Every conviction for a moving violation carries a two-pronged sting. Not only does the fine deplete your bank account, but depending on the severity of your infraction, a traffic ticket can force you to surrender your license.

Pennsylvania adheres to a point system. With every traffic ticket, points―ranging from two to five―are added to your driving record. If you accumulate six or more points, penalties such as suspensions and special driving classes begin invading your lifestyle.

Consequences for Traffic Tickets

Here's just a sampling of the points imposed for various moving violation convictions:

• Failure to stop for a red light: 3 points

• Illegal U-turn: 3 points

• Careless driving: 3 points

• Failure to stop at a railroad crossing: 4 points

• Exceeding the speed limit by 31 mph: 5 points

Traffic tickets also disrupt your financial peace of mind. Not only must you pay a fine, but depending on the severity of your faux pas, you might also experience an unwelcome leap in your car insurance premiums. A parking ticket won't raise eyebrows with your insurance carrier, but if you get clocked rocketing through a school zone at 27 mph over the speed limit, you can expect to see a prolonged financial spike in the price of your policy.

Usually it's easiest and quickest to just plead guilty and pay your traffic ticket. But if one more driving-related conviction would put you over the point threshold for a license suspension or result in your insurance carrier dropping you, it might be worth fighting the ticket in court with the help of a traffic ticket attorney.

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