Traffic violations are mostly civil matters, not criminal matters.

CWuestefeld · on April 20, 2011

Right, and that's why you're not entitled to a jury trial for your speeding ticket. Speeding, running a light, etc., are not criminal offenses (except in extreme cases of reckless driving, where you may be on the hook for "reckless endangerment" or some such)

ams6110 · on April 20, 2011

No, civil matters are things like contract disputes, medical malpractice, negligence, etc. I.e. disputes between two private parties.

Traffic violations are violations of the law and thus are criminal matters (though generally misdemeanors).

You can tell the difference by whether there is a County/State/Federal prosecutor involved. Prosecutors don't bring civil claims to court.

pmichaud · on April 20, 2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_ticket#United_States

First sentence reads: "In the United States, most traffic laws are codified in a variety of state, county and municipal ordinances, with most minor violations classified as civil infractions."