I recently received my first traffic ticket. The ticket I got was for following too closely, which I didn't even realize was a ticketable offense.
I honestly didn't know I was doing it, and I didn't know why I had been pulled over. The officer said that I was following a lot more closely than the cars around me, and that the road conditions were slick so I should have accounted for even more distance than normal.
I want to contest the charges, but I do not know what I can say that will help. At the time I did not believe I was following too closely, and even the definition per RCW 46.61.145 isn't totally clear on what "too closely" means. I believe I would have been able to stop in time to avoid a collision. But, I do agree with the officer that I was following more closely than the cars around me. Would that admission hurt me? Does being ignorant/believing in my case even if wrong account for anything? What would be a strong defense in this situation, if any?

