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About Moving Violations
A moving violation is any violation of the law committed by the vehicle’s driver while in motion. The term “motion” distinguishes it from
parking violations. While parking violations are charged against a car (which will be towed if violations go unpaid or are frequent), moving
violations are charged against the person driving. Moving violations are usually classified as infractions or misdemeanors, but serious violations
can be considered felonies. In most places, moving violations involve fines that must be paid and punitive points assessed to the driver’s license. As a driver accumulates points, he or she may be required to attend defensive driving lessons, retake his or her driving test, or
even surrender his or her license.
While the original intention of the fines was punitive, sometimes tickets are used for fundraising. For example, a local government suffering a
budget shortfall may ticket more aggressively within its jurisdiction to increase revenue. In the United States, citation fines are nominal amounts, usually between $25 and $1000. However, in some countries, they are specific proportions of the violator’s income, and fines over $100,000 can be assessed to wealthy individuals.
Common moving violations include:
speeding (by far the most common violation)
not wearing a seat belt
running a stop sign or red traffic light
failure to yield to someone with the right of way
failing to maintain a single lane
not stopping for a pedestrian in a crosswalk
crossing the gore (striped area)
failure to secure a load to a truck or lorry
driving in a carpool lane illegally
driving too slow for road conditions, particularly in a left-hand lane
littering
More serious violations include:
racing on a public street
road rage
drunk driving
vehicular homicide