In many situations, points are a sign of praise and excellence… which is the complete opposite in the world of driving. Points on your license will not only become very costly in terms of your insurance, but they could result with your driver’s license being revoked altogether. Thankfully, we’ve compiled information you should know as a driver to avoid these points and the headaches that come along with them. With this being said, here’s a look at some of these easily avoidable issues.

States With No Point Systems

Surprisingly enough, not all states use a point system to tally against your record. However, these states still monitor bad behavior… leading to a license being revoked. A great example would be Oregon, as four convictions or four accidents in a span of two years (in their great state) can lead to a license being revoked for thirty days. States working without a point system are:

  • Wyoming
  • Washington
  • Rhode Island
  • Oregon
  • Mississippi
  • Minnesota
  • Louisiana
  • Kansas
  • Hawaii

The issue these marks leave on your driving record is that they can seriously effect your auto insurance costs… even if there’s no point system on your record.

No Points, But Still Have A Price

Some driving violations won’t add points to your license, but there’s still a price to pay… whether it be immediate or long term. As most violations such as fix-it or parking ticket require a small fine, serious violations such as a DUI will make your insurance much more pricey than it needs to be. Certain areas go further than a bill or a slap on the wrist with a DUI charge, as some states will suspend your license, which automatically skyrockets your auto insurance.

Texting & Driving

Although texting and driving has been banned in forty-one states, many people still find the need to text when the road should be the main focus. The violations for texting and driving vary from state to state, so here’s a quick look how this can impact your driving record:

  • Wisconsin – Four Points
  • West Virginia – Three Points After Third Violation
  • Virginia – Three Points
  • Vermont – Two Points First Offense; Five Points In Subsequent Offense
  • Nevada – No Points First Offense; A Repeat Offense Adds Four Points
  • North Dakota – Moving Violation
  • New Jersey – Third Offense Adds Three Points
  • New York – Five Points
  • Nebraska – Three Points
  • Missouri – Two Points
  • Maryland – Moving Violation & A Point; Three Points If Attributed To An Accident
  • Kentucky – Three Points
  • Georgia – One Point
  • Florida – Within Five Years: Moving Violations & Three Points; Two Points In School Safety Zone; Six Points If Attributed To An Accident
  • District Of Columbia – Moving Violation & Point; Three Points If Attributed To An Accident
  • Colorado – A Point
  • Alabama – Two Points

Point Lifespan On Records

With much of this relying on the state and circumstances, the average lifespan of a point can range from one to ten years. As smaller violations may last two to three years, DUI and hit-and-run related violations often last ten years depending on the state where it happened.

How To Demerit Points

As points are fairly detrimental – and costly – to your auto insurance bill, there’s still hope to get them reduced or removed from your name. Some states offer defensive driver courses that help dismiss a violation before it does damage to your record. With states such as Virginia, a safe driving point snare is offered when a driver goes an entire year without a violation. Although there’s ways to get smaller violations removed or reduced, a serious violation (such as a DUI) may be a lingering problem for years to come.