Westfield Massachusetts Traffic Violations

The best advice for handling traffic violations in Westfield Massachusetts is to avoid getting them. Westfield Massachusetts has particularly harsh laws on traffic law offenders, particularly with regard to traffic violation fines and the effects of traffic violations on your insurance.

If you commit a traffic violation you have 3 weeks to decide the next course of action. If you want to pay to simply pay the fine, look on your citation for contact information of the local Westfield Massachusetts municipal court with jurisdiction over your traffic violation. Your citation should tell you how to pay in person, online, by phone or by mail. If you pay the fine, you will be admitting guilt and waiving your right to a hearing, and the Westfield Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles ("RMV") will assign points against your Westfield Massachusetts driving record based on the severity of the traffic violation.

If you want to request a hearing, your traffic citation will also provide you with basic instructions on how to do so. A hearing will then be scheduled for you within the next few weeks after your request is received and you will have a chance to dispute the charges against you in front of a Westfield Massachusetts municipal court judge. Alternatively, you may appear in court and plead guilty, and request an opportunity to have the traffic conviction reduced or dismissed in exchange for your participation in some form of Westfield Massachusetts traffic school or driver improvement program. If you choose this option, you may want to contact an attorney experienced in traffic violation cases to discuss how to best pursue this course.

Westfield Massachusetts Points System

The Westfield Massachusetts point system, termed "surchargeable points", applies points against your Westfield Massachusetts driving record for each traffic violation you incur. The points system is almost needlessly complicated, so if you have incurred a recent traffic violation you should review the Westfield Massachusetts RMV's published specifics of the plan. However, here is a brief rundown

For minor traffic violations like speeding, you will receive two points against your record. For at-fault accidents resulting in less than $2,000 worth of damage, the Westfield Massachusetts RMV will assign 3 points against your record. If you are involved in a more serious, avoidable accident, you will receive 4 points. If you are engaged in a serious traffic violation such as a DUI, you will get 5 points on your driving record.

Westfield Massachusetts does not stop at points, however. These surchargeable points carry with them mandatory increases to your insurance premiums. For every point assigned to your record, your Westfield Massachusetts insurance costs will automatically be increased for the Collision, Personal Injury Protection, Damage to Other's Property, and Compulsory Bodily Injury portions of your insurance premiums. The Westfield Massachusetts RMV has estimated that these increases result in 15% higher premiums per point on those portions of insurance coverage for Westfield Massachusetts adult drivers who have points on their record, compared to Westfield Massachusetts drivers who have not received points. For younger drivers, the premiums are also considerably higher.

Westfield Massachusetts does offer some reductions to these extremely detrimental points. If you have a clean Westfield Massachusetts driving record for 36 months, then for each traffic violation you receive, the Westfield Massachusetts RMV will apply one less point to your record than is normally attached to that type of traffic violation. In other words, if you are caught speeding, but have had a clean Westfield Massachusetts driving record in the three years prior to being pulled over and ticketed, the Westfield Massachusetts RMV will only apply one point to your Westfield Massachusetts driving record and Westfield Massachusetts insurance premiums, rather than two.

These points do not come off your record easily, either. If you have surchargeable points against your Westfield Massachusetts driving record, you can expect to see them there for five years from the date the Westfield Massachusetts RMV placed the points on your Westfield Massachusetts driving record.

Suspension of Your Westfield Massachusetts Driving Privileges

The Westfield Massachusetts surchargeable points system can also lead to a suspension of your driving privileges. If you incur just 7 points in a three year period-less any reductions based on your previous three years' driving history-your Westfield Massachusetts driving privileges will be suspended for two months. The Westfield Massachusetts RMV will also suspend your license automatically for 30 days if you incur three traffic violations within a year. If you are under 18 years old and incur two traffic violations for "racing," your Westfield Massachusetts driving privileges will be revoked for at least six months.

As part of any of these mandatory suspensions, you may be required to partake in a driver retraining program. Further, if you receive only 5 net points against your Westfield Massachusetts driving record, the Westfield Massachusetts RMV may send you a written order asking you to enroll in a Westfield Massachusetts driver retraining program, which may include the prospect of a Westfield Massachusetts online traffic school or online driver improvement program.

Attending Traffic School in Westfield Massachusetts

Unfortunately, Westfield Massachusetts generally will not allow you to have a ticket dismissed or removed from your record simply by attending a Westfield Massachusetts driver improvement program. However, you may be able to have this option made available to you if you appear in court and receive permission from a Westfield Massachusetts municipal court judge overseeing your current traffic violation.

However, if you are ordered by a Westfield Massachusetts municipal court or the Westfield Massachusetts RMV to participate in a driver retraining program in order to have your Westfield Massachusetts driving privileges reinstated or avoid suspension in the first place, you can likely satisfy the requirements with a Westfield Massachusetts online traffic school or online driver improvement program. To take a Westfield Massachusetts online traffic school, you will need to contact the Westfield Massachusetts RMV or the Westfield Massachusetts municipal court and ask if your preferred Westfield Massachusetts online traffic school or online driver improvement program will satisfy the requirements attached to your order.

Further, if you are enrolling in the Westfield Massachusetts driver retraining program to avoid insurance premium increases or to voluntarily have your insurance premiums reduced prior to receiving a traffic violation, a Westfield Massachusetts online traffic school or online driver improvement program will likely satisfy your requirements. You should contact your Westfield Massachusetts insurance provider to be sure.

The Benefits of a Clean Westfield Massachusetts Driving Record

Westfield Massachusetts online traffic school and driver improvement courses are designed to help you become a smarter, safer, more defensive-minded driver by giving you the skills to avoid traffic accidents and resist committing traffic violations. Further, your insurance premiums in Westfield Massachusetts are a direct result of the cleanliness of your Westfield Massachusetts driving record, and a Westfield Massachusetts online traffic school or driver improvement program will help keep your record as clean as possible. Finally, the skills you learn in a Westfield Massachusetts driver improvement program will help you avoid traffic tickets in the first place, meaning you will avoid the extremely high fees that accompany them.

Westfield Massachusetts Mature and Juvenile Driver Insurance Discounts

Auto insurance carriers often provide special discounts for Mature Drivers, those drivers over the age of 55, and Juvenile Drivers, those drivers under the age of 18, who espouse a desire to improve their safe driving skills. In addition to keeping a clean Westfield Massachusetts driving record, you or a driver in your household may qualify for such a discount by enrolling in a Westfield Massachusetts online traffic school or driver improvement program. To see if you qualify, you should contact your local Westfield Massachusetts insurance provider and ask about available Mature Driver and Juvenile Driver insurance discount courses and programs.

Westfield Massachusetts Classroom Traffic Schools

If you are interested in a list of traditional, physical classroom-setting traffic schools, the Westfield Massachusetts RMV has provided a very detailed list of professional driving schools and public driving schools that have been pre-approved by the Westfield Massachusetts RMV and Westfield Massachusetts municipal courts. The classes are organized by city so you can ensure you enroll in a traditional classroom setting that will still be recognized by your local insurance provider or Westfield Massachusetts municipal court overseeing your traffic violations.