Who in Mineola has not been cited for some sort of traffic infraction before? Something like a speeding ticket or a citation for failing to completely stop at a stop sign is not likely to land you in jail. Unfortunately, the perceived triviality of traffic infractions often prompts people to believe that they do not need to be taken seriously. Such people may end up coming to us here at The Law Firm of Michael R. Franzese shocked that they are now facing a license suspension. If you hope to avoid such a penalty, you may want to educate yourself on New York’s traffic points system.
According to the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles, you accumulate points depending on the nature of your traffic violation. The point totals for some of the more common infractions include:
- Reckless driving, texting while driving, failing to stop for a school bus: 5 points
- Following too closely: 4 points
- Ignoring a stop or yield sign, failing to yield the right-of-way, seatbelt violations: 3 points
Speeding violations have different point totals depending on how fast you were allegedly going. Driving up to 10 mph over the posted speed limit will result in 3 points, while driving over 40 mph over the speed limit will get you 11. It should also be noted that infractions due to failing to maintain current insurance or registration on your vehicle and parking violations will not result in points.
Point totals are counted over an 18-month period. Accumulating 11 points during that period will result in the suspension of your license. You can, however, appeal traffic infractions with the court. You can also take a DMV-approved point reduction program in order to avoid a license suspension. More information on dealing with traffic violations can be found here on our site.