Points On Your License Can Result In Serious Complications
When a police officer pulls you over to give you a ticket, you might feel comfortable simply paying the fine. However, paying a ticket or pleading guilty to traffic offenses can negatively impact you in the long term. Usually, paying a ticket means you plead guilty to the traffic offense. If you do not contest a traffic violation, it can result in, among other consequences, steep fines, and a license suspension.
As a driver in Kentucky, you should know that points are added to your driver’s license each time you pay a traffic ticket or receive a traffic conviction. Unlike how it is with many things in life, where receiving points is a good thing, getting points added to your driver’s license is not a good thing. In Kentucky, drivers risk losing their driving privileges if they accumulate a certain number of points in a certain period. Depending on your situation, fighting a ticket could be the best thing to do.
Violations That Result in Points Being Added to a Driver’s License
Under the Kentucky Driver Point System, a driver starts with zero points on their license. Then they accumulate points for various offenses. Generally, points accumulate on a driver’s driving record to aid in identifying habitually negligent drivers. Below are some common offenses and their points value;
- Improper turn – 3
- Careless driving -3
- Failure to dim headlights – 3
- Failure to yield – 3
- Texting while driving – 3
- Improper use of a left lane – 3
- Reckless driving – 4
- Following too closely – 4
- Improper passing – 5
As you can note, most offenses in Kentucky result in three points being added to a driver’s license. Nevertheless, it is crucial to note that even an offense like making an improper turn that places three points on your record can push you closer to having your license suspended.
Suspension of Driving Privileges
In Kentucky, if a driver over the age of 18 accumulates twelve points within two years, their driving privileges may be suspended. On the other hand, a driver below the age of eighteen can lose their driving privileges as soon as they get more than six points on their license.
However, a driver facing the suspension of their license has an opportunity to meet with an officer prior to any possible suspension and have their case heard. A hearing could result in probation, but if not, a driver’s license could be suspended. Failure to show up for a hearing results in a driver’s license being suspended for half a year if it is the first time they have accumulated twelve points, and a year if it is the second time they have accumulated twelve points. A driver’s license may be suspended for twenty-four months for any subsequent accumulation of twelve points within two years.
If a driver is placed on probation, they will not be considered for probation again until twenty-four months have passed from the last date of any previous probation period.
Contact a London Criminal Defense Attorney
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Source:
drive.ky.gov/driver-licensing/Pages/Kentucky-Driver-Point-System.aspx#:~:text=Under%20the%20Point%20System%2C%20a,motor%20vehicle%20may%20be%20suspended.
