For the most part, occasional moving violations or fender-benders will have little impact on your driving record. However, there are five powerful ways that your license may be suspended which will significantly restrict your ability to get around and affect your insurance premiums. Here are the five most common ways you can have your license suspended.
- Accumulation of Points
Most states use what is known as a point system that assigns a numerical value to certain types of violations. For example, in California, you may have your license suspended for accumulating four points in just one year.
- Serious Offense
In some states, you can lose your driver’s license based on a single incident regardless of your past behavior. Such incidents include, but are not restricted to the following;
- DUI or DWI
- Vehicular homicide or manslaughter
- Leaving the scene of an accident
- A felony that involved the vehicle you were driving
For example, in Florida, the failure to pay for child support may result in an automatic suspension.
- Repeated Offenses
This is similar to losing your driver’s license based on point accumulation. However, you can also lose your license if you repeatedly commit the same crime even if you have not reached the maximum number of points. Since this is more of a judgment call, there is no official example from any state.
You may also get your license suspended through a quick succession of offenses even if they were not related. For example, being ticketed for three or four offenses in a six-month period might tag you with “habitual offender” which in turn suspends your license.
- Inaccuracies in Your Driving Record
Although this is rare, it is possible that your driving record may include offenses that no longer exist or have been exonerated, yet not removed. Such incidents include, but are not restricted to the following;
- Inaccurate tally of driving record points
- Being found not guilty in DUI or DWI cases
- Completing traffic school, but not having that stated on your record
While rare, sometimes this does occur which is why you should check your driving record every so often so that inaccurate information can be removed.
- No Proof of Insurance
This will depend on the state where you live as different rules apply. However, not having proof of insurance may get your license suspended. For example, Illinois has one of the strictest laws concerning proof of insurance.
Impact on Your Insurance Premiums
If your driver’s license is suspended, it can have a severe impact on your insurance premiums. Depending on some factors, your insurance premiums could go up 20% or more especially if your suspension was due to a major infraction such as a DUI. Each insurance company has their individual assessment of how they will adjust your rates for a suspended driver’s license.
The good news is that after a pre-set period of time the infractions will be removed from your record, and your rates will be lowered as a result. Also, you may be able to take driver’s training or other recognized courses to help reduce your rates.