If you received a speeding ticket in New York you probably have a number of questions on how it will affect your license, insurance and how much will it cost you over time. One of the main questions that drivers ask is whether a defensive driving course or going to traffic school helps in any way. In short it can help but not in the way most people believe.
There are plenty of misconceptions out there about a defensive driving course only because the law in every state is different. In New York if you have a speeding ticket you can be facing fines of $235 and up.
Do My Points Get Erased In New York If I Take A Defensive Driving Course?
A defensive driving course can help lower insurance premiums but it does not completely wipe away points in New York. In New York if you accumulate 11 points within an 18 month period then your license will get suspended. Taking a defensive driving course will give you a credit of up to 4 points BUT only for tickets you already received. Therefore, if you get a 4 point ticket, it will reduce your point accumulation total to 0. If you got a 3 point ticket, it will reduce your accumulation to 0, etc. but if you did not get any tickets, taking the course won’t reduce anything because it can’t be used to “bank” credits for the future.
Importantly, despite the credit applying to up to 4 points you have received in the past, the whole conviction still stays on your record to be seen by your insurance company. This means that fighting your ticket and beating the ticket before you are found guilty or plead guilty is your best option to avoid paying insurance companies money.
Taking a defensive driving course will reduce your insurance premium by 10%. You are only allowed to take the course once every three years for the 10% reduction. At the same time certain speeding tickets are said to increase insurance rates up by 22%.
Insurance companies would like you to believe that the points are not a big deal, because you can take a defensive driving course to save you 10% on your increased rates. However, the insurance company will make so much more money if you plead guilty to a ticket that carries a number points because you can end up paying for it with a much bigger increase than 10% for the next 3 years that was caused by the ticket you pled guilty to.
How Do I Go About Fighting My Speeding Ticket?
It might cost a little more money upfront to fight a traffic ticket at first but every point and fine that a lawyer helps drop from your license can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of 3-4 years.
Hiring an attorney is your best option because as a licensed professional an attorney is able to negotiate a reasonable settlement or possibly have the ticket dismissed all together.
The attorneys at Rosenblum Law are experienced in negotiating settlements and fighting traffic tickets. Call today for a free consultation about your traffic ticket matter.