Traffic Tickets and Your Insurance

Very few people will go their entire life without at least one traffic violation on their record. When this happens, it can adversely affect your car insurance rates. There are some important things you need to know about your driving record and how it can impact your car insurance in the future.

Tickets

Tickets can range from moving violations such as speeding to non-moving violations like parking tickets. For the most part the only violations that will affect your automobile insurance are moving violations. Things like speeding and driving under the influence are at the top of the list. It is estimated that a speeding ticket can increase your insurance rates by as much as 25% for a first offense. On the outset that may not appear like a lot of money but when you consider that it will remain on your DMV report for up to three years you can see that it is a significant increase.

Department of Motor Vehicles Report

Any of the above violations will be reported on your driving record. Some offenses will take points away from your license. The points system is a system by which offenses are rated as points and when you reach a specific number of points, your license may be suspended. For example, a speeding ticket in West Virginia can cost you five points on your license and should you reach 12-13 points you license may be suspended for 30 days. Some states will revoke all driving privileges for a chronic offender.

Your DMV driving record is something that you need to check every so often to be sure it is free of any errors. With the impact that it can have on your car insurance you do not want to be paying for an infraction that you did not commit. The cost and procedure for obtaining your DMV report may vary from state to state however, your local office should be able to assist you. In some areas, you will automatically get a copy anytime a business like an insurance company requests one.

How are Violations Removed

Depending on the severity of the violation and the state in which the violation occurred, many tickets can remain on your driving record or criminal record for three years or more. Violations such as DUI or vehicular homicide will be on your criminal record as well as on your driving record.

To remove violations from your driving record you can of course dispute any that are in error. For the rest you may have to simply wait them out, some states will credit you for taking a driving safety course.

These courses can also reduce the cost of your insurance. However, the courses themselves are not free so you will want to weigh the gains against the cost. The moral of the story is this if you want to keep quality insurance at an affordable price keep a close watch on your driving record, and if you do get into some hot water be sure and consult an attorney before paying your tickets. When paying a $50 speeding ticket you are admitting guilt and it will be on your driving record within 10 day. The fifty dollars in and of itself is not terrible but the resulting rise in your car insurance will be. Be aware of all these facts and take the appropriate steps to avoid them.