The speeding ticket point system, which is also applicable to most traffic law violations, is designed to deter traffic violations and punish drivers that continually violate traffic laws. In states that utilize a point system, a driver who admits to or is found guilty of a traffic violation is assessed points on his or her driving record, as reported to the relevant state department or bureau of motor vehicles. The number of points that is assessed depends on the nature of the traffic law violation, and increases depending on the severity of the violation. For instance, whereas a state might assess three points for a minor speeding violation, that same state might assess six points for a driver who is convicted of leaving the scene of an accident. Each state determines individually what number of points to assess for each type of traffic law violation, and how long those points remain on a person's driving record. Once a driver has accrued a certain number of points within a certain period of time, a driver may be subject to suspension of his or her driver's license for a period of time, or even indefinitely.