Finally gaining the ability to drive is an exciting time in every teen’s life. You have spent the last year or so behind the wheel with your parent in the passenger seat, telling you where to turn, reminding you to slow down, and panicking anytime you have to stop abruptly. Gaining experience behind the wheel with your parents by your side is a right of passage that every teen goes through. When you are finally handed the keys to drive on your own, the freedom is exciting, but can also lead to traffic violations if you are not careful. Coming home with a traffic ticket in hand is most teens’ nightmare. You should know what to do if you ever find yourself being pulled over by an officer to avoid exacerbating the situation.

Talk to Your Parents

It is never a good idea to try to hide the traffic ticket from your parents. Some teens may attempt to do this and wind up making the consequences of the speeding ticket much worse than it would have been if they were honest upfront. It is critical that you discuss the situation with your parents so that they can provide you with guidance on how to move forward. Most may assume that getting a ticket means you are guilty of the listed offense; however, you can challenge the ticket with the help of your parents and an attorney.

Anyone who has a driver’s license understands how easy it is to break a traffic law. Speeding can quickly become second nature, and running a red light may not seem as serious when you are in a rush. The worst thing about it? The more you break these seemingly minor traffic laws without getting caught, the more likely you are to continue doing it. 

Texas is ranked as one of the top five states for issuing traffic tickets and the state has seen its fair share of violations. According to Safe2Drive, the fastest speeding ticket in the world was issued in Texas in 2003, with a recorded speed of 242 mph. Speeding is one of the most common violations that occur, but it is considered minor in the state of Texas. Depending on the risk that the violation poses on the driver themselves and the other drivers on the road, particular traffic offenses can be considered major and come with severe criminal penalties.

In late March, Texas Governor Abbott urged Texans to remain at home unless deemed an essential worker or participating in an essential activity. This resulted in the temporary closing of many small businesses, restaurant services switching to takeout-only, and much of the Texas workforce working remotely from home. Because of this, Texas roadways had fewer drivers and a reduced number of vehicles on city streets. A recent report showed shocking statistics for a number of states, including Texas. Despite reduced traffic, Texas saw a 6 percent increase in roadway deaths within the first three months of the year. Texas is not alone and the National Safety Council (NSC) has a few explanations for the surprising numbers. In order to address this increase in reckless driving, law enforcement may be recording speeding and other traffic violations more often than normal.

Open Roads Lead to Recklessness

One would think that empty roads, with fewer vehicles, would lead to a decrease in car accidents and resulting fatalities. Unfortunately, Texas saw the opposite effect, along with 10 other states. The NSC attributes this rise in fatal car accidents to drivers’ disregard for road regulations. They believe that drivers are seeing the open roads as an opportunity for faster speeds and other forms of reckless driving since there are fewer cars that could pose a danger. The NSC has noted an uptick in speeding and also believes that driving regulation adjustments may be partly to blame. In order to avoid social exposure, some states have repealed requirements for teen drivers to pass driving tests before obtaining their license and others have relaxed hours of service rules for commercial drivers. 

Obtaining a driver’s license for the first time can be one of the most exciting events in a teenager’s life. After spending hours behind the wheel, attending various driving courses, and getting yelled at by nervous parents as they are learning to drive, being able to finally ride on the roads without parental supervision can make a minor finally feel independent. However, driving without parents in the car does not mean that young motorists have surpassed the various restrictions allotted to new drivers. Many teens incorrectly believe that once they have a driver’s license, they have the same rights on the road as any other driver. Understanding the restrictions that exist for new drivers is extremely important before hitting the road, especially since traffic violations can have a significant effect on a person's license and insurance rates, and serious violations may even lead to criminal charges and a lifelong criminal record.

License Phases

Each state has its own rules for new drivers, and it is imperative to have a good understanding of this, whether you are a parent or a new teen driver. In Texas, there are two types of driver’s licenses, known as “phases,” and each phase has its own rules and regulations.

Traffic laws vary from state to state, and while the rules may seem relatively similar, you should understand how the consequences change as you cross state lines. Drivers who violate traffic laws can receive traffic tickets, and they may face serious fines and fees. What many people do not realize is that receiving a traffic violation can lead to more than just an expensive ticket.

Common Offenses and Their Penalties

Traffic violations come in many different forms — and so do their legal consequences. Speeding may be the first type of violation to come to mind, but drivers may face hundreds of dollars in fines and other consequences for a variety of other reasons, including driving without a seat belt, texting while driving, driving without a valid license, or failing to maintain liability insurance. Charges can become even more serious for offenses such as reckless driving or DWI, and in these cases, drivers may face license suspension or even jail time.

Seeing the red and blue flashing lights behind you is a situation that every driver hopes to avoid. You slow down, pull over to the side of the road, and hope that you do not receive a high-priced ticket. What many people fail to realize is that paying a large fee is not the only legal consequence of a traffic violation, and in many cases, even those who do not receive a ticket may still face penalties or consequences to their driving records.

What Is the “Point System?”

Every Texas traffic violation is put on record and has “points” attached to it. The more serious the violation, the higher the points. Unlike many states, Texas only has two categories of violations that determine the number of points. Any Texas or out-of-state traffic conviction will warrant two points added to the driver’s record and any Texas or out-of-state conviction resulting in a collision will result in three points. These numbers may sound low; however, even having two points on your record can translate to financial consequences such as higher insurance premium rates.