Driving is a privilege for most people and a way to earn a living for many of them. Traffic laws are designed to promote safe driving and efficient road systems throughout the nation. When motorists violate traffic laws, they could be fined, lose their driving privileges, or wind up in jail in extreme cases.

According to Value Penguin, patrol officers write about 32 million traffic tickets for various moving violations every year. When police officers issue citations for moving violations, there has to be no reasonable doubt and evidence of the offense. Otherwise, the ticket is invalid and should be dismissed when challenged in court.

A traffic lawyer can help motorists to beat bad tickets and maintain their driving privileges. The following are five of the most common cases that a traffic attorney typically sees.

1. Driving Under the Influence

Driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol is a very serious traffic offense and a criminal act. When police have probable cause, they can request suspected DUI offenders to get their blood-alcohol content tested. In some states and situations, it may even be required. The process can take several hours and often includes spending at least a few hours in jail.

A traffic lawyer can ensure the DUI charges are valid and that the police had probable cause to initiate blood-alcohol testing. The testing usually is done with a breathalyzer, urinalysis, or testing of a blood sample. An attorney can ensure the testing was done properly, and that the evidence was handled correctly to avoid mistakes that might trigger a false charge. If the police did anything wrong, the attorney might get the matter dismissed.

2. Driving With a Suspended/Revoked License

Many people might have a suspended or revoked driver's license and not realize it. Others might have restricted driving privileges and can be accused of violating their respective restrictions. Whenever driving privileges are under questionable attack, a traffic lawyer can help to uphold a motorist's legal rights and ensure any legal proceedings are done correctly. Any deviation from what the law truly allows might result in reduced or dismissed charges against a driver and restoration of that person's full driving privileges.

3. Commercial Driver's License Violations

When commercial driving is how someone earns a living, it's important to maintain driving privileges in order to keep working. A questionable traffic violation or a DUI conviction might be enough to cause someone to lose their commercial driver's license (CDL), which also means losing their job. Without a license to drive for commercial purposes, it's impossible to continue legally driving commercial vehicles.

A traffic lawyer can help to determine whether a serious driving offense occurred and possibly present a strong legal defense. The attorney also might enable the accused driver to obtain a reduced charge that enables alternative punishment, such as successful completion of a driver safety course. This way, the offender doesn't have to lose their living.

4. Reckless Driving

Reckless driving can be a very serious moving offense that might trigger costly fines, license suspension, and greatly increased auto insurance rates. Reckless driving is a criminal offense in many states, and a conviction could deliver a serious blow to a motorist's ability to continue earning income.

A reckless driving offense requires evidence to prove a driver truly drove in a reckless manner. Greatly exceeding the speed limit, making sudden lane changes without signaling, and running red lights or stop signs are examples of reckless driving. A traffic lawyer can help to ensure any evidence is valid and possibly present a strong legal defense when the evidence is weak or does not exist. If the evidence is strong, the attorney might be able to argue for leniency and obtain a reduced charge.

5. Hit-and-Run

Whenever a driver is in an accident, it's always important to try to exchange contact information with any other drivers or pedestrians. You also should notify the police right away -- even if the other motorist leaves. If you also leave, that driver might claim you committed a hit-and-run and blame you for the accident. A hit-and-run offense is a serious offense that might result in jail time for an offender. A traffic attorney is especially important to present a viable legal defense and potentially get charges dismissed.

If your driving privileges are endangered, you can contact the Law Offices of Jason Pollack, Esq to schedule a consultation with an experienced traffic attorney. A lawyer can review your case and help you to know what legal options might exist and present a strong defense.