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Paying a traffic ticket can cost a motorist their license

On Behalf of | Jan 30, 2025 | Traffic Violations

Many drivers feel comfortable occasionally bending or breaking traffic laws. They trust their own ability to judge the situation and make the right choice. Police officers don’t know a driver’s history or what information they make a decision in traffic. They simply enforce the law as it stands. When police officers witness traffic violations, they can stop drivers and issue them tickets.

Those traffic citations may be associated with large fines. Many people decide to pay their tickets right away and put the whole matter behind them. That can be a major mistake. Drivers with multiple tickets could be at risk of losing their driving privileges.

The state tracks citations

A citation is effectively an accusation of breaking the law. Drivers have the option of defending against the claim that they drove inappropriately or paying the ticket and pleading guilty.

Those who plead guilty to traffic infractions have points added to their driving record. Traffic offenses generally carry between two and five points, although some more serious offenses can carry as many as eight points.

Those who accumulate six points on their driving record within three years or less have to pay a surcharge to the state. Once a driver has 12 or more points, the state can suspend their license. Motorists may then need to attend a defensive driving program or a driver improvement program to remove points from their records. However, there are limits to how often drivers can attend such programs.

Loss of driving privileges can be embarrassing and expensive. Fighting traffic tickets may help a motorist preserve their driving privileges and avoid surcharges, as well as insurance rate increases. Drivers may want to look into their options for defending against a recent traffic ticket instead of automatically paying the fine.