Traffic Tickets & DWI

Carthage, North Carolina, Traffic Ticket Lawyers

If you have a speeding ticket or other traffic charge pending in district court, we invite you to contact our law office for a consultation to learn how we can assist you in handling this matter.

The traffic ticket lawyers at Rowland & Yauger represent people charged with speeding and other traffic offenses throughout our judicial district in North Carolina, including Moore, Randolph, Richmond and Montgomery counties. We can also assist you with representation in the surrounding counties of Chatham, Hoke, Lee, and Cumberland. Our lawyers successfully handle hundreds of traffic tickets a month for our clients.

Traffic citations can have negative consequences for both your driver's license and insurance rates. Speaking to an experienced attorney can help you minimize, and often eliminate, the adverse effects of a ticket.

At Rowland & Yauger, we strive to benefit our clients in the following ways:

• A negotiated reduction of your present offence to minimize or eliminate the consequences of your driving record and insurance rates.
• Outstanding service and results at reasonable fees.
• The convenience of handling many simple traffic matters by telephone, mail, fax and e-mail.

Many cases can be handled without your presence in court. We accept payment by Visa or MasterCard for your convenience.

Types of traffic tickets handled

We handle all types of speeding and other traffic tickets, including:

• Careless and reckless driving
• Driving after consuming alcohol if the driver is under 21
• Driving while license or registration suspended or revoked
• DWI/DWI
• Driving with expired registration
• Felony death by vehicle
• Hit and run
• Manslaughter or negligent homicide involving a motor vehicle
• Speeding tickets
• Speeding to avoid arrest
• Speeding in a construction zone
• Speeding in a school zone
• Racing
• Failure to yield to emergency vehicle
• Failure to yield right-of-way
• Failure to have liability insurance
• Failure to stop for a siren
• Passing a stopped school bus
• Running a red light
• Running a stop sign
• Illegal passing
• Following too closely

The true cost of traffic tickets

The cost of traffic tickets goes far beyond the original fine. A significant consequence is the possibility that your insurance premiums could increase from 25 percent to 400 percent after a traffic conviction. Many people just pay the ticket when a knowledgeable attorney in many cases is able to save their driving record and keep their insurance rates from increasing. Traffic violations will follow you for years and can also cause increased penalties for any future violations.

Points and how they affect your insurance.

A charge of one extra mile per hour on a ticket can be the difference between a fine and the loss of your driver’s license. A knowledgeable attorney may be able to save you from this consequence which could necessitate finding alternate transportation to your place of employment as well as many other aspects of your daily life.

One insurance point is a 25 percent increase, two points a 45 percent increase, and three points a 65 percent increase. Check the chart to see the increase in your rate.

The North Carolina Safe Driver Incentive Plan (SDIP) was enacted by the General Assembly to reward safe drivers with the lowest possible insurance costs. Drivers who are convicted of moving traffic violations and/or cause accidents will be charged higher premiums in accordance with their driving records.

SDIP points are charged as follows for convictions and at-fault accidents occurring during the Experience Period (The three years immediately preceding the date of application of the preparation of the renewal):

12 Points:

• Manslaughter or Negligent Homicide
• Prearranged Highway Racing or Lending a Car for Prearranged Highway Racing
• Hit-and-Run, Bodily Injury or Death
• Driving Under the Influence
• Driving with a Blood-Alcohol Level Greater than .08%
• Driving While Impaired
• Transporting Illegal Intoxicating Liquor for Sale

10 Points:

• Highway Racing or Lending a Car for Highway Racing
• Speeding to elude arrest

8 Points:

• Driving During Revocation or Suspension of License or Registration

4 Points:

• Reckless Driving
• Hit-and-Run, Property Damage Only
• Passing a Stopped School Bus
• Speeding in Excess of 75 mph or 80 mph in a 70 mph zone
• Driving after consuming alcohol, driver under 21

3 Points:

• At-Fault Accident Resulting in Bodily Injury over $500 or Death; or Property Damage of $2,500 or More*

2 Points:

• Illegal Passing
• Speeding in Excess of 55 mph But less than 76 mph
• Driving on Wrong Side of Road
• At-Fault Accident Resulting in Property Damage in Excess of $1,500, but less than $2,500*

1 Point:

• All Other Moving Violations or At-Fault Accidents Resulting in Property Damage of $1500 or less and bodily injury of $500 or less*

If you are in an accident in which you are ticketed, only the higher of the accident or violation points will be charged.

Special Exemptions

Damage by animal contact, flying gravel or falling objects will not result in a loss of SDIP points. In addition, no SDIP points will be charged for speeding 10 mph or less over the posted speed limit provided:

• The violation did not occur in a school zone.
• There is a clean driving record for the previous three years (a single Prayer for Judgment Continued or PJC will not count as a prior conviction for the purpose of this exception.]

Non-resident Traffic Tickets

North Carolina and most other states and parts of Canada have joined together under the Non-Resident Violator Compact. A license suspension or serious ticket in any member state equals a ticket or loss of license in all 44 member states. If your license is suspended in North Carolina, you cannot obtain a license in any of the member states until your North Carolina driving privileges are restored.

If you fail to pay a ticket in North Carolina, your driver’s license in North Carolina may be suspended. It is unlikely that you will be able obtain or renew your license in your home state until you have resolved the ticket in North Carolina and had your driving privileges restored here.

Most states also exchange information under the National Driver License Compact for serious violations such as DWIs and suspended license due to unpaid tickets in North Carolina. This means that these violations will be charged against your license in your home state. In some states, even less serious out-of-state traffic violations are charged against your license.

We invite you to contact a traffic ticket lawyer at Rowland & Yauger for a consultation about your legal rights. You can call our office at 910-947-2280 or toll free at 888-850-0274.

Our lawyers serve client in central North Carolina, including Carthage, Asheboro, Sandhills, Pittsboro, Raeford, Troy, Rockingham, Sanford, Laurinburg, Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen, Cameron, Foxfire, Pinebluff, Robbins, Southern Pines, Taylortown, Vass, Whispering Pines, Moore County, Chatham County, Hoke County, Lee County, Montgomery County, Randolph County, Richmond County, Scotland County, and Stanly County.