The Points System for Driving in PA
If you’re convicted of a minor driving offense in Pennsylvania you will receive points on your license. Too many points and you could lose it altogether.
There are a host of moving traffic violations in Pennsylvania. If you plead guilty or are found guilty of any of them, you’ll have points added to your license. As soon as you get over a certain level, you’ll find it more difficult to get car insurance or even risk losing your license. It just goes to show, you don’t have to commit a serious traffic offense to put your license at risk.
The points system
Like many states, Pennsylvania operates a points system for driving violations. This will track your behaviour on the road and is intended to keep you on the straight and narrow.
Here are a couple of examples:
- Failing to obey someone directing traffic: two points.
- Tailgating: three points.
- Failing to stop at a stop sign: three points.
- Illegal U turn: three points.
- Leaving the scene of an accident: four points.
- Exceeding the speed limit by between six and 10 mph: two points.
- Breaking the speed limit by 11 to 15 mph: three points and a 15-day suspension if it happens in a work zone.
The magic number you should be worried about is six. Once you’ve accumulated six points on your license you may find your insurance premiums become much more expensive and you could run the risk of losing your license altogether.
Fighting your case
Getting points from a traffic officer, then, can be a big deal. Breaking the speed limit or running a stop sign is the kind of error many drivers can make. It only has to happen a few times for your license to be at risk.
That in turn could make it more difficult to find employment or get from A to B, especially if you live in a rural area.
If you are penalised, therefore, it’s worth contacting an attorney. Many people will just pay the ticket as quickly as possible, but that could be a mistake, especially if it’s a first traffic offense. However, by paying, you are agreeing to have points added to your license and this could come back to bite you later on.
An attorney will help you understand the implications of any charge and what your options will be. If possible, they will try to keep the points off your license or fight any potential suspension.
One other thing to remember: it is possible to get points removed from your license. For every 12 months which pass between offenses, you’ll have three points taken from your license. So, if you have received a ticket, it pays to drive with special care to stop them from piling up.
