The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles keeps track of your driving after it issues a driver’s license. It will watch out to make sure that you abide by state insurance laws, avoid traffic infractions and are a safe driver. The DMV maintains a point system that keeps track of your safe and unsafe driving habits.
According to the DMV, you may earn safe points for going one full year without any traffic incidents. You may earn up to five of these points, which the DMV awards for the previous year in April every year. You can also complete a driver improvement clinic that will allow you to earn five points at one time.
Safe driving points are helpful if you earn demerit points. These are points you get for traffic violation convictions. You accumulate them each time you receive a conviction. If you get a speeding ticket and pay the ticket, it still counts as a conviction. You can lose your license if you accumulate too many points. The type of offense determines how many points you get. You should note that you earn demerit points at a higher rate than safe points. For example, getting a speeding ticket for going up to nine miles per hour over the posted speed limit earns you three demerit points. You can earn as many as six points for one infraction.
Points you earn will stay on your driving record for two years. However, if you earn safe driving points, they can help to eliminate the demerits and keep you at a positive point number on your driving record.
