Clearwater Traffic School Online
Clearwater Traffic Ticket and Crash Statistics
Clearwater, Florida is well-known for the amazing beaches found throughout the city. It's a part of Pinellas County, Florida and found very close to both Tampa and St. Petersburg.
The population of Clearwater is about 110,000 residents and the population of the larger Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metro area is about 2.8 million residents. Along with the large population Clearwater and the surrounding area sees millions of tourists visit every year.
Clearwater holds the record for the most consecutive days of sunshine in one year at 361, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It's also home to many popular annual events, attractions and some of the top beaches in the United States.
After receiving a traffic ticket in the Clearwater area, you may be upset. However, consider these traffic crash statistics before you get too upset:
- U.S. Route 19 is the main road running through Clearwater and sees about 100,000 vehicles per day.
- The Metro area is accessible from Interstate 75
- The portion of I-75 running through Florida is known as the 15th deadliest in the United States.
- The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area is the 2nd most deadly for Pedestrians in the country.
- 14 vehicles were involved in fatal crashes in Clearwater, along with 5 pedestrians in 2013
- Fatal car crashes are on the rise in Clearwater and the Metro area
If law enforcement officials didn't do their job and monitor traffic (including issuing traffic tickets) these statistics would be much higher.
| Pinellas County Crash Stats | 2011 | 2012 | Percent Change | 3-Year Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Number of Motor Vehicle Crashes | 10,878 | 13,601 | +25.03% | 12,721 |
| Fatalities | 112 | 99 | -11.61% | 102 |
| Injuries | 8,826 | 9,146 | +3.63% | 9,174 |
| Alcohol Related | 1,114 | 1,113 | -0.09% | 1,137 |
| Alcohol Related Fatalities | 47 | 48 | +2.13% | 45 |
| Alcohol Related Injuries | 474 | 475 | +0.21% | 485 |
Pinellas County Traffic Violation Statistics
Over 64,000 traffic tickets were handed out in Pinellas County in 2015. Out of those tickets, more than 18,000 were for speeding with another 12,590 for careless driving. The red light cameras caught 6,711 drivers running a red light, while another 2,889 were caught by law enforcement officials. Only 6% of all the tickets issues were dismissed by a judge, which means getting your ticket dismisses is unlikely.
Make Sure you can Still Drive in Clearwater, Florida
Florida isn't very lenient when it comes to repeat traffic law offenders. Just a few tickets over the span of a year to three years may lead to a suspension of your driver's license. Every ticket comes with an assigned point value, which includes:
- 3 points - Speeding up to 15mph over posted limit, driver with an open container, driving past curfew and minors driving past 11pm.
- 4 points - Speeding more than 15mph over posted limit, ignoring a traffic signal and passing a stopped school bus
- 6 points - Causing an accident while speeding and fleeing the scene of an accident
If you accumulate 12 points over a one-year period, you will lose your license for 30 days. Accumulate 18 points in 18 months and your license will be suspended for 90 days. Drivers accumulating 24 points in three years will lose their license for an entire year.
Keeping the Points Off Your Clearwater License
Clearwater, Florida allows you to have these points removed from your license if you attend traffic school online. Once you complete the Basic Driver Improvement Course, you will be able to eliminate the points from your recent traffic ticket and protect your license. In addition, this will help to ensure you insurance rates don't go up.
You will need to pay the ticket and let the clerk of the court know you want to attend traffic school. As long as you're eligible, you will complete the course, turn in your certificate of completion and you're all set.
Traffic School Eligibility in Clearwater, Florida
The state of Florida will allow you to take online traffic school up to 5 times in your lifetime to avoid tickets on your license. You are only allowed to use this option once every 12 months, however. If you need to check your eligibility, you can check with the clerk of the court when you pay your traffic ticket.
Pinellas County Clerk of the Court
The Pinellas County Clerk of the Court handles all payments and provides information about traffic tickets issued in Clearwater, Florida. If you received a ticket in Clearwater, you will pay your ticket with the Clerk of the Court and let the clerk know you will be attending traffic school online. For more information about the Pinellas County Clerk of the Court you can visit their website.
