Driving at Duke

North Carolina is very strict about traffic violations, so be careful.

If you get a ticket for more than 15 MPH over the limit, you will have to go to court. Do not miss your court date, or the court will issue a warrant against you, and then you'll really be in trouble.

If you are convicted of driving 15 MPH or more over the limit, you will have your license suspended for 30 days. That's if you're convicted, not accused - if you go to court, in most cases, the speed you're convicted of doing will be less than the speed you're accused of doing. According to an officer at the NC Highway Patrol, the automatic suspension option is usually reserved for triple-digit speeds. Note that this also means that if you have a North Carolina driver's license and you get a ticket for 15+ MPH over the limit and pay the ticket without disputing the charge, your North Carolina driver's license will be suspended.

There are two types of points that you can accumulate: license points and insurance points. If you are able to get the ticket knocked down to 9 MPH over the limit or below in court, there will be one or two points against your license, but no points against your insurance, so your rates will not increase. Otherwise, you will get points against your insurance, and your premiums will increase by 25% or more.

There is also the possibility of a prayer for judgement, where no points are added if you maintain a clean driving record for a year. This option is available once every three years.

It may be to your advantage in court to mention that you are a student.

See How to beat a speeding ticket for more tips on how to handle a ticket.