Speeding

Getting a speeding ticket in North Carolina can potentially have significant negative consequences, especially if you already have several similar violations on your driving record.

North Carolina speeding ticket fines vary, but can depend on how far above the posted speed limit the driver was traveling when clocked by a police officer. Speeding at 40 miles per hour or more over the limit can possibly amount to jail time and fines of up to $500. In fact, North Carolina is considered by some to have some of the harshest speeding penalties in the nation.

Speeding mightalso lead to some drivers temporarily losing their licenses. In North Carolina, you can be assigned a certain number of points every time you are convicted of a traffic violation. Point values can differ for various offenses. Speeding might result in three points, while more serious violations can potentially cause five or more points to be added to your record. If you are issued 12 or more points in the span of three years by the state Department of Motor Vehicles, your license could potentially be suspended for up to 60 days. If you are convicted of even more violations, you could also possibly face additional suspensions of six and 12 months, respectively. In extreme cases, you could potentially even have your license permanently revoked.

Getting a speeding ticket in North Carolina can also cause your insurance rates to rise. Insurance companies might use a similar point system to that used by the DMV to assess the severity of a given offense and possibly assign points accordingly. For instance, a driver convicted of speeding by more than 10 miles per hour over the limit in a 55 mph zone might earn two points, while more severe speeding citations may cause him or her to earn four or more points. Insurance companies can possibly use the number of points on your record in conjunction with the guidelines found in the North Carolina Personal Automobile Manual to set your insurance rates.

In order to learn more about your specific speeding violation, you may want to contact a North Carolina traffic attorney. We at Powers McCartan PLLC offer comprehensive legal assistance and can work to help you build the defense you may need to properly challenge your North Carolina speeding ticket in traffic court. The North Carolina DMV’s point system is considered one of the most complicated systems of its kind, making it difficult to understand without the extensive knowledge of an accomplished attorney. At Powers McCartan, we can help you navigate the complicated DMV system in order to better fight your speeding charges.