Getting a ticket may seem like an inconvenience for you or it may be the last straw in a long string of mistakes. While it might be tempting to get it over with and pay the ticket, the ramifications it has on your driving future and license record are worth considering.
The consideration first starts with the difference between your standard abstract and your lifetime driving record.
Standard driving records
As New York State’s site defines, a standard driving record presents the information the state requires the DMV to keep on public record. This includes most suspensions and revocations you have in the last four years. Anything beyond that except for serious infractions like DWI charges or vehicular homicide fall off the standard abstract after that point. But that does not mean the state wipes the slate clean.
Lifetime driving records
Your lifetime driving record contains all information the DMV has on you up to this point. Where the standard abstract has your name, license number and address, a lifetime record has summary information on a lot more. This includes whether you are in the military or are a veteran as well as the entire history of any suspensions or restrictions on your driving privilege.
Other fields of information include your entire address history that they have on file. If the DMV has information regarding non-vehicular commissions, they may appear here as well.
Each record serves its own purpose when navigating traffic laws. But the cleaner your record, the less hassle it may be to navigate. Fast-tracking through the system by paying for a small ticket may help in the short term, but it goes on your record in the short and long term.