Is Matching the Speed of Traffic a Viable Defense to Speeding Tickets in North Carolina?

You are driving down the highway, and you notice that all of the other motorists seem to be traveling at much higher speeds than normal. Rather than risk a collision, you increase your speed to match the traffic around you. A few miles later, a police officer pulls you over and gives you a speeding ticket in North Carolina. Can you tell the officer that you were simply matching the speed of traffic? Is this a viable excuse or defense for speeding? This is a common question – one that you might want to explore with a speeding ticket lawyer. 

Matching the Speed of Traffic Is Not a Valid Defense

Although this might seem unfair, you cannot simply tell an officer that you were matching the speed of traffic. In the eyes of the law, the only thing that matters is whether you exceeded the speed limit. There are very few legitimate excuses, and you can face a speeding ticket as soon as you exceed the limit for any reason. Police officers are allowed to single out certain motorists, even if other drivers are traveling at the same speed. 

Is There ANY Viable Defense for Speeding Tickets?

There are very few legitimate defenses to speeding tickets in North Carolina. That said, you may be able to argue that you had no other choice than to break the speed limit because of some kind of emergency. For example, you might have been forced to speed after being pursued by armed gunmen, road ragers, or other violent individuals. 

You might also argue that you were forced to increase your speed to avoid a crash. For example, you might have been forced to zoom through a crowd of colliding vehicles. Whatever the case may be, these situations are relatively rare. 

Finally, you could argue that some kind of mechanical issue prevented you from decreasing your speed. Again, these issues are quite rare, and this defense strategy will not apply to most people. 

You Can Still Contest Your Ticket in Court

Even if you have no valid excuse for breaking the speed limit, you still have the right to challenge your ticket in court. This pathway may allow you to contest the ticket in many ways. Something as simple as an incorrect date or license plate number on the ticket may make it invalid. 

Can a Speeding Ticket Defense Attorney in North Carolina Help Me?

If you face a speeding ticket in North Carolina, you might assume that the easiest option is to simply pay the fine and move on with your life. But for many people, it’s not that simple. They may risk losing their license due to accumulating one too many points, making careers and family commitments extremely difficult. A super speeder ticket can even lead to criminal charges in North Carolina. To discuss potential defense strategies, consider speaking with Coastal South Law today.