Following Too Close Traffic Ticket

Following too closely is what the title means. You are driving too closely to the vehicle in front of you to safely stop if need be. This takes into consideration everything, including the car being driven, speed, weather, traffic, road conditions, etc.

In good conditions, an officer typically will use the rule of thumb that you should leave at least a one car length gap for every 10 mph you are driving. When there are other different factors to take into consideration, the gap presumably should lengthen but the actual distance is subjective.

The most common reason that officers will issue a following too closely ticket is an accident. Whenever a vehicle is rear ended, the officer reporting to the scene will most likely issue a following too close ticket. They may not know how fast you were going or what gap was between the two cars but it is clear that you were so close that you could not stop in time before striking the car in front of you.

Whether the officer saw you tailgating or arrived after an accident, you will want to fight this moving violation. An experienced attorney will be able to pick a part an officer’s report and formulate an argument to give you the best chances of keeping this ticket off of your record.

Our Olympia criminal lawyers serve all of Thurston County. Call now for help and real answers.