Speeding ticket increase in Dallas area, even as police tap social media

March 14, 2014 (Press-News.org) If you have recently been slapped with a speeding ticket in North Texas, you are not alone. Authorities in some North Texas jurisdictions are reporting an uptick in speeding citations, even as another heavy enforcement period gets underway. While heavy speeding enforcement is not expected to go anywhere in the near future, some local police agencies are also trying out a new online strategy to bolster their crusade against excessive speed.

Double digit increase in percentage of speeding tickets issued in one North Texas town

With final figures compiled for last year, the police department in Keller, North Texas, reported an increase of 17 percent in the number of speeding tickets handed out in 2013 compared to 2012. This type of figure is mirrored in many other Texas jurisdictions.

Throughout the state, a particularly heavy enforcement period is currently underway. Funded by a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation, a special Spring Break enforcement campaign began on March 7. The Department of Public Safety Spring Break campaign will run through March 23. During last year's spring break enforcement period, Texas DPS officers issued over 11,400 speeding tickets, easily making speeding the most heavily ticketed offense of the campaign.

Amidst swelling numbers of speeding citations, Keller recently put into effect a new policy that is now also being implemented by the Dallas Police Department. In Early March, the Keller Police Department began Tweeting and posting to Facebook the daily locations of traffic enforcement officers. The Keller Police Department hopes that sharing the locations of traffic officers will encourage motorists to slow down -- and might eventually slow down the growth in the number of speeding tickets issued in the North Texas town. Of course, only the location of traffic officers is posted, and mobile patrol officers may also make stops.

With the apparent success of the social media policy in Keller during its first few days of implementation, the Dallas Police Department has followed suit. Shortly after the locations of Keller traffic officers started being circulated via social media, the Dallas Police Department also began sharing the locations of traffic officers pursuant to a plan that had been in the works for some time.

Talk to a lawyer about your speeding ticket

The new social media policies of some North Texas police departments should not be taken as carte blanche to drive at any speed in locations where the presence of an officer has not been reported. On the contrary, there are still thousands of speeding tickets being issued, particularly considering heightened enforcement campaigns. It is very easy for most Texas motorists to wind up with a speeding ticket at some point.

If you have been cited for speeding, you might be living under the misconception that it is simply better to pay the fine and move on. However, that approach can be tantamount to an admission of guilt, which can have serious implications for your driving privileges and your insurance rates. Furthermore, if you do not pay the ticket but simply leave it outstanding, potential consequences could pile up, culminating in an embarrassing and costly arrest during one of the periodic warrant roundups staged in North Texas.

The best approach to a speeding ticket is getting in touch with an experienced North Texas traffic ticket attorney. You attorney can advise you on the legal options applicable to your situation and can argue a speeding ticket case on your behalf. Get in touch with a lawyer today if you have been cited for speeding in North Texas.

Article provided by Jack Byno, Attorney at Law
Visit us at www.jackbynoattorney.com