Virginia Traffic Laws
Traffic laws are put in place in Virginia, as with any other state, to ensure road safety. These laws regulate the conduct of drivers on and off the road and are fully explained in the Virginia vehicle code. The traffic laws are comprehensive and are related to official documents like registration, driving license insurance and license plates. More precisely they describe how to navigate passing and turns, the permitted speeding limits, and various other rules of the road.
Your driving record will directly reflect your compliance with the Virginia Traffic Laws. The state follows a point system and every time you commit an offense, demerit points are added on your record. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicle will add safe points to your record if you keep your record clean of all violations for a full calendar year.
These points determine the validity of your license. When the points reach a certain limit, your license will be revoked or suspended. They are also influential in the employment process. Insurance companies also make use of these points to determine your premium rates. Any violation of the Virginia Traffic Laws results in penalties. The state of Virginia classifies traffic infractions into moving and non moving violations and assigns three four or six points depending upon the type of violation.
If your infraction is serious enough to warrant jail stay or significant fine, you will be asked o appear in front of the Virginia traffic court. The court will then determine whether your offense amounted to a criminal activity. For instance driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is considered a very grave offense and will require court appearance. The judge will be responsible for imposing appropriate penalties which can include confiscation or suspension of license. Traffic attorneys can assist you in the legalities of the whole process. Therefore if you can afford to have legal representation, you should hire an attorney.
The traffic police officer can issue a citation based on a number of reasons. The back of your ticket will detail the exact traffic code that you violated. You will generally get fifteen days to pay the fine in the form of check or money order. If you fail to do so a warrant may be issued for your arrest.