Receiving a traffic ticket can have a negative impact on your insurance rates. Some traffic tickets carry with them points against your license. A speeding ticket can earn you three to five points, and leaving the scene of an accident can rack up eight points. And of course, too many tickets can lead to your driver's license being suspended or revoked.

Factors such as aggressive driving, road rage, and driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs are a leading cause of traffic accidents and even deaths. Drivers who are committed to fostering safe, responsible driving habits cause fewer accidents and have lower insurance premiums.

Be sure to visit the defensive driving page for helpful safe-driving tips.

If you get a traffic ticket in the District of Columbia, the Department of Motor Vehicles' Adjudication Services unit will process your ticket payment or set up a hearing for you to contest your ticket.

The DMV provides a a number of ways for you to pay your ticket.

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