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What is a Moving Violation?
A moving violation is a type of traffic infraction. There are many types of moving violations, such as speeding, changing lanes without a signal, and driving under the influence (DUI). In some places, there are special police units dedicated to enforcement of laws that pertain to these violations. Generally, the consequence of such an infraction depends upon the type and severity of the moving violation.
A traffic infraction is an illegal offense that involves a motor vehicle. When the vehicle is in motion, this type of offense is commonly referred to as a moving violation. This is in contrast to other traffic violations that occur when the vehicle is not in motion, such as parking too close to a fire hydrant or leaving a vehicle in a no-parking zone.
There is a wide range of moving traffic offenses. They can range from minor offenses, such as changing lanes without a signal, to serious offenses, such as DUI. When a person is caught committing a minor traffic offense, she will generally be given a ticket by a police officer. This ticket may not prove that an individual is guilty. Instead, it may act as a person’s acknowledgment that she has been formally accused.
When a person receives a ticket for a moving violation, she may have the opportunity to go to court if she wishes to dispute the charges. If the moving violation is for a minor offense, she may be able to pay a fine without appearing in court. When the infraction is serious, however, the person may be arrested on the spot. This is often the case with DUIs and excessive speeding. In these instances, a person is usually required to appear in court.
A person convicted of a serious moving violation generally faces several consequences. A person may have to serve time in jail. She may lose her driver’s license. Her vehicle may be impounded. Generally, such convictions also require the individual to pay court fines and court costs.
A single minor moving violation does not usually result in the loss of driver’s licenses. Many jurisdictions maintain a system where each violation causes a person to incur a certain number of points. When the number of points incurred exceeds a set number, a person may lose her driver’s license. Points usually only remain on a person’s record for a certain amount of time. If a person incurs points but commits no further traffic infractions, her record should eventually be clean.
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![Running a red light is a form of moving violation.]()
By: HappyAlexRunning a red light is a form of moving violation. -
![A DUI charge is a form of moving violation.]()
By: zucheroA DUI charge is a form of moving violation. -
![Speeding is a common moving violation.]()
By: Food photoSpeeding is a common moving violation. -
![Because it can result in grave injuries, crossing a railroad track illegally is considered a major moving violation.]()
By: ftfoxfotoBecause it can result in grave injuries, crossing a railroad track illegally is considered a major moving violation. -
![A person caught committing a minor traffic offense will generally be given a ticket by a police officer.]()
By: BurlinghamA person caught committing a minor traffic offense will generally be given a ticket by a police officer.
Discussion Comments
I live in Mississippi where there is no points system. Every time you get a ticket, it shows up on your driving record, along with how you handled it. This record is available to your insurance company and potential employers. Your insurance premiums can rise according to this record.
I have a friend with bad driving habits. He has had to pay high premiums because of his negative record. Luckily for him, though, since 2006, Mississippi has been offering drivers the opportunity to get their driving records wiped clean by attending a driving school.
He went to it, and he said they had to watch documentaries on wrecks and take simple tests with obvious answers. His record is now clean.
My boyfriend in high school never used a turn signal. He had grown up driving on old dirt roads where no one cared much what you did, so he just never got into the habit.
Whenever we would go into town on a date, he would forget to signal when turning. He often forgot even when a cop was either behind or in front of him. He got so many moving violation tickets that he eventually lost his license for awhile.
Not being able to drive was so hard on him that he developed the ability to remember to signal once he got his license back. I feel safer riding with him now.
My little sister is bad about speeding. She got her first ticket for a moving violation, and she was so worked up that she cried all the way home. She thought she was going to have to appear in court.
When we explained to her that she could just pay the ticket off and move on, she got so happy that she cried tears of joy. Cops can be so intimidating, and I think she associated getting stopped and receiving a ticket with inevitably going to jail.
I was the victim of a wreck that involved the other party getting a moving violation ticket. Thankfully, it was just a fender bender.
I was sitting in a parking lot at a traffic light, waiting to pull out onto the highway. The only car coming toward me was approaching on the highway in the right turn lane with his signal on. I went ahead and pulled out, but at the last second, he moved into the lane to go straight and hit my car.
His moving violation was that he switched lanes directly under a traffic light. I did not know until this accident that you weren’t supposed to do that, but it makes perfect sense. I could not have known he was about to change his mind, and legally, I could turn right on red.
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