Moving violation
A moving violation is any violation of the law, committed by the driver of a vehicle, while it is in motion. The term "motion" distinguishes it from parking violations. While parking violations are charged against a vehicle (which will be towed if violations go unpaid or are frequent), moving violations are charged against the person driving. Moving violations are usually classified as infractions or misdemeanors, but serious violations can be considered felonies.
In most places, moving violations involve fines which must be paid as well as punitive points assessed to the license of the driver. As a driver accumulates points, he or she may be required to attend defensive driving lessons, re-take his or her driving test, or even surrender his or her license.
While the original intention of the fines was punitive, sometimes tickets are used for fundraising. For example, a local government that is suffering a budget shortfall may ticket more aggressively within its jurisdiction to increase revenue. See: speed trap.
In the United States, citation fines are nominal dollar amounts which can vary widely between jurisdictions for the same behaviour, usually between $25 and $1000. In countries such as Finland, however, they are specific proportions of the violator's income, and fines in excess of $100,000 can be assessed to wealthy individuals.
Common moving violations include:
- speeding (by far the most common violation)
- lapsed registration or inspection sticker
- not wearing a seat belt
- running a stop sign or red traffic light
- failure to yield to someone with the right-of-way
- failing to maintain a single lane
- not signaling for turns or lane changes
- not stopping for a pedestrian in a crosswalk
- crossing the gore (striped area)
- failure to secure a load to a truck or lorry
- driving in a car pool lane illegally
- driving too slowly for road conditions, particularly in a left-hand lane
- littering
- broken or missing tail or brake lights
- no insurance or registration certificate
- failure to stop for a school bus which is off-loading children.
More serious violations include: