Your Wheels : Violations Remain on Record Based on Severity of Infraction

Question: How long does a misdemeanor traffic violation remain on your record? --D.B.

Answer: If you are ticketed for one-point misdemeanor offenses such as speeding, running a red light or failure to obey a stop sign, the violation will stay on your driving record for 36 months, the California Department of Motor Vehicles reports.

But if you are cited for more serious misdemeanors that add two points to your record--such as drunk driving or driving at speeds greater than 100 mph--the violation will remain for seven years. Subsequent convictions for driving under the influence will stay on your record for 10 years, DMV spokesman Evan Nossoff says.

Drivers cited for one-point traffic violations can have the misdemeanors dismissed by attending traffic school.

But remember, just because an offense is labeled a misdemeanor, drivers should not take the violation lightly. Running a red light, ignoring a stop sign or hitting speeds of 50 mph in a 25-mph zone can result in tragedy.

Last year in California, 181 people were killed in accidents related to red-light running, says Stephanie Saari, a spokeswoman for the Western Insurance Information Service, an education and research group.

The state leads the nation in such accidents, and the problem is only growing worse: The number of citations issued for light-running offenses rose from 23,280 in 1996 to 25,345 in 1997, the most recent year statistics are available. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that running red lights causes about 260,000 crashes yearly across the nation.

“Misdemeanor traffic violations should be taken seriously,” says Kenneth Adams, a spokesman for Farmers Insurance Group in Los Angeles. “If you get accustomed to running stop signs or speeding, you’ll start thinking it’s no big deal. But eventually you could cause an accident.”

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And fines for misdemeanor violations are nothing to scoff at. If you’re caught running a red light, for example, the fine is $271. And if you sail through an intersection where a red-light camera is installed, you’ll get caught on film and won’t even know about it until you get the picture and ticket in the mail two weeks later.

Plus, you’ll pay if your insurance rates go up. Factors such as the severity of the misdemeanor, your previous driving record and whether an accident occurred all contribute to whether your rates will go up and by how much, Adams says.

Insurers also consider other conditions, such as the location of the offense and how serious a safety risk was posed, he notes. The more reckless the offense, the more likely the driver’s rates are to be hiked.

For example, if you’re cited for speeding on a busy street frequented by pedestrians, the offense could be viewed as being more dangerous than speeding on an open rural road with no traffic or people around.

You can obtain a copy of your California driving record at any DMV office. The cost is $5 and you’ll need proper ID.

Jeanne Wright cannot answer mail personally but responds in this column to automotive questions of general interest. Write to Your Wheels, Business Section, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, or e-mail highway1@latimes.com.