The point system makes every traffic ticket significant

You know that a traffic ticket can affect your insurance rates, but did you also know that North Carolina law adds points to your driving record every time you get a citation? At Christina Rivenbark & Associates, we understand the importance of maintaining a clean record to prevent license suspension and other serious problems down the line.

The North Carolina Driver’s Handbook explains that some traffic violation convictions result in very few points. For example, if you are caught throwing litter out of your car window, you may only get one point. On the other hand, if you pass a stopped school bus, you may have eight points applied to your record. Tailgating, passing illegally and failing to yield the right of way to a pedestrian or bicycle are all worth five points.

As you can see, the risk of harm to property and people is related to the number of points. However, the points are accumulated over a period of time – three years. So even if you get a speeding ticket (three points), and then a couple of years later, you fail to stop at a stop sign (four points), you have reached the seven-point mark and must complete a driver improvement clinic, the cost of which you must pay yourself. This only removes three points from your record, though. If you then pass a stopped school bus, or acquire eight more points through other citations, your license will be suspended.

More information about minimizing the effects of a traffic ticket is available on our webpage.