Did you know that more than 50,000 drivers are pulled over by cops on a typical day? If you have recently been pulled over and are now dealing with tickets, points, and headaches, you are in the right place. We are going to go over what happens when you have driver violation points.
Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of dealing with traffic points on your license.
1. Auto Insurances Use Their Own System
If you thought that auto insurance companies rely on state motor vehicle points, think again. Auto insurance companies actually use their own point system. Usually, insurance companies do not pay too much attention to DMV points.
The guidelines they use is based on what is set up by the Insurance Services Office (ISO). Point values are assigned to each of the different motor vehicle offenses. The more serious the infraction is the more points you will receive.
The more points that you have the more you can expect to pay for insurance coverage because you are considered a higher risk to the company.
Keep in mind that sometimes you even risk your insurance carrier dropping you from the policy. In those cases, you will have to look into why you need SR22 insurance to get you back on the road.
2. Losing License Privileges
After having so many points on your license you run the risk of losing your license. This all depends on what state you live in but the more serious the violation, the more points you can expect to get.
After a while, too many violations will make you a risk to be on the road. Some states might even give you probation for a certain amount of time if you accumulate enough points in a 12 month period.
3. Points Can Last Up to 10 Years
There are some states that are very strict about driving privileges. If you accumulate any amount of points, they might hold it against you for up to ten years. That means that for an entire decade you will have to suffer the consequences with having points.
In most states, the points will stick around for two to three years and less time for small offenses. A DUI hit and run will land you with points for 10 years in the state of California. Another state that doesn’t play when it comes to major offenses is Nevada.
Nevada will skip the points and automatically suspend your license for major offenses.
4. Don’t Text and Drive
Although you know not to text and drive if you are like most people you are guilty of texting back “real quick.” There are some states that will give you points for texting behind the wheel. This will also result in the insurance company raising the policy because it is treated like a minor traffic infraction.
The amount that your insurance will go up, depends on the state and your driving record. Keep in mind that not all companies will raise your policy and if you live in North Carolina or Idaho you don’t have to worry because it is illegal for insurance companies to raise the policy for this type of incident.
If you have a new teen driver it is very important to remind them about not texting and driving because this is the common way for teens to communicate nowadays. Thankfully there are multiple apps out there that will turn off text or messenger notifications while you are driving.
Encourage your teens to use this type of app to keep them from being tempted to answer a text. You can use it as well if you are guilty of not being able to ignore a message that comes in.
5. Attorney Assitance
If you have not been driving carefully and continue getting in trouble with the law and accumulating points, you might want to consider contacting an attorney for help. A lawyer can help avoid your license getting suspended.
An attorney also has experience with completely removing things off your driving record and can help you with this if the state you live in permits it. An attorney can also intervene if your license is about to face a suspension.
Having a professional in your corner will help because they are familiar with the local driving laws in your area. If you have to go to a hearing they will definitely be helpful with navigating the court system.
6. Points Even Without Driving
There are some states that will give you points on your license even if you are not driving a car. For example, in the state of Michigan, if you are driving an off-road vehicle or snowmobile and are convicted of a DUI, you will receive points for this incident.
7. Seat Belts Are Important
We all know the importance of wearing a seat belt but even more so when there are kids involved. In some states, if you receive a ticket for your kids not having their seatbelts on, you might get points for that. New York is one of those states that has strict requirements as far as kids wearing seatbelts goes.
Now You Know All About Driver Violation Points
As you can see there are quite a few things that come with having driver violation points. Driving is considered a privilege and therefore it is best to treat it like that. This will help you avoid spending extra money on tickets and worrying about having too many points.
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