Being pulled over for a traffic violation is almost never a good thing. The cost of the ticket, the time lost to deal with the ticket and the possible increase in insurance premiums are all bad things that can result from traffic violations. While the actual cost of the ticket and the time lost are usually the immediate concerns, it is important to know how certain traffic violations will affect insurance premiums.
There are multiple factors that insurance companies look at when determining how much to raise premiums after traffic violations. The number of violations, severity of the violation, the driver’s driving record and the state the driver lives in are all factors that insurance companies look at. The most important factor to the insurance company though, is the severity of the traffic violation. (Source 2 & Source 3).
Insurance.com has a website that will tell you on average how much a certain kind of traffic violation will increase insurance premiums. The most severe traffic violation, reckless driving, will increase average insurance rates by 22%. On the other hand, a seatbelt violation will on average only increase insurance rates by 3%. Also, the more violations a driver receives, the more the premium will increase. Insurance.com lists the following as average annual premiums paid:
No violations: $1,119
One Violation: $1,318
Two Violations: $1,497
Three Violations: $1,713
(Source 1, Source 2 & Source 3).
It is important to note that some states do allow drivers to remove traffic violations from their driving record through traffic school. Also, some insurance companies offer good driver discounts to drivers who have not had a violation for an extended period of time. Sometimes those insurance companies will remove the good driver discount instead of increasing the insurance premium. (Source 3).
While Insurance.com can offer a good view at the national average price increase because of specific traffic violations, to get a more concrete a driver should contact their own insurance company.
If you receive a traffic ticket contact the Bloomington, Illinois attorneys at the Finegan Law Firm.
Sources
1. http://www.insurance.com/auto-insurance/saving-money/tickets.aspx?infraction=IMPROPER_TURN&calculate=
2. http://money.msn.com/auto-insurance/how-to-get-a-warning-not-a-ticket
3. http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2011/06/14/traffic-violations-and-your-auto-insurance/
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