In the United States, if you are cited for a traffic infraction, this infraction shows up on your driving record. However, depending on where you reside, you may be able to take traffic school every one to three years to have one ticket, such as a speeding ticket, red light infraction or other similar ticket, removed from your record. This may leave you wondering if this is standard in all parts of the world or how other countries dismiss tickets. Here is more information about dismissing or removing tickets from driving records in other parts of the world.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, they work on a points system that is very similar to those used in the United States. You get a certain number of points and once you exceed that points value, your license can be suspended. However, in the United States, you can take traffic school to remove one of these tickets and the points from your record. This is not an option in the United Kingdom. They only way to prevent points from hitting your record is to fight a ticket or not to get a ticket in the first place, unless you received a speeding ticket. Speeding ticket offenders can avoid a speeding fine, points and/or court by taking a 4-hour Speed Awareness Course.

For other traffic offenses, the UK’s National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS) offers a range of courses which are designed to cover most low level moving traffic violations.  

Australia

In Australia, the traffic ticket system is set up like it is in the United States. Each state has their own set of rules and laws. Just like in the United States, most states do have a points system in place. If you get too many points on your driving record for traffic infractions, your license will be suspended. However, just like in the US, in most states, you can attend traffic school to remove one ticket from your record. Once again, the frequency with which you can attend the school or take the course varies from state to state. Some are two years and others are four. And the number of points dismissed varies by state. However, if a state allows it, it’s a great way to remove unwanted points from your record.

Germany

Germany is another country that issues points based on the citations you receive while driving. These points can remain on your record for 2 1/2 years up to 10 years. If you receive a large number of points, your driving license will be suspended and you must go through a psychological examination to attempt to get your license back. While this state does not allow traffic school, you can get points removed from your record by taking part in formal training schools that are offered by the government in the country, in certain cases. A judge has to approve the training class and the removal of points based on what your offense was.

Italy

Italy has one of the most unique driving systems around. Drivers automatically start with 20 points on their driving record. If they drive well for two years, they receive two additional points, up to a maximum of 30 points. If they receive an infraction, they lose points. If they lose all their points, they can have their license suspended. Italy does not offer driving school or any other form of training. The only way to earn your good points back is by driving safely and following all traffic laws.

Every country has different laws when it comes to driving, driving infractions and licensing. Learning about the different country will help you see how strict your area is or how laid back it is compared to various countries around the world.

Even on the Federal Highway System, the Rules of The Road vary from state to state. Here we’ve collected and commented on some of the more arcane and unusual traffic laws you may want to remember if you live in, or travel in the United States. Read up! Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and if you break the law, you may have to take traffic school to dismiss the ticket.

Alabama – It’s illegal to drive a car while blindfolded.

Alaska – No driving with a dog tethered to your car.

Arizona – It’s against the law to drive a car in reverse on a public road.

Arkansas – in Little Rock it’s against the law to honk your car horn anywhere that serves cold drinks or sandwiches after 9 p.m.

California – In Glendale, it’s illegal to jump from a car going over 65 mph.

Colorado – It’s illegal to drive a black car on a Sunday in Denver.

Connecticut – it’s illegal to hunt from a car.

Delaware – “R” rated movies shall not be shown at drive-in theaters.

Florida – It is illegal to skateboard without a license.

Georgia – There’s no driving through playgrounds in Georgia.

Hawaii – It’s against the law for a vehicle in motion to use its hazard lights. People might think it’s a Luau.

Idaho – it’s forbidden for Senior Citizens over the age of 88 must lose all sense of balance, them to ride a motorcycle in Idaho Falls.

Illinois – It’s illegal to drive a car without a steering wheel. And, of course, impossible.

Indiana – It’s against the law to sell cars on Sundays. Try Maine.

Iowa – No vehicle may sell ice cream in Indianola, Iowa.

Kansas – No tire screeching in Derby, Kansas.

Kentucky – It’s illegal for your pet to molest a vehicle in Fort Thomas.

Louisiana – A woman’s husband is required by law to walk in front of the car waving a flag as she drives it.

Maine – It’s illegal to buy a car on a Sunday. Better move to Indiana.

Maryland – It’s a misdemeanor to swear from a vehicle while driving through Rockville.

Massachusetts – You cannot drive with a gorilla in your backseat. In the front seat is okay with the seat belt buckled.

Michigan – It’s against the law to sit in the middle of the street and read a newspaper. But in Detroit you may lie there and be covered by one.

Minnesota – You can be charged as a public nuisance if your truck leaves mud, dirt or sticky substances on the road in Minnetonka.

Mississippi – In Oxford, it’s illegal to honk your horn, even though it is an additional means of communication included in the price of your car.

Missouri – You can’t honk someone else’s car horn in University City, Missouri.

Montana – You can’t drive a herd of livestock numbering more than 10 on an interstate highway unless the herd is preceded and followed by flagmen.

Nebraska – By law, drivers on mountains should drive with caution near the right edge of the highway. Surprisingly, Bighorn Mountain rises to 4,731 feet.

Nevada – Even though it’s the desert, t’s illegal to ride a camel on the highway.

New Hampshire – It’s against the law to inhale bus fumes with the intent of inducing euphoria. If you want to kill yourself, that’s covered under a different law.

New Jersey – If you have been convicted of DUI, you can never apply for personalized license plates.

New Mexico – It may or may not be kidnapping, but it is illegal for cab drivers to reach out and pull potential customers into their taxis.

New York – It’s against the law to disrobe in your car in the beach town of Sag Harbor, Long Island.

North Carolina – In Dunn, North Carolina it’s illegal to play in traffic.

North Dakota – it’s illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your shoes on.

Ohio – It’s illegal to run out of gas in Youngstown.

Oklahoma –Cars must be tethered outside of public buildings. No guidance on to what.

Oregon – It is illegal to place a container filled with human fecal matter on the side of any highway. No containers!

Pennsylvania –Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover his car with a blanket or canvas that blends with the countryside, and let the horses pass.

Rhode Island – One must make a loud noise before passing a car on the left. Preferably with your vehicle’s horn.

South Carolina – When approaching a four way or blind intersection in a non-horse driven vehicle you must stop 100 ft. from the intersection and discharge a firearm into the air to warn horse traffic.

South Dakota – No horses are allowed into Fountain Inn unless they are wearing pants.

Tennessee – It’s illegal to shoot game from a moving vehicle. But hitting it with your car is legal, and can be delicious.

Texas – You must have windshield wipers to register a car.

Utah – By law, birds have the right of way on all highways. Luckily, they don’t usually exercise it.

Vermont – It’s illegal for cars to backfire in Rutland.

Virginia – Radar detectors are illegal.

Washington – A motorist with criminal intentions must stop at the city limits and telephone the chief of police as he is entering the town.

West Virginia – It’s legal to eat road kill. No info on whether you can shoot it from your car.

Wisconsin – One may not camp in a wagon on any public highway.

Wyoming – If you open a gate over a road, river, stream or ditch, you’d must close it behind you.

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Michigan state legislators approved a measure to extend the state’s current law which sets the legal limit for driving while intoxicated at .08% BAC. As amazing as it may seem the Michigan state law which set the BAC at .08% was set to expire this year. This prompted some vigilant legislation hawks to notify their local lawmakers and urge them to extend the current law rather than let it expire.

And lawmakers, eager to keep their constituents alive and kicking and protect the public safety in general, were all too happy to help.

Last week Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed the proposed measure into law, extending the state’s .08% BAC drunk driving limit until 2018.

Separately, Washington State legislators also approved measures to extend the .08% BAC drunk driving limit to anyone who drives a boat, snowmobile or ATV, however Gov. Snyder made no guarantee that he would sign those measures into law.

One thing students of our Michigan defensive driving course understand is how much alcohol influences their behavior behind the wheel. Whether that wheel is used to operate a motor car, or a boat; a motorcycle or an ATV, the results are the same and often disastrous. Your reaction times are greatly diminished, as is your ability to judge distances, and/or make any kind of judgement at all.

Whether or not the law in your state sets a legal limit for the amount of alcohol you can consume before operating one of those vehicles, we recommend you don’t consume any alcohol at all; have a good time, be safe and arrive alive.

More than 3,000 drivers in Ann Arbor, Michigan, are currently testing a system designed to let cars communicate with each other in an effort to help keep them from colliding.

The test is being funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation who spent $25 million outfitting thousands of cars with an assortment of software and communication equipment designed to allow them to communicate with each other automatically and warn drivers if a collision if possible. This allows for drivers to be warned if a car ahead of them – perhaps one they cannot see-suddenly slows down, or if they try to change lanes without looking and are in danger of a collision.

The software and hardware upgrades do not allow the computer to take over control of the vehicle in the event of a possible collision. They just provide a warning light, perhaps a buzz or ringing, or even a warning voice over the vehicle speakers, “Danger, Vehicle Ahead.” It is believed that even a small warning might be enough to prevent accidents and that is exactly what they are hoping to see from this test.

A sampling of three thousand drivers in Michigan is enough for them to determine whether or not the system works as hoped. once they can retrieve the data, analyze their findings and consult with number crunchers, the results of this test could mean big changes for the vehicles of tomorrow.

Not everyone is happy with this type of autonomous monitoring, however. Privacy advocates worry that GPS tracking systems in vehicles will lead to further privacy risks for drivers and vehicle owners. Also, a move is on in Congress and in many states to begin taxing drivers based on the number of miles they drive. And having GPS devices already installed in vehicles from the manufacturers would make it much easier to conduct these types of “tax tests.”

In just three days last week Michigan State Police handed out more than 500 citations to drivers who were not wearing their seat belt. Tickets for not wearing a seat belt in Michigan cost $65, but no points are assessed on a driver’s license.

Michigan State Police like police across the country were participating in the national Click It or Ticket campaign. This enforcement period is conducted during the busiest driving holiday and at the start of the busiest driving season for a reason. It aims to focus police efforts on forcing drivers to use the most effective safety equipment on your vehicle: seat belts.

Seat belts have been in use for decades and repeated studies have shown them to be highly effective in preventing injury or even death in the event of a vehicle crash. Despite a preponderance of evidence some drivers continue to avoid using them. This may fly in the face of logic, but it remains a very solid fact.

To enforce existing seat belt laws the nation’s police force regularly participate in partially federally funded Click It or Ticket programs which helps offset the cost of additional patrols meant to find and ticket drivers (and any passengers) who refuse to buckle up. Ticket costs can vary, but you can bet you will shell out about $100 on average no matter where you are when you get caught.

Michigan has been conducting annual Click It or Ticket campaigns for more than a decade and every year the number of tickets wavers. Some years drivers seem more reluctant to buckle up than others. Studies have also shown that obese drivers are less likely to use their seat belts than those who not obese. In Texas, drivers of pick-up trucks are also less likely to wear a seat belt than those who operate a passenger car.

Regardless of what you drive, wearing a seat belt can save your life and help you avoid getting a ticket.
For other specific laws pertaining to Michigan and beneficial general driving information and advice, it is very worthwhile to take a Michigan Driver Improvement Course. As an added benefit, you can take the course to dismiss a moving violation ticket.

Michigan police, like police across the country, are decidedly anti-drunk driving. They have a zero tolerance stance and show no mercy to anyone they catch driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They simply will not allow you to endanger the lives of everyone just so you can have some fun.

Lately distracted driving has been getting all the attention, especially following the release of a report by the National Transportation Safety Board which showed there were more fatalities attributed to distracted driving crashes than those caused by DUI. But does nothing to diminish the fact that driving under the influence of alcohol is just as deadly as it has always been.

In fact, given the increased number of cars on the road today, drunk driving is even more dangerous than it has ever been before.

Which is likely what prompted Michigan police to launch a Spring offensive against drivers who might have had a few drinks before getting behind the wheel.

More than 165 agencies in 26 counties participated in the offensive which resulted in 79 drivers being charged under the state’s new “Super Drunk” legal limit of 0.17 or higher. Plus, another 300 or so arrested for having a blood alcohol content of .08 or above. Less than “Super Drunk” but still too drunk to be on the road driving.

Nicknamed, “Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” the Michigan crackdown lasted from March 13 to April 2. It resulted in nearly 4,000 citations or arrests, and 8,083 traffic stops all of which centered on DUI enforcement.

Distracted driving is easy enough to counter: just don’t allow anything to take your attention away from your driving and you’ll be ok. Unfortunately when your thinking is impaired by drugs or alcohol your common sense goes out the window and you end up doing stupid things because you simply cannot stop yourself. Fortunately for everyone the police in every state are watching out for them, and for us.

Following in the footsteps of 36 other states, Michigan appears poised to approve a ban on texting while driving. A final vote on the measure is expected tomorrow but the bill appears likely to pass with a majority in favor.

Michigan uses a graduated licensing system and the new law would only target those drivers with a Level 1 or Level 2 graduated not license which has some saying it does not go nearly far enough to fight the rising dangers of distracted driving. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has been calling for all states to make texting while driving illegal for anyone who gets behind the wheel.

The NHTSA said studies have shown that distracted driving now accounts for more fatal crashes than any other type of impaired driving, including driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Traffic school teaches everyone who successfully completes the course the importance of being fully aware of everything going on around you every time you get behind the wheel.

News flash: You are not fully aware if you are sending or receiving a text message or even just talking on the phone.

By limiting who can use their smartphone or handheld device while driving, Michigan lawmakers are at least acknowledging that they recognize there is inherent danger for some drivers who face distractions behind the wheel. The NHTSA wants that same sort of acknowledgement that distracted driving is dangerous for everyone, no matter how much experience they have behind the wheel.

In time, Michigan lawmakers and lawmakers around the country may finally recognize that they can make a dramatic impact on their constituents by prohibiting the use of handheld devices by anyone who is driving a vehicle. They will not only reduce insurance rates which have been going up as a result of the increased number crashes caused by distracted driving, but also, likely, save quite a few lives.

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