It is rarely in your best interest to plead guilty as charged or, to
simply pay off the ticket. Traffic tickets can increase your
insurance costs drastically. One insurance point is a 25% increase,
two points a 45% increase, and three points a 65%
increase. Scroll down the page to see how insurance points drastically
increase your insurance rates. It is unethical for an
attorney to guarantee a particular result however, I will apply my
experience, examine your record, and try to obtain the
best result for you.
North Carolina is a member of both the Driver License Compact and the Nonresident
Violator Compact. A license suspension
or serious ticket in any member state equals a ticket or loss of license
in ALL 48 member states. Nonmembers as of
January 2000 are: Michigan, Puerto Rico, and Wisconsin.
If
your license is suspended in North Carolina, you cannot obtain a license in any of the member states until
your privilege to drive in North Carolina is restored.
The North Carolina Safe Driver Incentive Plan (SDIP) was enacted by
the General Assembly to reward safe drivers with
the lowest possible insurance costs. Drivers who are convicted of moving
traffic violations and/or cause accidents will be
charged higher premiums in accordance with their driving records.
SDIP points are charged as follows for convictions and at-fault accidents
occuring during the Experience Period (The three
years immediately preceding the date of application of the preparation
of the renewal):
12 Points: Manslaughter or negligent homicide
Prearranged highway racing or lending a car for prearranged highway racing
Hit-and-run resulting in bodily injury or death Driving with a blood-alcohol level .08% or greater Driving while impaired Transporting illegal intoxicating liquor for sale
10 Points: Highway racing or lending a car for highway racing
Speeding to elude arrest 8 Points: Driving during revocation or suspension of license or registration Aggressive driving
4 Points: Reckless driving Hit-and-run, property damage only Passing a stopped school bus Speeding in excess of 75 mph or 80 mph in a 70 mph zone Driving after consuming alcohol or drugs, driver under 21
3 Points: At-fault accident resulting in death, or bodily injury over $1,800; or property damage of $3,000 or more
2 Points: Illegal passing Speeding in excess of 55 mph but less than 76 mph Driving on the wrong side of road At-fault accident resulting in property damage in excess of $1,800, but less than $3,000
1 Point: All other moving violations or at-fault accidents resulting in property damage or bodily injury of $1,800 or less
*** Special Exemptions ***
No SDIP points will be charged for:
Speeding 10 mph or less over the posted speed limit provided:
The violation did not occur in a school zone.
There is a clean driving record for the previous three years (a single
Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) will not
count as a prior conviction for the purpose of this exception).
One PJC for each household every three years, provided there are no other
PJC's incurred during that time. Only the higher of the accident or violation points will be charged when
a person is convicted of a violation in conjunction with an accident. Damage by animal or fowl contact; also flying gravel or falling objects.
