. Just because you live in California doesn’t give you the right to do a California stop.

Tester Teasing

Never bully your driving instructor. We get it – you’re the captain of your high school football team (or WERE the captain of your high school football team), but that doesn’t give you the right to bully your geeky driving instructor. We don’t care if his glasses take up 3/4ths of his face he’s holding an old-school clipboard. Jokes aside – having a positive attitude will persuade driving instructors be lenient when grading you. Aggressive, angry drivers perform worse and are graded harsher.

Busting Brakes

Sudden stops are jarring to experience. As a future driver, you must find the perfect balance between the sorta-stop and brake-busting. Rolling up to a stop sign, coming to a complete stop, and not braking harshly is a fine art that all drivers will have to perfect.

Sporadic Speeds

Always drive the speed limit in the area you’re in. Driving too slowly or driving over the speed limit will result in a deduction on your test results. There are speed limit signs for a reason, so use them as a reference to determine how quickly you should travel in a zone. It’s simple, but often overlooked.

Affected Attention

As a general reminder, never text and drive – especially on your driving test, it’s the law. Affected attention shouldn’t be an issue when you’re behind the wheel of a car. Put away the phone and focus up on that concrete road you’re driving on.

Tailgating Tyranny

Tailgating is never smiled upon. Tailgaters will be judged critically by the driving tester and everyone else on the road. Follow the 2-second-rule when keeping distance between you and the car in front of you. California can be compact on the roads, but that doesn’t mean tailing the person in front of you will help.

Four-way Failure

Four-way stops can easily confuse people. Remember, when two cars arrive at a stop sign at the same time, the person to their right has the right of way. If you take that tidbit with you into your test, you’ll leave a great impression on your tester. Well, so long as you don’t give him a swirlie.

Woah, there! Slow down. Everyone knows that you’re ready to get behind the wheel of a car and hit the rough roads. The only problem is you’re 14 years old and that’s too young… in most states.

There are a few states out there that have lower learner’s permit ages, which will allow you, a 14-year-old person, to drive on the roads.

You don’t even have to prove you’re a defensive driver by enrolling in traffic school online. You can grab that learner’s permit and go! So long as you live in that state as driver. To help you figure out if you’re eligible to drive, we’ve put together a list of which states it’s legal to drive at 14.

Where should I move to?

Every state has a different set of laws when it comes to driving ages. Living in one state could mean you’re not full licensed driver until the age of 18. Other states will make you a master driver by the age of 16. Below, you’ll find the complete list of states that give you a learner’s permit as early as 14 years of age:

● Alaska
● Arkansas
● Idaho (14 years and 6 months)
● Iowa
● Kansas
● Michigan (14 years and 9 months)
● Montana (14 years and 6 months)
● North Dakota
● South Dakota

Looking at this list, you could begin to think that the driving ages are design completely arbitrarily. The only reason these rules exist is because there was a group of older people in government who wanted to free the roads from young whippersnappers. That might be true, but there’s also other reasoning behind the age restrictions on driving.

Age Restrictions and Why They Exist

The main reason why these age restrictions exist, is because the brain is still maturing. A study published in the Journal of Safety Research showed raising the age needed to receive your driver’s license reduces the number of accidents that young teens are in. Therefore, prohibiting teenagers, under the age of 16, from receiving their learner’s permits will account for less accidents on the road.

That’s why some states have held tight to the 16 or over regulations that we’re so very familiar with. It’s not because they’re trying to oppress your 14-year-old-who-knows-everything-about-the-world voice. The DMV and government bodies are trying to decrease the number of incidents on the road.

Prepping Your Teen for Driving

To help reduce the number of accidents on the road, it’s important to be safe and know how to be prepared as a driver. You might be a 14-year old in South Dakota who just got their learner’s permit, but that doesn’t mean you’re not prone to being in accidents. Here’s a few tips on being secure while behind the wheel.

Getting sleep is dire. You want to be well rested while traveling. If not, your reaction time is diminished, your vision is impaired, and… you’re a bit cranky. Be well rested enough to drive, especially for a growing teen!

Don’t be distracted while driving. Putting the cell phone away is another important trait of a good driver. It’s easy to fall victim to checking the phone when you’re at a stoplight, in traffic, or just bored. Whether texting and driving or having a drama filled conversation on the phone doesn’t matter. Distracted driving is just another reason why 14-year-old drivers might be too immature to operate a moving vehicle.

Finally, learn from teachers, instructors, and parents. They’re here to teach you how to be a safe driver. That’s why it’s important to learn from their lessons.

• Get Started on Your Driving Journey: Applying for a New California Driver’s License (For Teens)

When you draw a mental image of what the American court system looks like, it’s easy to conjure a romanticized view. The mental gymnastics of legality; Shouting lawyers arguing, objecting, witnesses struggling to remember or ardently denying truisms—it’s a thrill.

But this is Los Angeles traffic court.

The land of the most grueling, forcefully expedited, bite-size cases shoveled onto a graveyard of failed appeals. It’s not ideal.

The best way to avoid a citation or ticket is to equip yourself with the necessary skills and knowledge through online traffic school. But, to err is human—and sooner or later, something will probably happen; you’ll misread a sign or be forced to make an illegal last-second maneuver that will land you a citation. So, here’s what to do, and what to expect.

It’s Incredibly Difficult to Appeal a Citation

If a citation is thrown out, it’s typically done so because the accusing officer fails to show up in court to defend his or her citation. Otherwise, it’s you defending yourself against the world and/or evidence of a police officer. Your word against theirs. If your citation is an unreasonably hefty or serious one, you might consider finding a lawyer to appeal for you, but that can end up costing you quite a bit as well. Which leads us to the next point:

Balance Your Priorities

Appealing your case in court takes time and energy and involves a slight bit of risk. And as said above, if you involve a lawyer, it may then involve a monetary investment. In some cases, unfortunately, it may be in your best interest to swallow your pride and simply pay off the citation to get rid of it, rather than draw it out in a longer legal battle that doesn’t guarantee a better outcome.

Provide Evidence

The strongest force in your favor is evidence and/or witnesses. If you can provide proof that your citation was unwarranted within the context of the situation, especially when confirmed by evidence or a disinterested third party, the case can swing heavily in your favor.

Stay True to Your Story

Know the details of the incident. Even small details that help paint a picture and demonstrate an acute memory to the judge. Stay consistent, be ready to answer any question regarding what happened. And remember, you are under oath. Lying is perjury—a felony in the state of California.

Keep It Quick

When appealing in traffic court, you’ll typically be lined up with everyone else appealing their citation slated for a certain date. If you’re lucky, your case could be among the first called forward. But even if you’re last, you’ll notice how quickly the hearings fly by. The sheer number of them forces the judge to speed things right along the conveyor belt.

So, you won’t have all the time in the world to state your case and make your claim. Nor will the judge have too much patience for you to do so. Give your best case to prove your innocence in as little time as possible. The longer the hearing goes on, the more likely the judge will grow frustrated and annoyed.

Be Polite

Some of the most successful lawyers and defendants know how to charm a jury. In your case, it will likely just be a judge you have to convince, but it never hurts to go the extra mile to show respect and civility toward both the judge and your accuser. The ability to which you handle yourself emotionally and rhetorically reflects on the character the judge will ultimately find guilty or innocent—so stand firm and defend yourself vehemently but do so with courtesy and respect.

If everyone decided to enroll in traffic school, we might see a lot less traffic on the roads. But, alas, that day may never come. In the meantime, we can all take pleasure in convincing our friends, coworkers and family members that our traffic tales are the tallest. Everyone has a unique traffic story, and, today we’re compiling a list of the most compelling stories that happen while gridlocked. Here are our top 5 traffic stories.

Baby Birth on Board

In 2013, Atlanta, Georgia experienced a horrific snow storm that brought all cars on its major highway to a halt. People were livid at the sight of mother nature’s white fury covering the roads. They had places to be and people to visit. One couple in particular had somewhere to be – and it was the hospital.

The couple was pregnant with a child and they were on their way to the hospital to give birth. The traffic created a road block for them, but not the baby. “Alice” was there to witness the couple give birth to a baby, with the help of others, in a snowstorm… in traffic. Afterwards, there was a soiree at the nearby Taco Bell to party.

Highway Horsepower

It was just another day for “Bill and Diane.” They were commuting to work in Houston, Texas, the sky was clear, and there was an unusual amount of traffic on the road. In the corners of their eyes, something caught their attention.

As they turned around, they saw a long line of horses walking through the gridlock traffic being manned by their riders. The rodeo was in town, and the horse riders were caravanning to town via horseback. It was a great time for rodeo fans, but a bad time for the 9 to 5’ers.

Changing Perspective

Writer “Antonio” was sitting in traffic one day – as he did every day. Relatable, we know. To the right of his car, a person began honking sporadically. “Antonio” noticed their car was rear ending the vehicle in front of them.

“Antonio” rolled down his window to give the reckless driver a piece of his mind, but, before he could say anything, the driver snapped back at him. They weren’t rear ending the car in front of them, because the car in front of them was backing into them. Just then, “Antonio’s” perspective of the road completely changed.

Needle Through the Thread of Traffic

Seattle is known for its coffee and rain. However, what people often forget is the amount of traffic located in the seaport city. “Will Sanders” was retired and vacationed to the city once a year. From his hotel room, he could see the famous Space Needle in the distance. Then, as every curious tourist decides to do, he got in his car to check out the tower.

What was hoped to be a curious trip through the city turned out to be a horrific experience in stand-still traffic. It took Sanders two and a half hours to finally give up on his journey and head back to his hotel room. After parking, he walked to the Space Needle… in 10 minutes.

Typhoon Season

A lot can happen in 12 hours. For 14-year old Patricia Lontoc, it was getting to know her mom and dad a little bit more while they were in standstill traffic. The reason for the traffic jam was because a typhoon was striking their area.

Where Lontoc is from, Typhoons are a natural part of the season. However, what wasn’t a natural part of the season, was the irreplaceable experience she gained from getting to know her family a bit closer.

But, are they really that bad?

Teenagers may have just picked up the driving manual, but they could be the superior driver in relation to other, more experienced drivers. That’s why we’ve dusted the dust off our magnifying glass and did some investigation on the matter. The best traffic school California has to offer has the answers. Therefore, here’s our finding on who’s the best driver.

The Ultimate Driving Test

In an investigation that was led out of UCLA, researcher and vice-chancellor, Nancy Wayne, tackled this same idea with cold-hard data. With the help of a driving instructor from a local driver’s ed school, they put the pedal to the metal on teen drivers versus adult drivers. As a result, what they found would change ours, and maybe your perceptions too, of who makes the best driver.

The test assembled “100 novice drivers who had less than five hours of driving experience before their first driving lesson.” Moreover, the group was divided equally by their gender and the average age was roughly 18 years old. This mixed-match team represented teenage drivers with little experience.

The other group of Guinee pigs were male and female adults in their mid-20’s, who had accumulated years of experience, especially when compared with the fresh new drivers. Paring the two groups allowed Wayne to fully understand the scale of expertise and precision the newbies had.

The test took place in the wonderful, car-friendly city of Los Angeles, California. Subjects would engage in the standard testing environment, experiencing the same type of pressure one may feel during any other driver’s test. That includes the sweaty, older driving instructor who judged each turn of the wheel. The instructor would rank the performance of the driver on a scale of 1 to 4.

After the testing was complete, Wayne found herself questioning the fabric of reality itself in a shocking reveal of the data. Maybe it wasn’t that dramatic.

Teenage Trouble

The results of the experiment concluded that teenage drivers scored higher on the test than their adult competitors.

In other words, one could determine that teenagers perform better as drivers on the road than other age groups. It lays to rest the age-old myth that teen drivers are worse than others. It doesn’t end there.

Wayne discovered that students who participated in sports scored the highest on the test. This shows a connection between sport engagement and good driving engagement. It was also found to be similar across both genders of subjects.

The hacky comedy shtick of “men drive like this while women drive like this” is apparently not true. Who would have guessed?

Should Teenagers Drive Everyone Around?

Probably not. Teenagers may be deemed as the most competent drivers on the road, however that doesn’t make them qualified to drive people around. This journey wasn’t just a vain test to see if adults were as good as everyone said they were at driving. There are some actionable results coming from it.

More specifically, Wayne released a statement encouraging, “The Department of Motor Vehicles in California and across other states [to] consider extending mandatory driver’s education to all new drivers and not only teens.”

The goal is to, hopefully, cut down on the number of accidents by increasing the duration of education that drivers have while on the road.

Skkrrch… crash! That’s what the sound of a car wreck looks like written out. Car wrecks are bad. What makes them worse is when the other driver flees the scene of the accident. Whether you were T-boned, rear-ended, or fender bended, it’s never a fun sight when you are involved in a CA hint and run and the culprit speeds off leaving you stuck on the side of the road.

So, what do you do after a hit and run?

Your blood could be boiling, but that doesn’t mean your brain has to. Remain calm and follow our guide. Leave it to the best online traffic school CA has to offer to provide you with the information needed to turn a hit and run into a hit and file a police report. Below is what you should do when you’ve been involved in a CA hit and run.

Pull over on the side of the road

Seeing the culprit speed off is not a good feeling. But despite the rage building in your gut, chasing after them is impulsive and dangerous. The last thing you want to do is enter a high-speed car chase in a damaged vehicle. Any situation you find yourself driving recklessly is never a good situation. Even if it is chasing down the person who just bent your back bumper. Prioritize safety over all.

Pulling off on the side of the road will give you the chance to assess the damage done on your car. Additionally, you will be able to remove all obstruction from the road. Being cooperative is the best way to offset a vicious hit and run.

Call the police and stay at the scene

The next step is to call the police. After you have assessed the situation, call the police to begin your police report. This will also help you track down the driver who struck your car by providing any information you may have gotten from the collision. Any police officers will help you collect all the information you need to provide proof of the accident to your insurance company. Such as a report, photos, and testimonials.

Find witnesses who saw the incident

If the accident happened in a public location, try and find a witness who will speak on your behalf. Witnesses can also help you identify the vehicle that hit your car. This will help with providing an accurate report of the accident when the police arrive. That kind Samaritan might also help you pick up your fender!

Keep a notepad and pen on you

It is imperative to keep your story straight and accurate. When it comes to dealing with law enforcement, and perhaps even the court system, your credibility to a judge and/or jury will depend heavily on your consistent ability to provide information and accurately recall the events that took place. Don’t shy away from taking details that might seem unimportant to the actual hit and run, like where you were headed, where you were coming from, traffic conditions, etc. Demonstrating a solid memory of the event will only help your case.

Make sure you’re insured and covered

In California, it is illegal to drive a vehicle without financial responsibility (typically auto insurance). While it might not affect the hit and run case, it will definitely get you into trouble, not only with the law, but financially speaking, as you might end up personally liable for damages.