| Have you ever wondered what counts as a point on | | | | -Conviction of reckless driving |
| your driving record? In California, the DMV has | | | | -Evading a police officer |
| established a system called the Negligent Operator | | | | -Driving on the wrong side of a roadway with a |
| Treatment System, or N.O.T.S. for short. The N.O.T.S | | | | concrete divider |
| was designed as a means to getting the careless and | | | | -Driving in excess of 100 mph |
| reckless drivers off the road, and it is this system that | | | | -Speed contest |
| determines how violations count against your driving | | | | -Transporting explosives without the proper license |
| record, or more formally, your Motor Vehicle | | | | -Vehicular manslaughter |
| Record.The N.O.T.S. system is kind of like a game of | | | | -Exhibition of speedAlso, you may have your vehicle |
| golf--the fewer points you have, the better you are | | | | seized for 30 days by law enforcement officers if you |
| doing. California Vehicle Code 12810 dictates that all | | | | participate in a speed contest, reckless driving or an |
| safety-related violations will count as either one or two | | | | exhibition of speed, which includes cornering at |
| points against you on your driving record. One-point | | | | high-speeds, spinning donuts or spinning your tires (also |
| violations stay on your record for 37 months. | | | | referred to as "burning rubber").The next obvious |
| Two-point violations can stay on your record for five | | | | question is: How many points does it take to lose your |
| to seven years.Some examples of a one-point | | | | license?Here's an easy to understand guide:4 points |
| violation include:- Normal moving violations, i.e.: unsafe | | | | over 12 months = License Suspended! |
| lane change, failure to stop at a stop sign, simple | | | | 6 points over 24 months = License Suspended! |
| speeding, etc. | | | | 8 points over 36 months = License Suspended!So |
| - Any collision that the Department of Motor Vehicles | | | | what's the moral of the story? Quite simply, drive safe. |
| has determined that you are at fault. | | | | If you start racking up too many points against your |
| - Failure to properly restrain a child (under 6 years of | | | | driving record, maybe it's time to revisit your California |
| age or less than 60 pounds) in a child passenger | | | | Driving Handbook or sign-up for a driving refresher |
| restraint system or children between the ages of 6 | | | | from a licensed driving or traffic school. After all, if |
| and 16 years of age in an approved seat belt | | | | you're slicing or hooking your golfing drives, wouldn't |
| system.Some examples of a two-point violation | | | | you want a couple lessons from a pro?Chris Kramer |
| include: | | | | is a content writer for both and Drivers Ed Direct. |
| -Failure to stop in the event of a collision | | | | Check out our websites for more information about |
| -Driving under the influence (DUI) | | | | online traffic school or drivers education for teens. |