Drive Safely! Why That Traffic Ticket Could Cost You for Years

According to the Federal Highway Administration, Americans are driving more than ever. Added time behind the wheel with more and more distractions makes driving safely more important than ever. Speeding and other violations could have serious ramifications not only your safety, but also your wallet.

The cost of a speeding ticket is painful, but the resulting increase in your auto insurance premiums could continue haunt you for some time since most insurance companies impose a surcharge for three years after your violation.

On average, the penalty for texting while driving adds an additional 23% to your premiums, while a single speeding ticket could raise your rates by nearly 25%.¹

While a single speeding ticket costs $150, the average increase to your annual premium is $379. When you multiply that by three, you could end up paying over $1,100 just for one speeding ticket.²

Texting and driving has also reared its ugly head in the last few years, accounting for nine percent of fatal crashes in 2017.³ Aside from the dangers of texting and driving, getting cited for this infraction can also be expensive. The average annual premium increase for this ticket is nearly $300.⁴

So, what should you do after you receive a traffic ticket? You should shop around for insurance quotes. Different insurers may assign different penalties for the same type of ticket so it’s worth seeing what the market has to offer.

¹The Zebra’s 2020 State of Auto Insurance
²Ibid
³https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/28/your-money/traffic-ticket-car-insurance.html
⁴Ibid