Cobb County Traffic Violation Lawyer
Traffic violations are more than a minor inconvenience; they are serious business that can cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars in fines and fees and increased car insurance premiums. You also face having your driver’s license suspended if you rack up too many points on your license. If you can’t afford expensive fines and you can’t afford to be without your car, any traffic ticket or citation you get should be taken seriously. You might have strong defenses to fight the ticket or other options available to get a better result than if you just plead guilty. It’s certainly worth talking your situation over in a free consultation with a skilled and knowledgeable criminal defense attorney at Andrew L. Schwartz, P.C. Contact our experienced Cobb County traffic violation lawyer today.
Georgia DDS Point System
The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) operates a point system for traffic violations that can lead to a suspension of your driver’s license. Certain traffic violations will put anywhere from two to six points on your license, and your license will be suspended if you accumulate 15 points in a 24-month period. It’s possible to get up to seven points taken off your license by completing a certified defensive driving course, but this can only be done once every five years. It’s even more important to keep points off your license in the first place, and Andrew L. Schwartz, P.C., can help you do that by successfully defending you against traffic charges.
The Georgia DDS points schedule includes over 100 traffic violations that can add points to your driver’s license. Below is just a small sample:
- Aggressive Driving – 6 points
- Reckless Driving – 4 points
- Speeding – 2 to 6 points
- Failure to Obey Traffic-Control Device – 3 points
- Possessing an Open Container of an Alcoholic Beverage While Driving – 2 points
- Violation of Child Safety Restraint – 1 or 2 points
- Operating a Vehicle While Text Messaging – 1 point
Georgia’s Seatbelt Law
Per Georgia law, all persons riding in the front seat must wear seat belts. Children under eight years old must ride in a child safety or booster seat recommended for their age, and all children aged 8-15 must wear a seat belt whether riding in the front seat or the back seat. Georgia has a “primary” seat belt law, meaning you can be pulled over and ticketed if you or someone in the car is observed violating the seat belt law. If during the stop other violations are found, such as an open container violation, you could face additional problems.
Georgia Cell Phone Texting and Driving Laws
It is illegal in Georgia to talk on the phone while driving with a phone in your hand or touching any part of your body. Except for voice-to-text technology, it is illegal for drivers to write, read or send text messages, e-mails, social media content or other internet data while on the road. It is also illegal for drivers to watch or record videos while on the road, with exceptions for navigational/GPS videos and continuously running dash cams. Drivers can stream music without video while driving so long as they don’t activate or program the app while driving, although controlling the radio while driving is allowed.
The penalty for violating the Hands-Free Georgia Act is a $50 fine and one point on your license for a first offense. Penalties increase to $100 and two points or $150 and three points for a second or third (or more) conviction within 24 months of the first conviction. It’s possible for first-time offenders to have the charge dropped by demonstrating to the court that they have acquired a hands-free device.
Help With Georgia Traffic Violations in Cobb County
The police might issue you a ticket, but they don’t have the final say on whether you violated the law or not. That’s for a court to decide. If reasonable grounds exist to believe the officer got it wrong, we’ll go to bat for you and fight the charges in court or work within the system to have charges reduced or dropped as appropriate. Our office handles the full range of traffic violations in Smyrna and other communities throughout Cobb County. Call Andrew L. Schwartz, P.C. for help fighting any traffic ticket, including:
- Speeding
- Reckless Driving
- Aggressive Driving
- Following Too Closely
- Improper Passing
- Failure to Yield
- Improper Turning
- Failure to Obey Traffic Signal or Light
- Failure to Obey Person Directing Traffic
- Emergency Vehicle Violation
- No Proof of Insurance
- Limits on Sound Volume
- “Move Over” Violation
- Improper Passing of a Stationary Utility Service Vehicle
- Improper Passing of an Active Sanitation Vehicle
- Use of Traffic-Control Device Preemption Emitter (while operating a motor vehicle)
- Disregard of Traffic Control Device or Signal
- Failure to Obey Flashing Signal
- Lane Direction Violation
- Improper Lane Usage
- Wrong Way on One-Way Road
- Improper/Erratic Lane Change/Failure to Maintain Lane
- HOV Lane Violation
- Improper Use of Signal
- Failure to Stop at Railroad Grade Crossing
- Unlawful Passing of School Bus
- School Bus Disembarking Violation
- School Bus Operation Violation
- Impeding the Flow of Traffic
- Speeding in Work Zone
- Child or Youth Restraint not properly used (under the age of 8)
Contact Andrew L. Schwartz, P.C. Today
If you’ve been issued a ticket or citation in Smyrna, Marietta, Roswell, Kennesaw, or elsewhere, Andrew L. Schwartz, P.C. knows the laws and procedures in the municipal courts and will work to get the best result when you are faced with expensive fines or cumulative points on your driver’s license. Call our experienced Cobb County traffic violation lawyer today.
