Impact of Bucks County Traffic Points
In Pennsylvania, there is a point system that is established by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. This is referred to as the Bucks County demerit point system. It indicates the amount points that are accumulated over a specified period of time, depending on the offense, and upon the points reaching a required number, the individual then faces an immediate license suspension. A credible traffic attorney can help you navigate the consequences and impact of Bucks County traffic points on your license.
How Many Points can a Driver Accumulate?
Bucks County traffic laws are the same as the whole State of Pennsylvania allowing an individual to accrue up to seven points or more per event. In dealing with the Bucks County demerit point system, once a person exceeds a requisite number of points, their license is automatically suspended.
Their driver’s license can only be renewed, or the points are withdrawn, between three and seven years. This makes any traffic infraction serious and any individual facing such should always challenge them before the Magistrate in the District Court for Bucks County.
Can A Driver Accumulate Good Points on their Licenses?
Drivers who consistently follow traffic regulations are less likely to suffer the potential impact of Bucks County traffic points. However, in Pennsylvania, inclusive of Bucks County, there is no credit for accumulating “good” points on an individual’s driver’s license. Pennsylvania merely requires drivers to drive vehicles in a safe and lawful manner. No credit is given to an individual who has driven three or four years with no infractions, for example.
However, this fact can be used when charged with an infraction as a defense with the use of negotiation skills of an experienced Bucks County traffic lawyer to negotiate a sentence well below that which would carry points, and show as a reason for such mitigation the fact that the person has never had a driver’s license infraction or that it has been years since their last infraction.
Defining the Long-Term Impact of License Penalties
The long-term impact of an individual having no or few points on their driving record is that an individual who strives to lawfully protect their license in the long run will not face license suspensions mandatory by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and, in many cases, insurance risk rates going sky high.
Being able to keep any offense below that which carries points often is not even reported to insurance companies. Thus, fighting every traffic infraction that carries points is of the utmost importance in protecting an individual’s license and insurance rates.
Inclusion of Points for Infractions Committed in Other Jurisdictions
In jurisdictions that have reciprocity with Pennsylvania generally, inclusive of Bucks County, points can be transferred from New Jersey and/or Delaware to Pennsylvania, for example. The laws on reciprocity are changing on a yearly basis. On some occasions points can be attributed from one state to another while on other occasions they will not be.
As the laws change, the necessity of having an attorney who understands the current impact of Bucks County traffic points is essential. That is the only way an individual can be advised properly on how to handle any sort of traffic infraction before their court of law.
