Racine Traffic Violation Attorney
Thousands of traffic tickets are issued, each year in Wisconsin, for traffic violations. Drivers are routinely stopped for breaking traffic laws and are given traffic tickets. There are two main ways to resolve a traffic ticket. You can pay the ticket or fight the ticket. While a traffic ticket may seem like little more than a nuisance, in certain circumstances a traffic ticket may result in significant fines, license suspension, license revocation, and increased insurance rates.
To minimize the financial impact and inconvenience associated with receiving a moving violation, you need an experienced traffic violation attorney who is familiar with the laws related to traffic violations in Wisconsin. The legal staff at Cafferty & Scheidegger, S.C., will help you resolve the case in a quick and professional manner.
The Governing Wisconsin Statutes
Wisconsin’s rules of the road live in Chapter 346. The most commonly charged provisions:
- § 346.57: Speed regulations and speeding penalties, including the absolute limits and the basic-rule standard.
- § 346.62: Reckless driving. Endangering the safety of any person by operating a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for safety. First offense is a criminal misdemeanor; aggravated tiers escalate to felony exposure.
- § 346.63: Operating while intoxicated (OWI), covered in detail on the OWI page.
- § 346.67: Duty upon an accident. The statute that turns a fender-bender into a hit-and-run case if the statutory duties are not met.
Most traffic citations are civil forfeitures with point consequences tied to license status. A small subset are criminal, and that is where a defense attorney earns the fee: moving a criminal charge back to a civil forfeiture, or an amended charge that does not trigger points or insurance consequences.
Types of Traffic Violations
A traffic ticket can be issued for several different types of violations of Wisconsin laws, including:
- Speeding
- Driving recklessly
- Failing to stop at a stop sign or red light
- Failure to yield
- Failure to signal when turning or changing lanes
- Illegally driving on the shoulder of a road
- Failure to use a seat belt
- Failure to stop for a school bus when children are boarding or exiting
- Driving without a valid license
- Driving without proof of insurance
- Distracted driving
Should I Fight A Traffic Ticket?
If you receive a traffic ticket you have options. You can simply plead guilty and pay a fine. However, the consequence of this option is that points may be added to your driving record, which may cause your insurance rates to increase and could contribute to a suspension or revocation of your driver’s license. You may be able to reduce points through an approved traffic safety course, but that option is limited and does not erase the conviction. If you plead not guilty, the case can move to pretrial negotiation or trial. If you lose, you may have to pay the fine, costs, and any other penalties, and points may be added to your record.
Do I need a lawyer before I pay the ticket?
Talk to a lawyer before paying if the ticket has points, could raise your insurance premiums, affects a CDL, came from a crash, or could push you near a license suspension. Paying is usually treated as a guilty plea. Once that happens, the best record-protection options may be gone. Our dedicated traffic site has a practical guide on when to hire a lawyer for a Wisconsin traffic ticket.
The ticket is not just the fine
Wisconsin traffic defense starts with the point total, the driver-license class, the violation date, and whether the citation could affect commercial driving, insurance, employment, or a pending crash claim.
12-point suspension risk
WisDOT explains that 12 or more demerit points within any 12-month period can suspend driving privileges. The violation date, not the conviction date, controls whether points fall inside the 12-month window.
Point reduction is limited
An approved Wisconsin traffic safety course can reduce a driver's point total by 3 points, but WisDOT allows only one reduction every 3 years. It is not a substitute for defending a high-point ticket.
CDL cases need a separate screen
Federal CDL rules treat some personal-vehicle tickets as serious violations. Speeding 15 mph or more over, reckless driving, improper lane change, following too closely, and handheld-phone violations can trigger disqualification consequences.
- Check the exact final charge, not only the officer's estimated point notation.
- Confirm whether the driver has a regular, probationary, instruction-permit, or CDL license.
- Look for amendment options before paying, especially if the ticket could cause a suspension.
- Use RacineTicket.com for deeper speeding, CDL, reckless-driving, and license-suspension guides.
Traffic Violations and Accidents
You may also receive a traffic violation in connection with a car accident. If you have, the citation may affect how police reports, insurers, and civil lawyers evaluate fault. This means that the ticket can matter beyond the fine and points, especially when property damage, injury, or insurance coverage is involved. In addition, your auto insurance rates could go up, or your insurance company could drop you.
We Have Handled Numerous Traffic Violation Cases
If you receive a traffic violation do not simply throw it into your glove compartment. The consequences of ignoring a traffic ticket may be worse than simply pleading guilty and paying the fine. Take it seriously. You may have options beyond pleading guilty or no contest and paying the fine.
Related Traffic-Defense Practice Areas
Specific traffic-case types we defend:
- Speeding tickets, § 346.57, demerit points, and unreasonable-and-imprudent challenges.
- Reckless driving, § 346.62, where civil crosses into criminal.
- Failure to yield, § 346.18, right-of-way cases and pedestrian crosswalks.
- Running a red light or stop sign, § 346.37 / § 346.46.
- Driving on a suspended or revoked license, § 343.44, OAR, and occupational-license petitions.
- CDL traffic violations, 49 CFR Part 383 federal disqualification rules.
- Hit and run, leaving-the-scene statute and defenses.
- When to hire a traffic-violation lawyer
- OWI and DUI defense
Contact an Experienced Racine and Kenosha Traffic Violation Attorney
Racine and Kenosha traffic violation lawyer Patrick Cafferty defends the rights of drivers charged with state driving offenses in Racine, Kenosha and throughout Southeastern Wisconsin. At Cafferty & Scheidegger, S.C., we have years of experience successfully defending clients in Wisconsin traffic courts. Contact the firm to arrange initial consultation with an experienced lawyer right away.
You can also visit our traffic-ticket focused website: RacineTicket.com
