Connecticut’s Point System: The Points Associated with Different Traffic Offenses

Interviewer: Give me a list of the top traffic offenses that people come to you for help on and what are the points associated with them.

Jack: Speeding is the most common traffic offense and will result in one point. Stop sign violations are two points. Passing on the right is three points. Passing a stopped school bus is four points. Negligent homicide with a motor vehicle is five points.

Interviewer: What are the most common ones that you encounter in your practice?

Jack: Speeding, going through red lights and stop signs, failure to drive a reasonable distance apart, and failure to grant right away are the most common infractions I encounter. On occasion, I also handle driving the wrong way on a one- way street.

Moving Violations Most Commonly Carry Points

Interviewer: How about not wearing a seat belt? Does that infraction carry points with it?

Jack: I don’t think so. It’s more the moving violation that has points associated with it.

Interviewer: When people come to you with tickets do they typically have multiple citations or will they just have one?

Points Can Increase Your Car Insurance Rates

Jack: It varies. The person who has more than one infraction on their record is the most concerned about getting up to the ten points. Sometimes if they’ve already received a warning letter after six, they’re scared that the new ones going to cause them to lose their license.

Still there are people who are afraid of their insurance company. Remember the insurance company assesses their own risk, does their own risk evaluation and has their own point system so people are mostly afraid of rising premiums.

A History of Car Accidents Coupled with Infractions Will Result in Your Car Insurance Rate Rising

Interviewer: When will people’s insurance premiums go up? Will insurance rates rise with just one point?

Jack: If you don’t have much of an accident history or moving violation history, one point just doesn’t usually move the needle but you’ll see if there’s been an accident or a claim or two and you pick up one point that can do it.

If you start accumulating points you can almost guarantee that your insurance is going to be increased, or your carrier will drop you entirely.

How Much Can You Expect your Insurance Rate to Rise if You Have Points on Your License?

Interviewer: How much will the rate increase?

It Is Advantageous to Retain an Attorney to Handle Your Traffic Infraction

Jack: Yes, hundreds of dollars per pay period. I’ve seen them go up $400.00 or $500.00. Paying a lawyer a modest fee to get rid of a ticket is fiscally prudent.

Interviewer: I guess, let’s say a two point or three point ticket, what do you think that would cost someone between fines and fees and the increased insurance over three years, what do you think the total is?

Jack: It would add hundreds of dollars to their insurance premium.

Interviewer: It could easily be $500.00 or $1,000 over a few years, right?

Jack: Yes, that is correct.

By Jack O’Donnell

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