A Short Introduction to New Hampshire Traffic Fines
Everyday in New Hampshire, thousands of traffic violations go unobserved and unpunished by the authorities. A small percentage of these end up contributing to accidents, and a similarly small percentage of traffic violations get observed by traffic police and result in New Hampshire traffic fines. Judged relative to an accident, New Hampshire traffic fines should seem like a blessing, but for most of us, they’re judged relative to the great majority of traffic violations that go unpunished. By such standards, obviously New Hampshire traffic fines are a great disappointment and annoyance, but the good news is that the better you understand the traffic court system, the less you have to worry about your New Hampshire traffic fine.
A Sampling of New Hampshire Traffic Fines
There is, of course, a great diversity in the amount of money that a driver could end-up spending in New Hampshire traffic fines. For some crimes, it may be deemed fair or even lenient, while some people will undoubtably consider their New Hampshire traffic fine too much regardless of the actual cost. Before you rush to judgment about your own situation, prepare yourself for it by reading this sampling of typical New Hampshire traffic fines:
• Speeding 1 to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit—$50
• Speeding 11 to 15 miles per hour over the speed limit—$75
• Speeding 16 to 20 miles per hour over the speed limit—$100
• Speeding 21 to 25 miles per hour over the speed limit—$200
• Speeding 26 or more miles per hour over the speed limit—The individual must appear in court by will pay a minimum of $350 in New Hampshire traffic fines
• Reckless Driving—$500 first offense; $750-$1000 second offense
• Drag Racing—$500 first offense; $750-$1000 second offense
• Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol—$500
• Aggravated Driving While Intoxicate—$750-$1000
Disciplinary Point System
But the problems for violators of traffic laws don’t stop with New Hampshire traffic fines. That’s because the state also has a disciplinary point system, where points are added to an individual’s license for each traffic violation that they commit. Enough of these disciplinary points, and your license is revoked. For an adult of 21 years of age or older, your license is suspended when you accumulate 12 points or more in a 12 month period. If you receive 18 points in 24 month period, your license will also be suspended for up to 6 months. If you earn 24 points in a 3 year period, only 8 per year, your license can be suspended for an entire year.
In addition, you should be aware that disciplinary points act as stealth New Hampshire traffic fines, since they add to your insurance premiums. Therefore, you should be very aware of the points that your license has accumulated. Here is a sampling of typical point assignments per violation:
• Speeding 1 to 14 miles per hour over the speed limit—3 points
• Speeding 25 miles per hour or more over the speed limit—4 points
• Improper passing—4 points
• Reckless driving—6 points
• Driving While Intoxicated—6 points