I know of easily 20 people in the same situation, their defense was that they didn't know about the law.

If you challenge it and go in front of a magistrate, usually the response I've heard is that not knowing isn't their problem, it's your responsibility to know, and the law is to enable safety for law enforcement and emergency professionals so it should be a lesson. 100% of them failed in getting anything reduced. One of them got thrown into jail overnight for escalating things and screaming at both the cop and magistrate at the hearing, so don't do that.

You definitely can try and if you get a sympathetic judge they might agree with you. I'm sure it's happened to some people who went that route. My anecdotal stories don't mean you'd be in the same boat.