Editing Moving violation

{{Short description|Violation of the law committed by the driver of a vehicle while it is in motion}}
{{other uses}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2013}}
[[File:USMC-03597.jpg|thumb|A car driving past a [[stop sign]] without stopping, a common form of moving violation]]
A '''moving violation''' or '''traffic violation''' is any violation of the law committed by the [[driving|driver]] of a [[vehicle]] while it is in [[motion (physics)|motion]]. The term "moving" distinguishes it from other motor vehicle violations,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Conlon |first1=Joe |title=A Missouri Citizen's Guide to Red Light Camera |journal=Missouri Law Review |date=Winter 2015 |volume=80 |issue=1 |page=5}}</ref> such as paperwork violations (which include violations involving [[vehicle insurance]], [[Motor vehicle registration|registration]], and [[Vehicle inspection|inspection]]), [[parking violation]]s, or equipment violations. The [[United States Department of State]] makes reference to moving violations in its enforcement guidance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=OFM Enforcement of Moving Violations |url=https://www.state.gov/ofm-enforcement-of-moving-violations |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=[[United States Department of State]] |publisher=[[Office of Foreign Missions]]}}</ref>

== Types ==
{{Multiple image
| image1            = Duct-tape Moving Van from behind.jpg
| image2            = Falschfahrer.jpg
| direction         = vertical
| caption1          = A car carrying an excessive amount of cargo, secured to the trunk using duct tape. Such a violation would be considered relatively minor.
| caption2          = A car traveling on opposite lanes, facing opposing traffic. Such a violation would be considered major.
}}
While some violations, like parking violations, are civil matters involving a vehicle's owner, moving violations are charged against the actual driver.

Moving violations are usually classified as [[infraction]]s or [[misdemeanor]]s, but serious violations such as [[hit and run (vehicular)|hit and run]], [[driving under the influence]], and [[road rage]] can be considered [[felony|felonies]].

== Costs ==
Moving violation convictions typically result in fines and demerit points assessed to the license of the driver. As a driver accumulates points, they may be required to attend defensive driving lessons, re-take their driving test, pay additional taxes, or even surrender their license.  Additionally, moving violations often increase insurance premiums.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Palumbo |first1=Aimee |last2=Pfeiffer |first2=Melissa |last3=Metzger |first3=Kristina |last4=Curry |first4=Allison |date=December 2019 |title=Driver licensing, motor-vehicle crashes, and moving violations among older adults |journal=Journal of Safety Research |volume=71 |pages=87–93 |doi=10.1016/j.jsr.2019.09.019 |pmc=8928098 |pmid=31862048 |s2cid=209433677}}</ref> Drivers with more points on their driving record often must pay more for car insurance than drivers with fewer.

Sometimes tickets are used in a [[speed trap]] as a form of fundraising. For example, a local government that is suffering a budget shortfall may ticket more aggressively within its jurisdiction to increase revenue.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-sherifftraffic_17met.ART0.North.Edition1.4ddc526.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090325232327/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-sherifftraffic_17met.ART0.North.Edition1.4ddc526.html| archive-date = 2009-03-25| title = Dallas' sheriff hopes patrol merger is the ticket to more revenue {{!}} News for Dallas, Texas {{!}} Dallas Morning News {{!}} Breaking News for Dallas-Fort Worth {{!}} Dallas Morning News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/072308dnmetsheriffbudget.7ea14cec.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090327165257/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/072308dnmetsheriffbudget.7ea14cec.html| archive-date = 2009-03-27| title = Sheriff cuts jail freebies like pickles and ketchup {{!}} News for Dallas, Texas {{!}} Dallas Morning News {{!}} Breaking News for Dallas-Fort Worth {{!}} Dallas Morning News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/26942504.html |website=www.2theadvocate.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918091107/http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/26942504.html |archive-date=September 18, 2008}}</ref>

In the [[United States]], citation fines can vary widely between jurisdictions for the same behavior, usually between $25 and $1,000. 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. In [[Canada]], each province is individual in how they treat similar behavior and each violation usually includes a set fine and [[demerit point]]s against the driver's license. For example, a speeding ticket in [[Ontario]] of 50+ km over is 6 demerit points against the driver's license with the approximate fine calculated as (km over x 9.75) x 1.25, as well it carries a one-week automatic license suspension and car impoundment. In [[Manitoba]] speeding in excess of 49&nbsp;km is 10 demerit points and a fine of 672 dollars and a Serious Offence Licence Suspension.

==Examples of moving violations==
{{Multiple image
| image1            = Transporte ilegal em Johannesburg (4684725116).jpg
| image2            = Masked number plate.jpg
| direction         = vertical
| caption1          = A van operating as an unlicensed bus crossing a solid yellow line.
| caption2          = A car whose [[number plate]] gets masked to elude traffic enforcement.
}}
*Speeding, which can be exceeding a [[Speed limit|limit]] or (in some jurisdictions) simply driving at an unsafe speed
*Driving significantly below the speed limit to the point of obstructing traffic
*[[Tailgating]] or failing to maintain an [[assured clear distance ahead]]
*Driving or rolling past a [[stop sign]] or red [[traffic light]] without stopping
*Failure to yield to another vehicle with the [[Traffic#Passage Priority (right of way)|right-of-way]]
*Failure to [[Turn signal|signal]] for turns or lane changes
*Improper [[lane]] usage, such as failing to drive within a single lane
*Crossing over a center divider, [[Median strip|median]], or [[gore (road)|gore]]
*Driving on the [[Shoulder (road)|shoulder]] where it is considered illegal under certain conditions
*Failure to use a [[seat belt]]
*Illegal use of [[Window film|window tints]] and obstructions
*Failure to stop for a [[pedestrian]] in a [[Pedestrian crossing|crosswalk]]
*Failure to stop for a [[school bus]] when children are boarding or exiting (in certain jurisdictions)
*Failure to secure a load to a [[truck]], lorry, or other vehicle
*Driving in a [[high-occupancy vehicle lane|car pool lane]] illegally
*Operating a [[Texting while driving|telecommunications device while driving]] (in jurisdictions that prohibit this)
*Driving a vehicle outside the conditions of one's license
*Driving without a license or with a suspended license or with a license from another country
*Driving a vehicle in a [[bus lane]] or on [[Railway track|railway tracks]]
*[[Hit and run|failure to stop]] after a [[traffic collision]] or make a report
*Driving on the wrong side of the road, unless there is an obstruction

More serious moving violations include:
*[[Driving under the influence]]
*[[Reckless driving]] or [[dangerous driving]]
*[[Street racing]]
*[[Vehicular homicide]]

=== Moving violations and driving records ===
[[File:Pictures taken by red light camera.jpg|thumb|A set of pictures taken by a [[red light camera]] of a black car running a red light]]
Exactly how long moving violations stay on a driving record depends on jurisdictional laws; for example, in [[New York (state)|New York]], minor moving violations can stay on a driving record abstract for a maximum of four years.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McNight |first1=A. James |title=Special Report 218: Transportation in an Aging Society |url=https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/sr/sr218v2.pdf#page=114 |website=Transportation Research Board |publisher=National Research Council |access-date=1 October 2021 |page=114 |date=1988}}</ref> Whereas minor moving violations tend to stay on a person's abstract for only a few years, some serious moving violations are classified as criminal offenses that result in a criminal record that may be maintained for life.

== See also ==
*[[Traffic enforcement]]
*[[Traffic ticket]]
*[[Traffic court]]
*[[Traffic school]]

== References ==
<references />

{{Traffic law}}

[[Category:Crimes]]
[[Category:Traffic law]]