Connecticut Traffic Violations

If you receive a ticket for committing a traffic violation in Connecticut, a local Connecticut court will be overseeing the processing of that citation. If you receive the ticket and want to pay the fine, your citation will have all the necessary information on how to submit payment to the local Connecticut court handling your violation.

If you want to dispute the charges, your ticket will also disclose a court date where you can expect to appear in front of a judge or hearing officer to address the merits of your case. If you choose to argue your innocence but are not successful, there can be additional court costs attached.

Finally, you may want to appear in court and plead guilty or nolo contendre ("no contest"). By appearing in court, you may be able to humbly request to enroll in a safe driving program or traffic school in order to avoid paying your traffic violation fine and having both the violation itself and the accompanying points from showing up on your Connecticut driving record.

Connecticut Points System

The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles oversees a "points system" for its drivers in order to keep habitually hazardous drivers off the roads. If you plead guilty in court or pay your traffic violation fine to the local Connecticut court handling the citation, you can expect points to appear on your Connecticut driving record. The following is a list of points that will appear on your Connecticut driving record if you commit certain traffic violations:

1 Point:

• Speeding
• Illegal Lane Usage
• Failure to Use Turn Signals Properly
• Driving the Wrong Way (One-Way Street)

2 Points:

• Disobeying a Traffic Officer
• Ignoring a Railroad Crossing Signal
• Ignoring a Stop Sign or Stop Light
• Turning from the Wrong Lane

3 Points:

• Improper Passing
• Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian
• Tailgating
• Failure to Yield to an Emergency Vehicle

4 Points:

• Passing a Stopped School Bus
• Driving with the Intent to Harass
• Speed Racing

Once you receive these points on your Connecticut driving record, they will remain there for two years.

Suspension of Your Connecticut Driving Privileges

Points can accumulate quickly against your Connecticut driving record. If you accumulate too many, the Connecticut DMV will suspend your Connecticut driving privileges. If you get 6 points against your Connecticut driving record, the Connecticut DMV will mail you a written warning to explain the consequences you face if you continue to amass points against your Connecticut driving record. Once you incur ten points, your Connecticut driving privileges will be suspended for one month. If you accumulate an additional ten points in a 24-month timeframe, you will lose your Connecticut driving privileges for two years.

Further, your Connecticut driving privileges can be immediately suspended for a slew of reasons, even if you have no points on your Connecticut driving record to date. Examples include:

• Reckless Driving
• Filing False Reports with the Connecticut DMV
• Refusing to Stop When Ordered to Pull Over
• Vehicular Assault
• Possession of Alcohol by a Minor
• Driving on a Previously-Suspended License

These violations are considered serious infractions by the Connecticut DMV and can result in suspension of your driving privileges for anywhere from a month to five years.

Attending Traffic School in Connecticut

Unfortunately, the Connecticut DMV will not allow you to participate in a Connecticut driving school or driver improvement program to remove points or traffic violations from your Connecticut driving record. However, if you anticipate appearing in court to dispute your traffic violation or plead guilty, you may be able to receive an opportunity from the judge to enroll in a Connecticut defensive driving course or Connecticut traffic school. Because Connecticut courts have jurisdiction over online traffic schools, a Connecticut online traffic school or online driver improvement may qualify to satisfy court-ordered requirements. You should ask the court overseeing your traffic violation if this is an option.

If you have received 3 or more traffic violations on your record as an adult over the age of 25, the Connecticut DMV may also order you to enroll in a defensive driving program or traffic school. If you are under 25, the Connecticut DMV will order you to enroll in a traffic school if you have received just two traffic violation convictions.

The Benefits of a Clean Connecticut Driving Record

It is important as a Connecticut driver that you do everything possible to maintain a clean driving record, which may include considering the possibility of enrolling in a Connecticut online traffic school or Connecticut online driver improvement program. A Connecticut online traffic school will teach and refresh key safe driving habits and helpful defensive driving techniques, which in turn will help you avoid costly traffic violations that will eventually show up on your Connecticut driving record. Also, Connecticut online traffic school will help your case in the event you must appear in court to discuss a traffic violation, by showing that you are committed to safe driving. Finally, a clean driving record, including successful completion of a Connecticut traffic school or online defensive driving program can help you keep your insurance costs low by reassuring your insurance provider that you are not a risk for future traffic violations and avoidable accidents.

Connecticut Mature Drivers

Preventing your insurance premiums from increasing is not the only insurance-related benefit of online traffic school. You may even qualify for a discount on your insurance premiums, particularly as a Connecticut Mature Driver, a driver 62 years old or above. Completion of a Connecticut driver improvement program can take as much as 5% off your auto insurance costs. You should contact your insurance provider to see if you qualify and if a Connecticut online traffic school will satisfy the requirements for the insurance discount.

Connecticut Juvenile Drivers

Juvenile Drivers, drivers under the age of 18, can also obtain insurance discounts for completing safe-driving programs or traffic school. If you are, or a child in your household is, a juvenile driver, your auto insurance carrier will be able to discuss with you what discounts and other benefits are eligible to you for your successful completion of a Connecticut online traffic school or online driver improvement program.

Connecticut Classroom Traffic Schools

If you have been ordered by the Connecticut DMV to enroll in a Connecticut driver improvement program, or if you would like to participate in a traditional brick-and-mortar classroom setting for your Connecticut traffic school course in an attempt to lower your car insurance premiums, the Connecticut DMV recommends for state-approved driving programs under the tutelage of the following organizations:

• A Better Connecticut Driver
• Driving School Association of America
• The National Safety Council
• National Traffic Safety Institute

You may also want to contact the Connecticut DMV to see if your preferred traditional Connecticut traffic school will satisfy their requirements.