As a driver, you will be dealing with the pretty heavy financial impact of owning a car on a regular basis. Financing, insurance, repairs, gas. It all adds up to make owning a car an expensive prospect. But it’s worth it. What isn’t worth it is getting hit by big legal fines that could have easily been avoided in the first place. Here, we’ll look at how you can keep on the up-and-up and keep your finances the same way.
Before you hit the road
The best way to ensure that you aren’t hit with any fines is to make sure that you are legally iron-clad before you start driving. Make sure that you never take off without having properly checked the car for broken headlights, windshield cracks, or leaks. There are plenty of malfunctions that could easily get you stopped if you didn’t take a minute to inspect the vehicle before you took off. Besides that, make a mental checklist of all your other responsibilities are you’re driving. Never forget your seatbelts or decide to skip them even for a short journey, after all. The only reason most people get into legal trouble on the road is because they allow themselves to be legally vulnerable when driving.
When you’re pulled over
Assuming the correct behavior is essential to avoiding too much trouble when pulled over. As soon as you see them signaling you, find the next safe place to park. Don’t get out of the car or open the glove compartment or try to get your license and registration out early. If they see you moving around in the car, the police might think you’re trying to hide something. Which could give them a reason to take the stop further. This might even lead to levying an allegation against you. If that’s the case, make sure you have the right advice (hopefully you don’t need a DUI lawyer) ready to stand up for you. Even in cases that seem clear cut, you never know when they could save you from a fine because of a break in protocol or abuse of your rights that you might not have noticed.
When you’re involved in a collision
When it comes to a road accident or a collision, then it’s not as simple as proving your innocence. You might have to prove someone else’s culpability instead. Especially if their insurance provider is trying to get out paying you as they should. In those cases, you should make sure you’re reporting the accident, to the emergency services as well as your insurance provider. Then it’s about collecting evidence. Take pictures at the scene if you can and collect any witnesses you can. Then, to ensure you’re not left paying for everything, keep copies of any medical bills you run up due to the accident.
Being more responsible on the road should be your number one priority. But that doesn’t mean you should accept every fine that someone attempts to throw your way. Rest assured that no-one else is going to try to protect you as much as you could be protecting yourself.
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