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Got a Ticket? Why Your Insurance Goes Up

The rate of your car insurance can depend on a number of factors. Among these factors are traffic violations and accidents, which are all shown on an individual’s driving record. Prior to issuing insurance rates as a premium or as a quote to an individual, a driver’s record is reviewed. The fewer violations on a driver’s record the less insurance premiums will be and vice versa.

If you make a mistake on the road and you are pulled over by a police officer, there is a strong likelihood that you will be receiving a ticket for your violation. This ticket, even after it is paid, will more than likely cause your auto insurance rates to rise. Depending on the reason for the ticket and your insurance company, your first ticket may not even affect your rate. However, you can rest assured that if your ticket was issued in regards to reckless driving such as excessive speeding that your insurance premium will increase considerably.

The reason that your insurance premiums rise when you receive a ticket is obvious. If a police officer thinks you were violating the law enough to receive a ticket then it must mean that you were being pretty reckless on the road. Being considered a reckless driver is something that will cause you to have higher insurance premiums regardless of the insurance company and if you continue to receive traffic violation tickets, your rate will increase.

The DMV uses a point system for traffic violations. This point system is different from state to state but overall the concept is the same. The DMV uses this point system in order to determine whether or not a driver needs to have their license revoked or other consequences. During a certain time period, a driver can lose a certain number of points. Once these points have been lost and surpassed, the driver is at risk of losing their license, spending time in jail, paying a hefty fine, etc.

Auto insurance companies use a similar point system and while they will pull your record with the DMV, they normally use their own point system to determine your actual insurance rates. The insurance company will use their merit system to determine the driver’s pattern behind the wheel and how much risk the driver would be to insure.

Some states will offer a driver improvement course, which may be taken online, and this could possibly result in no points being lost from your license. This also means that your insurance rates will not rise. Instead, you may be able to get a discount with the insurance company if they accept the course as an offered discount.