Can I Really Do Jail Time for My Traffic Violation?

It is not a stretch to say most cops won’t hesitate to ticket you when they catch you breaking a traffic law. Tickets can lead to the suspension of your driver’s license. Yet most people don’t realize that being convicted of a traffic violation can carry serious consequences and even jail time.

Minor violations can result in hefty fines and points on your license. However, Major traffic violations can have you peering out from behind bars.

Traffic Violation Types

A quick traffic violation search will produce two types: minor, which are also called traffic infractions; and major, which are called traffic crimes. Let’s take a deeper dive into the meaning of each and their consequences. Minor traffic violations include:

Illegal parking
Running stop signs or red lights
Vehicle overloading

In essence, minor traffic violations are not good, but usually don’t seriously hurt anyone. On the other hand, criminal traffic violations in Florida are treated very seriously. Some examples are:

DUI
Reckless driving
Driving with a suspended license
Street racing

Thanks to popular movies, street racing is alive and well, but a tragic event led to the death of a young mother and prison time for an illegal street racer. Beautiful Bayshore Waterfront is frequented by families, like Jessica Reisinger Raubenolt and her daughter. They were attempting to cross the street when they were hit by Cameron Herrin, who was drag racing.

Herrin was clocked at 102 MPH. The speed limit in the area was 45 MPH. Herrin faced a sentence of up to thirty years in prison. This is a sad story, but what most people don’t realize is you don’t have to kill somebody to do prison time.

Harsh Penalties for Traffic Crimes in Florida

Not only can a DUI land you in jail or even prison for a third offense, but other major traffic crimes also have severe penalties:

Fleeing from or eluding the police: If you’re ordered to stop your vehicle by a cop but refuse, you could face a minimum of three years and up to a maximum of fifteen years in prison.
Driving with a suspended license: Up to sixty days in county jail and/or fines exceeding $500. For a second offense, the perp can spend as much as one year in federal prison. A third offense can get you up to five years of prison time.
Leaving an accident scene: If a person was seriously injured in an accident you caused and you flee the scene, you could face up to five years in prison.

Try Your Best to Avoid Jail Time. Call a Lawyer

If you’ve been arrested and wonder, can I really do jail time for my traffic violation? It’s time to stop pondering and call a lawyer. Accidents happen. Smart people sometimes make mistakes.

The attorneys at Hersem Law are your best shot at avoiding jail time. Give us a call at 813-296-6214 or fill out our online form to find out how we can help.