VEHICLE & TRAFFIC:
Traffic Tickets, Auto Insurance, and the Department of Motor
Vehicles
Most everybody who drives a car gets a traffic ticket sooner
or later. Some traffic tickets are crimes with criminal
penalties, such as driving while
intoxicated (DWI) or reckless
driving. If you have one of these traffic criminal charges, you
should click the criminal law hyperlink and and treat the case
as you would any crime. But most traffic tickets are violations
resulting in fines for things like speeding, running red lights,
equipment violations, and illegal passing. As a practical
matter, few people ever go to jail for those types of offenses.
So why bother hire an attorney for traffic infractions?
There are two primary reasons to have an attorney for traffic
tickets: points and insurance.
If you get a traffic ticket and you plead guilty, the department
of motor vehicles (DMV) will assign you a certain number of
"points" which go on your driving record. The
table shows how
many points you get for various offenses. Too many points and
DMV will revoke your license, whether or not the judge gives you
a break. It is always good to have as few points as possible on
your driving record. If you live outside of New York State and
get a ticket in New York, all other states and Canadian
provinces have access to your New York ticket conviction
information and will assess you points. Whenever you get a
ticket, it is advisable to see if you can get the charge reduced
or dismissed so you don't accumulate points.
Your auto insurance rate is the other major reason for you to
fight a traffic ticket. The Department of Motor Vehicles in New
York has a computer which keeps track of your moving violations,
and insurance companies across the country and in Canada have
access to this data base. If you have a license from a state
other than New York, the New York motor vehicle computer shares
its information with your state. Your insurance company will
access all of the state and provincial computers across the US
and Canada and will rate you based on your driving record of
accidents and moving violations wherever they occurred and
increase your insurance rates accordingly. The worse your
record, the higher your insurance rates will be. With a really
bad record, your insurance company can cancel your auto
insurance policy.
If you are involved in an auto accident and you get a ticket, it
is absolutely essential that you have an attorney represent you.
Auto accidents result in lawsuits. If you just plead guilty to
the charge, your admissions and conviction can be used against
you in the civil suit. Depending on your level of insurance,
that could cost you a lot of money. We can help you avoid
serious financial liability.