Usually getting points is a good thing, but not when it’s on your driver’s license. While there are courses offered to help you offset any violations that you might receive, implementing the safety measure you learned in your driving lessons in San Francisco is a better solution. But it’s never a bad idea to learn more about how driver’s license points are assigned to better prepare for the road.

1. 1. Insurance companies don’t use the state’s motor vehicle department point system
      While both state motor vehicle departments and insurance companies use a point system to track your traffic violations, they use different systems for evaluating points. The state’s system is used to track your violations and if your license can be suspended or revoked. Insurance companies use their own point system to decide how much to raise your rate depending on the type of violation.
   2. Not all states use point systems
      There are actually nine states in the US that don’t use points to track you’re driving, but simply monitor you’re driving based on the number of violations. In Oregon, if you have four convicted violations in a two-year period, you can lose your driving license for 30 days. But don’t think that no points doesn’t affect your insurance, auto insurers review your record regularly and can still adjust your rates.
   3. Driving violations add up and can cost you your license
      Many states have a limit for the amount of points that can be allowed in a time period before your license will be revoked. Penalties for violations or accidents on your record are different from state to state. In California, your license will be suspended if you receive 4 points within 12 months, 6 points within 24 months, or 8 points within 36 months.
   4. Not all violations will add points to your license
      Some smaller violations such as broken lights, parking tickets, and fix-it tickets will not be add points to your license.
   5. Points can stay with you for years
      Every state has a different length of time that they hold the points on your record. Some states let points fall off of your record after two or three years but more serious offenses can stay for over 10 years. In the State of California, most one point convictions, like speeding, remain on your record for three years. A DUI stays on your record for 10 years.
   6. There are ways to remove points quickly
      If you’re worried about the number of points that are racking up on your license, there is a way to get them removed faster than waiting for a few years. Most states will allow you to take a defensive driving course to get a violation removed before it’s applied to your record. Your Bay Area driving course should have taught you safe and law-abiding techniques that will keep you out of trouble. Avoid getting points on your license in the first place by implementing what you learned at Bill’s Defensive Driving School.