At this very moment, people in offices, warehouses, retail stores, construction sites and every other imaginable worksite across North Carolina are eagerly awaiting the end of their shifts so they can start enjoying the Labor Day weekend.
While many are planning a long weekend working or relaxing around the house, others are going to be hitting the road for destinations both near and far. Those who fall into this latter category will want to proceed with caution, however, as law enforcement will be out in full force looking to issue citations to motorists for speeding and any other traffic violations.
If you are tempted to discount this warning, thinking that a traffic citation is nothing to be too concerned about, it might be worthwhile to consider that motorists issued traffic citations here in North Carolina are assessed points for each traffic offense and that license suspension can result when too many points are accumulated during a set timeframe.
Indeed, state law declares that those motorists who accumulate 12 driver’s license points within a three-year period or eight points within a three-year period following a license reinstatement will see their driver’s license suspended for anywhere from 60 days to 1 year.
As to how many points can be accumulated per traffic offense, consider some of the following:
- Aggressive driving and passing a stopped school bus equals 5 points
- Reckless driving, following too closely, and hit and run (property damage only) equals 4 points
- Running a stop sign, running a red light and speeding in excess of 55 miles-per-hour equals 3 points
What this serves to demonstrate is that anyone issued a traffic citation should resist the temptation to simply pay the fine, and instead consider speaking with an experienced legal professional who can outline all of their options and fight on their behalf.