Drivers Under 25 in The Lone Star State Face a More challanging Time Brushing off Traffic Citations

By Joe Gerstl

A new law going into effect September 1st will likely grow the need for defensive driving online(http://www.officialdefensivedriving.com) courses in addition to onsite classes and defensive driving video rentings & will increase the amount of road tests distributed by the State Department of Public Safety.

Beginning Sept. 1st 2005, a drivers safety course will be expected for 100% automobile operators under age 25 that encounter a ticket for a moving ticket such as speeding if they want to keep it off their record. This isn't new in that many cities and county already have this requirement. However, many judges in these counties dismiss the class requirement typically in exchange for provisional period in which, if the driver stays clean of any further Fines, the original ticket is pushed aside. Usually this arrangement normally also packs a fee to the municipality in addition to the probationary period.

Authored by Dallas Republican John Carona & introduced as Senate Bill 1005, this new law is even stricter for those under eighteen. Drivers through the age of Seventeen will be involved to take a road end line text with the Texas Dept. of Public Safety in addition to the fine and probation if they want to keep their records clean.

Those with much of experience with picking up citations will not be happy with this law as it closes down a loophole. Ahead of this law judges were allowed to exempt motor vehicle operators under the age of twenty-five who received a traffic violation from a Drivers Education Class(http://www.officialdefensivedriving.com). Some lawmakers were worried about teens, specially those who were taught to drive by their parents versus texas endorsed instructors. To uRL this concern, they amended the road end line text requirement for those under eighteen.

Prior to 9/1/05, there were two sections that relate to deferred adjudication of infractions. This only means that if a driver pleaded "no contest" to the traffic divisions & then did not break any other traffic laws for a time period set by the court, the violation would be effaced from the driver's criminal record. One segment of the law specifically treats traffic treats indicating that a traffic lawbreaker must take an online defensive driving course(http://www.officialdefensivedriving.com) or attend an guide defensive driving school or course in order to have a ticket removed from their record. Misdemeanors are covered in the other section of law allowing judges to define the standard to be reached for "deferred adjudication". Deferred adjudication means: the driver is placed on probation for a length of time and if driver stays citation free during this period, the original traffic citation is erased from their record. Deferred adjudication, in addition to the probationary period, usually incurs a fine to the district in which the ticket occurred. In many jurisdictions, this second section of the lay has allowed ticket to simply fine motor vehicle operators as long as they didn't get an additional citation for some period of time like 6 months.

For operators under the age of 25, Texas law SB 1005 eliminates that flexibility & in fact requires those who receive traffic citations and are under 25 to a take defensive driving online(http://www.officialdefensivedriving.com) or in classroom setting.

The Texas Dept. of Public Safety indicated that an estimated 21,000 teens will take the road end line text each year. All state driver's license offices are gearing up to have officers available to conduct more of these tests. DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange stated that these offices already conduct road screenings now however as this road test has not been required to obtain a driver's license for more than decade, most teens don't take it so more officers will need to be available at every Dept. of Public Safety faciltiy. Those that do are usually at the request of their parents. Fortunately for the usually cash strapped young motor vehicle operators, the road trial will only tack on another $10 to their already costly traffic citation experience.

This new law will likely improve the demand for defensive driving online(http://www.officialdefensivedriving.com) classes in addition to onsite classes and defensive driving(http://www.officialdefensivedriving.com) video rentals.

About the author:
Cindy Cashman operates Official Defensive Driving and provides online defensive driving courses. Save the time, money and hassle of attending defensive driving classes. Go to http://www.OfficialDefensiveDriving.comto sign up for an online defensive driving course.


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