Here’s How Much Getting A Traffic Ticket Will Boost Your Car Insurance Rates

One of the most important determinations of how much a given motorist will pay for auto insurance premiums is his or her driving record. In particular, providers treat someone who has been issued a moving violation—which amounts to one in 12 American drivers each year—as presenting a greater risk of subsequently getting into a wreck than a ticket-free motorist, and will be thus have to pay more for coverage.

Police agencies across America have reportedly been writing up more motorists than ever during the last few months for speeding and reckless driving over traffic-light roads stemming from pandemic-triggered shelter in place orders and the high number of employees losing their jobs or working from home. And their insurance rates are almost certainly rising as part of the bargain.

According to a recent study of rates across 34,000 U.S. ZIP codes conducted by the insurance website TheZebra.com, receiving even a single citation can mean an average increase of up to 78.3 percent in annual car insurance rates for at least three consecutive years moving forward. And they’ll go up even more if there are one or more accidents on your driving record. The Zebra says the average premium will shoot up between 29.5 and 49.5 percent for getting into an at-fault wreck, depending on the cost of claims involved.

How much more you’ll pay after being issued a ticket, as with all things related to car insurance, varies from one state to another. According to TheZebra.com, depending on where you live, a given citation could jack up your rates anywhere from 36 percent to as much as 383 percent. The six most serious breaches of traffic laws will raise premiums by an average of more than $1,000 annually. We’re listing the 20 costliest premium boosters below.

And keep in mind that these figures don’t account for the cost of the ticket itself, which also differ according to the state in which they’re issued and can be prohibitive. For example, the website MyDMV.org says getting caught exceeding the posted speed limit by just five or 10 miles in California is a $500 offence. A ticket for driving without a license costs $1,000 in Nevada and New Hampshire. Someone nabbed for driving under the influence in Arizona will have to pay around $2,500 in fines, and that’s on top of a one-year license suspension and a 10-day prison sentence.

Take note that if you receive a moving violation and subsequently see your insurance premiums go up there are ways to soften the blow. For starters, you can shop around among multiple carriers to see if you can garner a lower rate. Some companies are more averse to taking on ticketed drivers than others, and you could find one that won’t penalize you as much for being issued a given citation. The Internet makes comparing rates relatively easy, or if you prefer the personal touch, contact an agent that deals with multiple insurers.

Also, make sure you’re getting all the discounts to which you’re entitled. These include rate reductions for covering multiple vehicles, bundling home and auto policies, paying annually or semi-annually instead of monthly, and so on. You can likewise lower your premiums a bit by completing a defensive driving course, which can also be taken online.

Here are the 20 moving violations that will boost your annual insurance rates the most and how much they’ll go up, on both an average cost and percentage basis:

1. Hit and run: $1,212 (78.3%)
2. Racing: $1,131 (73.1%)
3. Driving under the influence: $1,100 (71.0%)
4. Refusing a breathalyzer: $1,080 (69.8%)
5. Driving with a suspended license: $1,044 (67.4%)
6. Reckless driving: $1,038 (67.0%)
7. Open container of alcohol: $537 (34.7%)
8. Operating a vehicle without permission: $481 (31.1%)
9. Speeding 21-25 mph over the limit: $461 (29.7%)
10. Passing a school bus: $441 (28.5%)
11. Speeding in a 65 mph zone: $428 (27.6%)
12. Tailgating: $395 (25.5%)
13. Speeding 16-20 mph over the limit: $386 (24.9%)
14. Improper passing: $385 (24.8%)
15. Wrong way/wrong lane: $383 (24.7)
16. Speeding (all violations): $379 (24.5%)
17. Illegal turn: $368 (23.8%)
18. Failure to yield: $364: (23.5%) 
19. Failure to stop at red light: $362 (23.3%)
20. Texting while driving: $358 (23.1%)

Source: TheZebra.com. You can read the full report here.