Flat Tires and Their Mitigating Circumstances Can Assist in Fighting a Traffic Ticket

Traffic violations are often looked at from a "cut and dry" perspective. When someone goes through a red light, he or she has run afoul of traffic laws. A citation will be issued to those who commit infractions of the traffic code. Police officers may issue warnings but are unlikely to do so when someone has done something very egregious. Making an unsafe lane change on the highway and cutting off another car by only a few inches is truthfully also only a few inches away from a major accident. Fatalities have occurred under such circumstances. Yet, mitigating circumstances may have caused the lane change. A poorly inflated tire could have contributed to going from one lane to the next in an improper manner. The condition of the tire could factor into a traffic judge's decision on a ticket issued to a driver who already has a very negative driving record.

The Dangers of Low Tire Pressure

Once air pressure reaches such low levels that the tire is almost flat, problems are going to be obvious while driving. The smell of burnt rubber or the vehicle pulling in a sideways direction definitely indicate a serious issue. A tire blowout could occur, leading to a disastrous accident. Quickly pulling off from the center lane to the shoulder of the road makes sense. Unfortunately, doing so under stress may lead to someone unsafely cutting off another car. Those who do get a ticket may be able to fight the citation by claiming mitigating circumstances. How the tire lost air pressure is important to take into consideration.

Two factors must be examined.

An Unavoidable Flat

Hitting a screw or debris on the road is often unavoidable. Be sure to keep the damaged tire and take photos of the puncture the second the debris is discovered. Entering the damaged tire and pictures into evidence could sway the judge into making a more preferable decision.

Low Pressure from Negligence

Not properly keeping a tire inflated is neglect. Neglectful actions do not exactly garner sympathy in traffic court. Still, a case could be make that making the quick lane change was unavoidable due to fears of an accident.

Arguments in Court

Those who have already accumulated significant points on their license could be treading into license-suspension territory. Based on the circumstances connected to the tire, a traffic attorney such as Drew F Davis might convince the court to send the defendant to traffic school to avoid more points and more trouble.