Car accidents are bad enough on their own. Unfortunately, many motor vehicle crashes also come with the added hardship of traffic tickets. Depending on the nature of your accident, you may have to pay fines in addition to any medical and maintenance costs.
According to Bankrate, the U.S. experiences 13 car crashes every minute. The most common reason for car accidents is driver error. See below for the most common traffic tickets written after driver error causes an accident.
Red light violations
Most people do not make a habit of driving through red lights. However, it is far more common for motorists to roll through right turns. If you do not come to a complete stop before turning on red and get into an accident, you might face a fine for running a red light.
Speeding
Speeding is the most common traffic violation. Most people speed at some point or another, and you will receive a citation if you get into an accident while speeding. Your vehicle records your speed, so it is easy to prove if you violated the speed limit during your accident.
Illegal lane changes
Failure to signal is hazardous when changing lanes. Other drivers rely on turn signals to know when it is safe to change lanes. Someone who makes a legal lane change and crashes into another driver making an illegal change has a better case during a lawsuit. Many people neglect their turn signals, which might lead to a ticket after an accident.
If you do not receive a ticket immediately after an accident, the court might find more traffic violations to charge you with. Protect yourself by following traffic laws so that you do not have to pay extra if you get into a car crash.