How a speeding ticket can affect your insurance costs?
Your first speeding ticket is most likely the easiest to get through. You might be able to avoid points on your license by completing a driving class.
Subsequent speeding tickets only increase your risk of getting your driver’s license suspended due to accumulated points, increasing your insurance premiums.
If your insurance company gave you a “safe driving discount” on your premium, then removed it, you may see an insurance rate increase.
How much does car insurance go up after a speeding ticket?
Not all insurance companies raise your rates after a single speeding ticket; it depends on how your insurance company treats the tickets as part of your driving record. If they do increase your premium, the amount varies. According to Forbes, some insurance companies disregard traffic violations for speeds less than 10 MPH over the limit, and some states, like New York, only allow for rate increases if the speeding ticket is more than 15 MPH over the limit.
MarketWatch has analyzed the cost of full coverage and minimum liability coverage across the states, and they have determined that the average full coverage cost is $1,763, and the minimum is $644 annually. These rates are based on an unmarried 35-year-old male with good credit and a clean driving record.
With the average full coverage insurance rates for a year being in the $1,700 range across the country, increasing any percentage can raise your rates considerably.
Studies indicate that speeding tickets for 6 to 10 MPH over the speed limit can increase your rates by 20%, and if that speeding violation is for going 21 to 25 MPH over the limit, expect the rates to climb to around 26%.
Based on an average annual rate being $1,700, that’s anywhere between a $370 to a $458 annual increase, making the annual insurance rate over $2,000.
How long do speeding tickets affect your auto insurance rates?
You can expect your insurance rates to be affected for between 3 and 5 years for speeding tickets since the points stay on your license for that long.
When do speeding tickets affect insurance?
Once your car insurance premium is up for renewal, the insurance company requests a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) from your state and revises your rate on renewal.
Your MVR will reflect the following:
- Accidents
- Traffic tickets
- License suspensions
- DUI convictions
- Violations that accrue points
While not all states use a points system, each state has a method for measuring your driving ability and whether you’re a risky driver on the road. If someone gets too many points on their license, they can have their license suspended or revoked.
Why do car insurance rates go up after a speeding ticket?
Since car insurance companies know that speeding is a leading cause of car accidents, they look at a ticket as an example of risky behavior, which can lead to other violations and accidents.
When you receive a speeding ticket, your insurance company raises your rates based on several factors.
The company will look at how long it has been since you had a ticket, how fast you were going over the speed limit, your overall driving history, and whether this was your first offense. Every ticket is an indication of how reckless you are on the road.
RELATED: Factors That Affect Car Insurance Rates
Do other moving violations affect my insurance?
The MVR also lists moving violations that cost you points on your license, and according to Experian, those violations can be as follows:
- At-fault accidents
- DUI
- Reckless driving
- Speed in excess of 50 MPH over posted limits
- Passing on the right side of a school bus when stopped
- Failure to stop for a school bus in either direction
- Failure to obey traffic lights
- Failure to yield to a right-of-way pedestrian
- Failure to obey a traffic sign
- Improper child restraint
These traffic infractions can be used to calculate points against your driver’s license depending on your state and how the tickets are applied to your license.
The good news is any non-moving violation like a parking ticket doesn’t add points to your driving record.
If you've had any traffic infractions, you should practice proper driving etiquette and follow basic driving tips to help keep the roads safe.
What can you do to lower car insurance premiums after a speeding ticket?
Before you do anything, check with your insurance company because you may not see an increase if this incident is isolated. It will depend on your previous driving history, how long you’ve been with the company, and other factors like job stability. Your agent can tell you whether or not there will be penalties and what, if anything, you can do to avoid them.
If all else fails, you may start looking for another insurance provider. Remember that tickets are not forever, so once the infraction drops from your record, you can reassess your situation and look for another policy.
The main thing is to commit to practice safe driving habits and avoid getting future speeding tickets.
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Shop Around With Other Insurers
One of the first things you can do is look for car insurance quotes from other auto insurance companies. Since tickets are viewed differently through each carrier, try to get quotes from various companies.
When you shop for insurance rates, the companies order a current copy of your MVR, so your new quotes will include any tickets on your record.
If you stay with your current insurance company, your rate will only increase once they order a new MVR at renewal time. It might be better to stay at your current insurance company until the rate changes.
Try a Usage-Based Insurance Program
A telematics or usage-based insurance program is a high-tech way for insurance companies to help drivers obtain better rates.
Unlike the one-size-fits-all premium of most companies, some offer drivers the ability to help determine their annual premium by participating in a program that sends telematics data to the insurance company. This data gives the insurer a more accurate picture of your driving habits and can adjust rates accordingly.
Here are some of the data points that the programs track:
- Phone use during driving
- Speed
- Time of day
- Taking corners too hard
- Braking too hard
- Jackrabbit accelerating
- Miles driven
Once the data is collected, the insurance company will use those information points to adjust your rates based on the findings. Forbes relates that only 18% of the drivers told a TransUnion survey that they found their insurance rates were raised due to the data collected, leaving the majority of the drivers either seeing no change or lowered rates. Overall, the drivers who enrolled in the service were satisfied with the experience, and 64% of the participants stayed in the program. PolicyGenius compared the top five insurance companies and reported that the average savings for those enrolled in telematics was a 20% savings on their policy. This came out to roughly $332 a year.
Find the Best Discounts
Life changes, and there may be car insurance discounts available to you now that weren’t before.
Here are some discounts to ask about:
- Senior citizen – Have you reached senior citizen status?
- College graduate – Have you graduated from college?
- Affiliation discounts – Are you a member of the military or an alumnus of a college?
- Vehicle discounts – Some insurance companies offer discounts for alternative energy, anti-theft devices, and other safety equipment.
- Homeowner – Have you purchased a home recently?
- Good student discount – Keeping grades up helps lower premiums in some cases.
- Multiple policies – If you have more than one car, boat, or motorcycle, see if you can bundle your policies and save money.
If none of the above discounts are available, you can still do at least a couple more things to lower your premiums regardless of your insurance company.
Other Ways to Reduce Your Insurance Rates
Reduce your auto insurance coverage
You can reduce your insurance coverage to help lower your car insurance rates. Be cautious because if you have a loan or lease on your vehicle, you may be required by your contract with the finance company to require comprehensive and collision coverage.
If you don’t have a lien on your car, you may be able to reduce your coverage and pay less. This option leaves you vulnerable to lawsuits by other drivers should you be involved in an accident. Seek professional advice from your insurance company.
RELATED: Types of Car Insurance Coverage Explained
Increase your deductible
The car insurance deductible is the amount you must pay before the insurance company pays your claim.
- Does a higher deductible mean a lower premium? High-deductible car insurance lowers insurance rates without changing coverage limits.
- Is it better to have a $500 deductible or a $1,000 deductible? The lower rate might be worth it if you can access $1,000.
- Is it better to have higher or lower deductible car insurance? As long as the deductible is financially manageable, a higher deductible will keep your payments down.
Regardless of your coverages and deductibles, you can always change them as your life changes.
Attend Traffic School or a Defensive Driving Course
Another option for lowering your rates is to sign up for a defensive driving course. If your state offers this to keep points off your license, it might be worth the extra expense of the class rather than taking the points and increasing your car insurance rates.
SteadyDrive can also help you save on Car Insurance Rates After a Speeding Ticket
An alternative way to save on your car insurance rates after getting a speeding ticket is to download SteadyDrive, a free mobile app that uses your smartphone to score your driving habits for discounted car insurance rates.
With SteadyDrive, you can save on your car insurance by following safe driving habits. Some factors we track to determine your driving score include hard braking, phone usage, speeding, and other driving habits to grade high-risk behavior.
The higher the score, the better your chances of getting a discount on your insurance policy.
RELATED: How SteadyDrive Can Save You Money
Speeding Ticket Car Insurance: FAQ
What are points, and how does that affect your insurance rates?
Points are charged against your driver’s license based on the severity of the moving violation. The number of points varies from state to state. The point system is a rating system that states use to determine your roadworthiness. Each infraction and conviction have been assigned a point value by the state. When you accumulate a state-determined amount of points, your license could be suspended or revoked.
For instance, passing a stopped school bus or speeding 15 MPH over the limit will cost you 4 points in the State of Florida. 12 or more points in a 12 month period is a 30-day suspension.
How many points is a speeding ticket?
Each state has its system, so it depends on where you live and how many points you’ll receive for a speeding ticket.
If you live in one state and get a ticket in another, most states have a reciprocity agreement that honors another state’s tickets when assessing points. If you move to another state, your points will likely follow you to your new state.
Here are the states that don’t issue points for speeding (but be careful because any violations could nevertheless still have an impact your car insurance rates):
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Texas
- Washington
- Wyoming
The lowest number of points for speeding is 1 in California, no matter how far over the speed limit, and the highest number of points is 75 in Utah for anyone caught going 21 MPH plus over the speed limit.
For the most part, states have a low-end speed and a high-end speed cap system where the faster you go over the speed limit, the higher the points. Your DMV will be able to tell you what your cap is for your state.
Conclusion
While speeding tickets affect insurance rates, there are things you can do to help reduce the premium increase and learn safe driving habits. You can look forward to a future rate decrease by staying ticket- and accident-free.
Disclaimer:
SteadyDrive is not an insurer or an insurance agent or broker. SteadyDrive does not provide you with an insurance policy, so make sure that you have insurance coverage while you drive. Please contact your insurer or an insurance agent or broker (if applicable) directly regarding questions you may have pertaining to auto insurance coverage. For more details, see SteadyDrive’s Terms of Service.
Safe drivers can save hundreds per year on car insurance
