What Do I Do If I Get a Speeding Ticket in a Rental Car?

When you’re cruising down the road in your rental car, the last thing you want is to be pulled over by the police for speeding. Maybe you were in a hurry or maybe you weren’t paying attention to the speed limit. No matter how it happened, you were busted and now you have to deal with a speeding ticket. But you’re in a rental car, so what do you do? Your options for dealing with a speeding ticket are pretty much the same in a rental car as in your own car; you either contest it or pay up. According to Value Van & Car Rental, there are some factors you should be aware of if you find yourself in this situation.

How was the ticket issued?

The process for paying a speeding ticket will depend on if you received it in person from a police officer or if the ticket was assessed later due to automatic detection by a traffic camera. If you received a ticket from a police officer, then you can pay the ticket as you normally would if driving your own car. The rental car company likely won't be involved at all. However, if you were caught on camera, the ticket will be sent to the rental car company. This is because traffic cameras identify cars by their license plates, thus they automatically mail the ticket to the company to which the car is registered. In this case, the company will contact you after the fact and bill you, likely on the same credit card you used to rent the vehicle. The same type of process plays out if you’re caught running a red light by an automated camera. There can be administrative fees associated with such violations, in addition to the ticket amounts themselves.

Can you contest your speeding ticket?

Contesting a ticket by proclaiming that the sensors and cameras have made a mistake might work to get your fine canceled. This process is likely to work out in your favor in only a few situations. If you can provide evidence that you weren’t at the place where the violation took place and the charges are due to a case of mistaken identity, you might be able to show up in court and present that proof to negate the ticket. Of course, the one thing you shouldn’t do is just ignore a violation.

Traffic violations are common, and being proactive is the best way to deal with them or avoid them altogether. When traveling to Newark, Union, Jersey City, and the surrounding areas, call Value Van & Car Rental at (973) 792-0343 for all of your car rental needs or reserve online anytime.

Sources:

e-zrentacar.com