NORWOOD, New York (WWNY) – It might be time to get that taillight fixed because soon it could be the reason for your license being suspended. <\/p>\n
\u201cSome of them are going to be surprised, and some of them, people are going to say, \u2018Why didn\u2019t they do this sooner,\u2019\u201d said Norwood Police Chief Shawn Wells.<\/p>\n
Wells says vehicle equipment violations will soon carry points, part of many changes the state Department of Motor Vehicles is making to its Driver Violation Point System. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s the state\u2019s effort to reduce dangerous driving. <\/p>\n
Many existing violations, like speeding, passing a stopped school bus, and using a phone, will now carry more points.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we want is drivers to practice safe driving, and if the points increase is a deterrent and makes people drive a little bit safer, then that\u2019ll be a good thing in our book because we want people to drive safely,\u201d said Valerie Puma, AAA communications specialist.<\/p>\n
And if you get points on your license, it\u2019s going to take longer to get them off. <\/p>\n
Currently, if you get 11 points in 18 months, your driver\u2019s license may be suspended. Under the changes, you keep them for 2 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only are points lasting a little bit longer on the license itself, you know, it doesn\u2019t go away after 18 months, it\u2019ll go away after 24 months. With the violations having an increase in points, it is a little bit easier to reach that threshold,\u201d said Puma.<\/p>\n
Reports say some traffic violations, like illegal U-turns and not moving over for emergency vehicles, will also now result in points. <\/p>\n
For the ones issuing tickets, it\u2019s a waiting game to see if the new rules will actually help.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll continue to enforce traffic violations as we always have,\u201d said Canton Police Chief Ryan Cole.<\/p>\n
AAA officials are expecting the changes to take effect in February. <\/p>\n