In this article, New Jersey traffic ticket attorney Dan Matrafajlo will explain the law against improper backing or turning in a street and the penalties you face for a conviction. New Jersey Annotated Statute 39:4-127.1 is one of the more straightforward New Jersey traffic statutes. It states, “No vehicle shall back or make a turn in a street, if by so doing it interferes with other vehicles, but shall go around a block or to a street sufficiently wide to turn in without backing.”

Fines and Other Penalties

A New Jersey driver who pleads guilty to or is convicted of violating NJSA 39:4-127 faces an $85 fine. Additionally, that driver will get two points added to his or her New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission record. Accumulating six or more points on your record in one three-year period will result in a $150 fine, plus $25 for each additional point above six. This fine is in addition to any fines you were required to pay for the underlying traffic violations that gave you the points. Having 12 points on your MVC record at any time will result in your license being suspended.

MVC points don’t expire, but three points will be removed from your record for each year you go without getting a driving violation or a suspension of your license. You can also get points deducted for taking a defensive driving course (two points deducted, usable once every five years), a driver improvement program (three points, once every two years), or a probationary driver program (three points).

Insurance Points

Licensed New Jersey auto insurance companies use a similar point system called “insurance eligibility points.” For most traffic violations, you will earn the same number of insurance points as MVC points. Improper backing and turning is no exception; it gives you two insurance points in addition to the two points on your driving record. Insurance points won’t result in a fine or a license suspension, but they will determine whether your insurer will raise the premium you must pay. Unlike MVC points, insurance points do expire—your insurer will only look at points you’ve received in the last three years.

New Jersey Traffic Ticket Attorney Dan Matrafajlo

If you have been accused of violating NJSA 39:4-127, you are facing a fine, increased insurance rates, and possibly more severe penalties (if this isn’t your first traffic violation), up to suspension of your license. An experienced New Jersey traffic ticket attorney can help make sure your rights are protected and fight to get charges dropped or fines and points reduced. Call (908) 248-4404 to learn how.

Wrong way on a one-way street (NJSA 39:4-85.1)

Improper Backing or Turning in Street (NJSA 39:4-127)

Fines and Other Penalties

Insurance Points

New Jersey Traffic Ticket Attorney Dan Matrafajlo