If you have been pulled over for speeding recently you may be wondering whether your insurance will go up. Unfortunately a speeding ticket will usually increase the rate of your car insurance. You won’t tend to see it until your policy is renewed, and if you are over the age of 25 and have a good driving record there is a chance you may not get a price increase.
Why does a speeding ticket make my insurance go up?
The fact that you got a speeding ticket implies to insurance companies that your driving is not that safe, so you are more likely to get into an accident. They will want to increase your insurance rate to cover what they see as a greater chance of car accidents in the future. A traffic violation also often puts on hold any discount rate you were getting from going for a long time without an accident or ticket.
How much will my rate increase?
Insurance rates tend to go up an average of 25% after a speeding ticket, but it does depend on your traffic violation, and also where you live. If you were driving up to 15mph over the speed limit then it might only be a 20% increase. However it could be 30% for driving at 30mph or over the limit. The worst offenders to add to that are reckless driving and driving while intoxicated. These can cost you a dramatic increase of 70% or more on what you already pay.
Will it come down again?
Most speeding tickets only stay on your driving record for 1 to 3 years, so after that you can see if you are able to get a safe driving discount. The longer your record stays clean, the lower your insurance rates should be.
Is there anything I can do?
If you want to try and reduce your rate increase you could take a driving course such as defensive driving, or accident prevention. These will not only help you to drive more safely, but may also give you a discount on your insurance. Trying not to speed in future will also help avoid any future tickets that would hike your rate further. Call us to find out how we can help you, and drive safe!