Illinois Traffic Tickets, Points and Violations
Receiving a traffic ticket is never a simple violation. Aside from fines there are also marks against your driving record. You also have your insurance company to worry about and whether they will increase your insurance rates. As a responsible driver, you should know the rules of the road and what consequences there are when you break them. Each ticket counts and each ticket can quickly affect your driving status.When you receive a ticket, putting it to the side will not make it go away. In fact, you have a certain period of time in which you will need to pay the traffic ticket or make court arrangements to contest the ticket. When you fail to do so, you will be responsible for greater costs associated with the traffic violation and possible suspension of your driver’s license.
In Illinois, unlike many states, attending a traffic school does not eliminate points from your record. But, it may save your license from being suspended and help to keep your insurance rates down. The way in which Illinois measures driver’s abilities is through a point system and each violation that you are cited for will accumulate marks/points against your record. When too many points occur, your driving privileges are gone!
When You Plead Not Guilty
When you plea not you will need to make arrangements to contest the ticket in court. When you receive your ticket, there will be a not guilty box on the ticketwhich you will need to check. You will also need to send the citation to the address provided on the citation within the specified timeframe. You can then expect to receive the information you will need on how to proceed and all information regarding contesting your case. If you peas guilty, you will need to submit the required fine amount with the citation and submit it within the allotted amount of time.
Illinois Traffic Convictions
When you understand the points that are associated with your traffic violations you understand the ways in which they affect your driving record. When you accumulate too many points your Illinois driver’s license will be suspended. Just as if you are cited with a serious violation such as a DUI.
Knowing the following points will help you to realize the importance of not getting yourself into the situation where you receive these violations.
- Driving over the maximum speed limit on a bridge or elevated structure: 10 points
- Not driving in the far right hand conditions: 10 points
- Driving less than the normal speed of traffic: 30 points
- Driving under the minimum speed limit on an Illinois tollway: 20 points
- Driving under the minimum speed limit: 5 points
- Driving over the speed limit in a school zone: 30 points
- Driving over the speed limit:
11 to 24 mph over the posted speed limit: 15 points
15 to 25 mph over the posted speed limit: 20 points
- Driving too fast for road and weather conditions: 10 points
- Reckless driving: 55 points
Penalties
When you are a Illinois motorist that you must take precaution not to be cited for more than three violations in a 12 month period. If you are cited of three or more convictions you may have your license suspended. Depending on the convictions will depend on the length of time that your driving privileges will be suspended.
Influence on Your Insurance
Insurance providers greatly monitor you driving record. This is for the simple fact that you become a greater risk to the insurance company when you are convicted of traffic violations. When you first apply for your insurance policy, the provider orders a copy of your driving report to assess the risk that you may be to the company. Basically, your driving record determines your insurance premiums and just one or two violations can increase your insurance rates.
When your policy holder feels you are a risk, they are entitled to canceling your coverage altogether. Remember that you are required to carry insurance on your vehicle at all times to be legal on the Illinois roadways.
If you have accumulated points against your record, there are ways that you can help to prevent the risk of your insurance rates increasing, such as attending a traffic school. Let 4DMV.com’s guides help you to determine the best options available in your particular situation.
Avoid Getting Illinois Traffic Tickets
The best means to not accumulate points against your driving record is to avoid getting the violations in the first place. How is this done? By knowing the rules of the road and taking all precautions that you don’t break them. Following a few simple rules, will help you in obtaining those unwanted tickets.
- Drive defensively. This means considering that other drivers are going to make traffic errors at any given time and be ready to respond to them.
- Be on the alert. This means do not get behind the wheel if you are upset and preoccupied, or if you are sleepy or drowsy. If you are on the road and experience such conditions then be sure to pull over to a safe location and get some rest.
- Focus on your driving. This means don’t be chatting with friends on your cell phone or texting or other matters that will take your focus from the road. No looking in the rearview mirror to check to make sure your mascara is on or your mustache is finely combed! Be in control of the vehicle at all times and make certain that your entire focus is on the road.
- Driving too fast
- Driving too slow
- Tailgating
- Improper and unsafe passing
- Failure to signal turns
- Failure to remain in own lane
- Improper following of merge in lanes
- Failure to yield
- Failure to stop
- Blocking intersection
- Irate Driving
- Ignoring NY driving rules