Fix-It Tickets and Accident Responsibility

A fix-it ticket is a fairly harmless citation, provided you correct the problem by the deadline specified on the ticket. Officers only issue fix-it tickets when a vehicle has defective, dangerous, or missing features or equipment that make it a potential hazard on the road, not when that vehicle has actually caused injury or damage. When you receive a fix-it citation, you have a certain number of days to fix the violation—also known as the grace period. But what happens if you have an accident during the grace period of your fix-it citation?

In short, if the problem with your vehicle had anything to do with the accident, you can expect your insurer to place at least some of the blame for the accident on you, which in turn results in higher car insurance premiums. You will also likely receive some sort of citation at the scene of the accident for any negligence that resulted from your vehicle’s problem. For instance, if you received a fix-it ticket because your vehicle has no rearview mirror and you end up backing into another vehicle in a parking lot because you can’t see, you can expect to get a ticket for failing to yield.

The same rules for assigning auto accident fault still apply, but you are much more likely to be at fault for an accident if something is seriously wrong with your car. On the bright side, you will not receive another fix-it citation for the problem as long as you are within the grace period of your first citation.