How does the “points” system work and how does it affect my driving privilege?
Anyone that has a Utah driver’s license should be aware of Utah’s points system. When you first get your license, your driving record has zero points—this is the starting value. If you get a traffic ticket, points will then be added to your driving record according to the following schedule* (see http://publicsafety.utah.gov/highwaypatrol/faq/faq1.html#Points%20System):
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Reckless Driving | 80 |
| Careless Driving | 50 |
Speeding | 35 55 75 |
| Failure to Yield Right of Way | 60 |
| Following Too Close | 60 |
| Wrong Way on a One-Way Street | 60 |
| Impeding Traffic | 50 |
| Red Light | 50 |
| Stop Sign | 50 |
| Improper Lookout | 50 |
| Improper Passing | 50 |
| Improper Turn | 50 |
| Negligent Collision | 50 |
| Texting While Driving | 50 |
| Other Moving Violations | 40 |
*These are the general value of points for each violation, but the points may vary plus or minus 10% depending upon the facts of the case. The Driver License Division keeps a record of the number of points that you receive for any traffic violation and will suspend your license if you receive too many points in a certain period of time. For drivers under the age of 21, accumulating 70+ points in three years may result in the suspension of a license for anywhere between one month to a year. For drivers age 21 or older, accumulating 200+ points in three years may result in the suspension of a license for anywhere between three months and a year. Is there any way to clear these points? Yes! For every year that you drive without a moving traffic violation, one-half of the accumulated points will be removed from your driving record. After two years without any violations, all points will be removed. If you are facing a suspension due to points, the Driver License Division does allow you to take a driver improvement course once in any three-year period, completion of the course results in 50 points being removed from your record.
