Teen's Traffic Citations & Parking Tickets

Parent Q&A

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  • Hi- My over 18 yo son got a cell phone ticket in August. The notice just came in the mail. It says he may be eligible for traffic school but in researching it, it looks like cell phone violations may not add a point to your record and don't need traffic school. Anyone know for sure? Thank you!

    That appears to be correct: 

    The total for a first violation will likely exceed $150, and a second or subsequent offense can cost over $250. A violation of the handheld cellphone ban will not count as a point on your driving record. (California uses a "point system" for moving violations.)https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/cell-phones-driving-california-law-29709.html  

    I realize that this may not be the answer you are looking for, but have you considered simply letting your son experience the natural consequences here?

    He's over 18. He got a ticket. It seems to me that this could be a valuable learning opportunity for him. At that age I got a couple of tickets and had to pay for them myself with money from a part time job. I went to traffic school twice. It was expensive and boring. I learned to drive more safely. If it were my son, I would just hand him the notice and let him take care of it.

    I'm not saying this to be snarky. We all want for our children to become responsible adults. Navigating these systems is part of that. 

    Thanks to the person who responded with the info. We also confirmed with our insurance agent. To the other person,  my son is across the country in college so I needed to mail the item in for him and wanted to be sure he didn't need to do traffic school. So yes, you did sound snarky and didn't answer the question I asked...perhaps if you think your answer might sound snarky re-read the question before posting.