Moving Vs. Non-Moving Violations In New Jersey
Here is an interesting fact about New Jersey: a study found that it has multiple cities that are among the worst 100 cities to drive in in the United States. In fact, distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic in New Jersey as it is the major contributing factor in almost 80,000 motor vehicle crashes state-wide from 2012 to 2016. In 2016, speeding was the third leading cause of fatal crashes in New Jersey. Thus, it comes as no surprise that tens of thousands of drivers receive speeding tickets each year. In every state, traffic laws are put into place to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities. Such traffic laws police mainly two kinds of driving violations: non-moving and moving. Read on to learn more about moving vs. non-moving violations, and their associated penalties.
Understanding Non-Moving Violations
Essentially, non-moving violations are infractions that occur with stationary vehicles. In such instances, the punishment is limited to smaller fines and no demerit points are issued. Non-moving violations involve illegal parking on a crosswalk or in a loading zone, poor vehicle maintenance such as having broken headlights or faulty brake lights, missing license plates, and making illegal modifications to your car like window tinting that is darker than state regulations. At the same time, if you are driving without insurance or are using an approval sticker without inspection, you can be fined up to $1,000 and $1,500 respectively.
Understanding Moving Violations
In contrast, a moving violation involves an offense where a motor vehicle is in motion. This could include running a stop sign, speeding, and hit-and-run, among others. A DUI charge is perhaps one of the most serious moving traffic violations you can be charged with. With moving violations, points will be imposed against your license. Your insurance rates will also be raised between 10-25%. You will likely incur court costs, fines and surcharges too. An accumulation of six points on your license will result in a surcharge of $150 per year for three years. After which, each additional point will cost you another $25 for three years. If you accumulate a total of 12 points, your license will be suspended.
The Adverse Consequences of Ticket Points
As of 1st January 2020, the New Jersey law where drivers’ licenses are suspended for unpaid fines and other non-moving violations has been repealed. It was found that license suspension was counterproductive since many drivers disregarded this and continued driving. However, the removal of mandatory license suspension does not mean that drivers can get complacent because the regular accumulation of fines and tickets is financially damaging on its own. As tickets accrue and points begin to rack up, the monetary consequences will get more severe in the form of surcharges imposed on top of a ticket. Furthermore, drivers will need to contend with their insurance premiums being raised. You may then be perceived as a “high-risk driver”, and will be assessed as a liability. Consequently, your new risk status will also lead to higher insurance rates.
Non-monetary repercussions can become an immense inconvenience too. Temporarily losing your driving privileges can throw your daily schedule entirely off-balance, resulting in difficulty traveling around, extended traveling times and reduced accessibility to out-of-the-way areas.
How Can an Attorney Help Me?
A straightforward solution is to hire an experienced municipal court attorney to handle your infraction(s). The likelihood of a New Jersey driver being slapped with a traffic violation and having your license suspended is high. Avoid unjust insurance spikes, surcharges, and the loss of your driving privileges by contacting us at Carcich O’Shea today.