When a police officer writes you a ticket, they don’t just force you to pay money that you would rather spend elsewhere. They also affect your driver’s license. Tennessee, like many other states, has a point system that affects people’s driver’s licenses.
Every time someone pays a ticket, they essentially plead guilty to the cited offense. They will then have a certain number of points assessed against their license. If the number of points accrued gets too high, that driver could potentially lose their license.
The more you know about the point system, the easier it will be for you to protect your driving privileges after a traffic stop.
What is the number of points assessed for different offenses?
Obviously, more serious traffic offenses carry more points. Speeding can carry between one and eight points. Those breaking the speed limit by 5 miles an hour (mph) or less only receive one point. Those exceeding the posted limit by 46 mph or more will get hit with eight points for that one offense.
Many moving violations carry three points, including improper following or texting while driving. Those under 18 using a cell phone will receive six points on their license. Reckless endangerment could mean eight points on your license, while leaving the scene of a crash will carry five points.
When will those points affect your license?
If you are under 18 and have more than six points added to your license in 12 months, you will possibly face suspension after a summons to an administrative hearing. If you are over the age of 18, accruing more than 12 points in 12 months can lead to the suspension of your license. Attending a hearing and a traffic class could help those with multiple tickets avoid a suspension in some cases.
Fighting against traffic tickets can help keep you on the road. Defending against the first traffic ticket means you don’t have to worry about subsequent citations. If you already have a few tickets on your record, defending against the most recent one could keep the number of points you have below the cut-off.
It is much easier to take the right steps to respond to a traffic ticket when you understand the consequences that traffic offense could carry.