Drive Responsibly in Texas

Drive Responsibly in Texas

Many Texas drivers are not aware that when a driver is cited with a certain traffic violation the state assigns a series of points against the violator. The Driver Responsibility law established a system of points toward Class C misdemeanor violations and also applies various surcharges. Those drivers who accumulate too many points may even face license suspension. The point system was originally implemented as a method of tracking those less than safe drivers, but it has been found to generate significant income for states.

Under this law, an offender accumulates two points for a moving violation in Texas or in another state. However, points will not be assigned for speeding less than 10% over the legal speed limit or for a failure to wear a seat belt conviction. A child safety seat violation accrues two points. If the moving violation results in an accident then three points will be assessed. Points accrued remain on the driver's record for three years from the date of conviction date. This can result in an extremely burdensome financial drain for a driver because these financial assessments are charged annually over this three year period. Additionally, the driver's insurance company may (and likely will) choose to increase insurance rates.

At the end of the year, drivers with greater than six points on their licenses will be required to pay an assessment fee of $100 plus $25 for each additional point. Criminal traffic offenses, such as driving while intoxicated, failure to carry proper liability insurance, driving while license is invalid or driving without a license, will result in the assessment of other surcharges. These surcharges are in addition to the point based system. The state can asses this surcharge annually for up to three years. An assessment notice will be sent to the driver and if it is not paid within 30 days the driver's license will be suspended. Driving privileges remain suspended until the fine is paid. In some circumstances the driver can establish an installment agreement.

So the next time you feel that jolt of panic as you speed past a highway patrolman, or the next time you approach that stop sign, beware the Driver Responsibility Program and the point system. Texas has a relatively low point count compared to some other states.

It is advisable to give serious thought to any citation you receive. Simply paying the fine to resolve the ticket may result in fines and lead to eventual license suspension. Paying that traffic ticket could merely be the tip of the financial iceberg. If you believe the citation is not justified then you have the right to contest that citation. A driver may check the status of the driver's license by ordering a driving record report. This is a great resource to check how many points will be shown against the license.