What that ticket REALLY cost you?
January 2001
When "Johnny Law" tickets you for speeding, or running through a STOP sign, or driving on the shoulder, the amount of the fine you have to pay is often the least of your worries. Once you have been convicted of a traffic violation, which includes the voluntary forfeiture of collateral, the court notifies the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). DMV will, then, post the conviction to your permanent driving record and, more importantly, will assign "demerit points" to you according to the severity of the traffic offense. Once you have accumulated 12 points against your record, DMV will send you a friendly notification that your driver's license has been suspended for a specific period of time, usually six (6) months.
The demerit points assigned by DMV will remain on your record for a period of two (2) years from the date that you committed the traffic offense. The good news is that one (1) demerit point is "released" from your record each year that passes without an additional conviction. You can also wipe a full five (5) points off your record if you are willing to spend a Saturday attending a "safe driving" school.
The greatest damage from these demerit points comes not from DMV, but from your own automobile insurance company in the form of increased premium costs. DMV is required to notify your automobile insurance carrier of certain convictions, such as DUI/DWI, and reckless driving. Furthermore, upon request by your automobile insurance company, DMV will always provide full details of the status of your driving record - and, be assured, your automobile insurance carrier will make such a request at least annually.
Of course, once your automobile insurance company learns that you have acquired demerit points against your record, it is a virtual certainty that your next premium bill will show a significant increase. Enough demerit points may very well cause your insurance company to refuse to renew your coverage once your existing policy expires. At that point, you become an "assigned risk," which means that some company will be forced to insure you - but you will pay dearly for such coverage!
Since demerit points are so important, I have set forth below some of the most common traffic offenses, and the demerit points assigned to each:
3 POINT VIOLATIONS
· failure to obey
a highway sign
· speeding 1-9 mph above posted limit
· improper u-turn · improper turn
· driving without headlights
· improper passing
· violations of right turn on red
· violation of Child Restraint law
4 POINT VIOLATIONS
· failure to obey
a traffic signal
· speeding 10-19 mph above posted limit
· failure to yield right-of-way
· speeding in a school zone
· speeding in a highway work zone
· driving wrong way on a one-way street
· following too closely
6 POINT VIOLATIONS
· DUI/DWI
· attempting to elude police
· passing a stopped school bus
· speeding 20 mph or more over posted limit
· driving with faulty brakes
· driving with obstructed windows
· racing
Additional traffic offenses and assigned demerit points can be reviewed at www.dmv.state.va.us