As more and more Connecticut 16 and 17 year old drivers obtain their learner’s permits and driver’s licenses, they quickly come to learn that the rules of the road can be both a blessing and a curse. As the best Stamford and Greenwich speeding ticket lawyers know all too well, their newly acquired right to drive comes at a time when the Stamford, Greenwich and Darien Connecticut police departments are cracking down on distracted driving, cell phone ticket violations and speeding, issuing scores of Connecticut cell phone tickets and Connecticut speeding tickets to drivers, regardless of their age.
And who is more at risk of getting for pulled over for texting and driving than today’s teenagers?
You may not know it but the top Greenwich and Stamford speeding and cell phone ticket lawyers can explain to you that under Connecticut DMV points system, 16 and 17 year old drivers in Connecticut face stricter driving rules than older drivers. The bottom line is that any guilty plea to a Connecticut speeding ticket or Connecticut cell phone ticket by a 16 or 17 year old will result in an automatic license suspension for your Connecticut teenager. Click here for more information on fighting your Stamford, Darien or Greenwich Connecticut speeding tickets.
As the best Stamford Speeding ticket lawyers know, young drivers are required to abide by a curfew and are not allowed to be driving on Connecticut roads between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., unless they are traveling for work, school, religious activity, or medical necessity. Also, during the first 6 months of getting your license as a teenager, a newly licensed driver may not have any other person in the vehicle with them, unless the passenger is a licensed driving instructor, parent, or a person who is at least 20 years old and has had a license for 4 or more years. During the next 6 months, the only additional passengers allowed in the vehicle are immediate family members.
Under C.G.S. 14-36g(a), a guilty plea by mail to of any of these violations will result in a 30-day license suspension, $175 license restoration fee, and court fines. What’s worse is that a guilty plea by mail or in court to a second offense is punished much more harshly, and will result in an automatic 6-month license suspension or a suspension until the age of 18 (whichever is longer), $175 license restoration fee, and court fines. Not only does this severely punish the teenager, but it is actually equal or worse punishment to parents, who now must not only provide or pay for transportation for their teenager, but will also have to pay the insurance premiums which can often increase once the insurance carrier is informed of these guilty pleas.
As the top Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Ridgefield and Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys can explain to you, the following penalties apply to 16 and 17 year old Connecticut drivers who plead guilty to certain driving offenses:
1st Offense: 30 day license suspension
2nd Offense: 6 month license suspension or until age 18 (whichever is longer)
1st Offense: 30 day license suspension
2nd Offense: 90 day license suspension
3rd Offense: 6 month license suspension
1st Offense: 30 day license suspension
2nd Offense: 90 day license suspension
3rd Offense: 6 month license suspension
1st Offense: 6 month license suspension
2nd Offense: 1 year license suspension
3rd Offense: 1 year license suspension
1st Offense: 6 month license suspension
2nd Offense: 1 year license suspension
3rd Offense: 1 year license suspension
These are just a few of the charges that most teenage drivers face. There are also stiff penalties and driver’s license suspensions for violating Connecticut DMV curfew and passenger restrictions. Given the harsh punishments listed above, it is important to consider all options before having your teenager plead guilty by mail to any of these driving violations. For example, click here for information on fighting your Stamford, Greenwich or Darien cell phone ticket. The attorneys at Mark Sherman Law are always available to speak with you regarding your child’s case and we will advise you of what it is in your child’s best interests—and your wallet’s best interest—providing you with an honest assessment of your case as well as offering the most cost-effective way to fight your Stamford or Greenwich cell phone ticket or speeding ticket.
Getting arrested in Connecticut as a teenager for DUI / DWI also comes with stiff penalties. If a 16 or 17 year old driver refuses to submit to a blood, breath or urine test, then they will face an automatic 18-month license suspension (for a first offense), a 3-year suspension for a second offense, and a 6-year suspension for a third offense. If you are arrested for an Under 21 DUI / DWI in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan or anywhere else in Connecticut. click here for more information on how to fight your charges.
Contact the attorneys at Mark Sherman Law today if you or your 16- or 17-year-old driver have been issued a Connecticut moving violation that can result in a mandatory license suspension in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, Westport, New Canaan, Fairfield, Ridgefield, Danbury, Wilton or Norwalk Connecticut. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (203) 358-4700.