Sooner or later, most people who regularly operate a motor vehicle will be pulled over by a law enforcement officer for a moving violation from speeding to running a red light or some other mistake we sometimes make while driving. Although nobody relishes the idea of going to court to challenge traffic tickets because we are not comfortable confronting the officer, speaking with an assistant prosecutor and appearing before a judge to plead our case. Many people believe that once they pay the fine, the matter ends there, however, that is generally not the end of the matter, but only the beginning. When they receive their insurance policy renewal, they are shocked to see that they their premium has soared as a result of a surcharge applied due to “penalty points” assessed by the Secretary of State due to the traffic ticket they admitted responsibility for.
By paying the ticket and admitting responsibility for traffic offenses, almost all traffic tickets add these points to your driving record. Racking up too many points over a period of time can result in severe penalties, including driver’s license suspension, traffic school, and in some situations even jail.