No one likes getting a speeding ticket, but did you know even a simple speeding ticket can impact your driving record and other things like insurance? Read on to learn how speeding can affect you in more ways than one.
Does a Speeding Ticket Affect Your Insurance?
Many people think speeding is no big deal and may not even take the time to wonder, do speeding tickets affect insurance? Well, unfortunately, they do.
Speeding like other driving violations is a crime, and it immediately shows up on your driving record. Each state varies in how it handles moving violations, but many states use license points. If a driver earns too many points, they could end up losing their license for a period of months or years.
Insurance companies have access to your driving record, and they set insurance rates based on how much of a risk you are. If you are caught speeding or violating other driving laws, the insurance company could raise your rates by a lot. In some cases, if you are convicted of severe driving crimes, your insurance provider could drop your coverage altogether, making it difficult for you to insure your vehicle.
How Long Does a Speeding Ticket Stay on Your Record?
Your driving record is an essential piece of information about you. It tells insurance companies a lot about your risk. Some things on a driving record include your name, address, driver’s license number, car accidents, moving violations, serious civil traffic violations like DUIs, minor driving infractions like parking tickets, your license status, any revocations, suspensions, endorsements, and restrictions, as well as any points on your license.
Each state assigns a different point designation and severity to speeding. It also depends on how fast you were going over the speed limit. Some speeding violations fall in the category of reckless driving, which is a serious offense punishable by jail time, huge fines, and loss of license. Sometimes drivers have to take a defensive driving class before getting their license back.
A speeding ticket and the points that go along with it will stay on your driving record for 3-5 years, depending on the state laws. Then, when you renew your policy or go to get new insurance, your provider will ask you about any offenses, including speeding tickets.
Does Your Insurance Go Up for a Speeding Ticket?
Not only could your insurance company raise your rates based on your speeding ticket, but many insurance providers also offer safe driver discounts. If you get a speeding ticket along with other infractions, you could lose any discounts you have come to enjoy, and your insurance costs will increase that way also.
Along with a speeding ticket, many other driving offenses also increase your insurance rates. For example, texting and driving is considered a very serious crime in many states. Violators may even lose their license because of it, especially if it caused an accident where someone was hurt or killed. Another serious crime that will not only affect your driving record, your freedom, and your insurance rates is a DUI (driving while intoxicated).
Not stopping at a red light or failure to yield may or may not affect your insurance rates. Typically, non-moving violations do not affect your insurance rates.
How Much Does Insurance Go Up After a Speeding Ticket?
After paying a ticket for going too fast, you may wonder how much does a speeding ticket raise insurance? The answer to that is, it depends on the company you use.
Some insurance companies may offer a pass to a long-term customer who is in good standing with them. Most will offer a free pass for the first infraction. After that, they will re-evaluate your situation and may raise your rates significantly.
According to Progressive insurance, most customers who earned a speeding ticket within the first three years of coverage experienced a 15% hike in insurance rates. After that, some insurers may increase the rates more or less, depending on the situation.
How to Get Speeding Ticket off Record?
One way to avoid an increase in your insurance rates is to stop the speeding ticket from showing up on your driving record in the first place. A few ways to do that are:
- Ask for a deferral - Attend the court date for your ticket, and if you admit guilt, ask the judge for a deferral. This means that the ticket will not go on your driving record for a period of time (six months to a year), and if you do not accumulate any additional tickets, it will fade away. If, however, you do get caught speeding again during the deferment period, both tickets will show up on your driving record immediately.
- Ask for a delay in your court date - Delay any action on your speeding ticket, hoping that when you do eventually show up, you could fight it or ask for a dismissal.
- Take a safe driving class - Some states will erase a (minor) ticket or offense if you successfully complete a safe driver class and report it to the DMV. Consult your state laws about this option.
- Hire a lawyer and opt for mitigation - Sometimes, if you hire a skilled lawyer, they can explain the situation to the judge and get the charges dropped and the speeding ticket negated. Of course, you may still have to pay a small fine, but it’s better than a massive increase in insurance.
- Negotiate with the court clerk - In some states, the court clerk has the power to negotiate down speeding tickets to a non-moving violation that will not affect your insurance.
- Fight the ticket - You can also show up in court and fight the ticket. Be sure you have a credible witness or good evidence, though. Fighting a ticket is not easy, and judges typically side with the law officer on duty at the time over the driver. When faced with an increase in insurance and points on your license, though, you have nothing to lose.
