How Speeding Tickets Can Affect Your Car Insurance Rates
Many states require all drivers to have a certain amount of insurance to be able to legally drive. If the vehicle has been financed and the owner is making vehicle payments, the loan company will require that there be liability insurance on the vehicle, regardless of what the state law is. Car insurance premiums can be costly and if you have a marred driving record, your premiums can be even more expensive. Most insurance companies will check your driving record before you enroll in insurance with them and when your insurance policy is up for renewal. If you have any infractions on your driving record, that may cause your insurance to skyrocket to astonishing rates. Speeding tickets, especially misdemeanor or felony speeding tickets, can cause the insurance company to view you as a liability, which is why you will pay more for insurance coverage. This is one reason why you should always consult with a speeding ticket attorney if you have been issued a violation.
How Much Will Rates Increase?
Not all insurance companies were created equally. The amount that your insurance rates will increase mostly depends on which insurance company you have. Typically, you can expect to see an increase of around 13 percent for an average speeding ticket, though this rate can fluctuate depending on the severity of the speeding ticket. For example, a speeding ticket for going 30 miles per hour or more over the speed limit will raise your rates more than a speeding ticket for going 15 miles per hour over the speed limit.
Age Also Affects the Amount Your Insurance Increases
There are a couple of other things that can affect how much your car insurance rates will increase after a speeding ticket. Typically, younger drivers are monitored much more closely than older drivers. Around 40 percent of young drivers see an increase in insurance premiums after they receive a ticket, compared to only 15 percent of drivers over the age of 50.
Contact a Traffic Violations Law Firm Today
Many people do not take speeding tickets very seriously, but they can carry serious penalties if they are criminal charges rather than a moving violation. In some states, speeding tickets can result in jail time, points on your driving record, and even a license suspension or revocation in serious cases. In addition to those consequences, your insurance rates could also rise, putting a financial strain on your family.
To find out what legal options there are to fight a speeding ticket you have been issued, call an experienced attorney, like a New Jersey speeding ticket attorney from a law firm like Rispoli & Borneo P.C.