If you get a speeding ticket, or any other citation, you might have to let your Cloverleaf Insurance agent know about the infraction. In other cases, the authorities will automatically send the citation to the insurer. One thing is certain, however. When you get a ticket, your insurer will likely find out. They might increase your insurance rates as a result. How long will you have to suffer the penalty?
Tickets will usually impact your auto insurance rates. However, they might not do so forever. If you work hard to clear your driving record, then you might see your rates drop over time.
Understanding How Risks Change
Car insurers determine your policy rates based on the risk you have of filing a claim. One of the primary factors they will weigh in determining your risk to them is your driving record. The record will list your driving information, including your license and registration, your accident history and any tickets.
If the insurer sees that you have a lot of infractions on your record, they might have no choice but to increase your policy rates. That is because you demonstrate, on paper, that you have committed actions that call safety into question. Therefore, your risk of causing accidents might be higher than those of others. You'll have to pay up as a result.
Tickets Impacting Rates
If you get a ticket, it will likely impact your car insurance rates. Your infraction will show the insurer that they cannot trust you as much as they once did. Your policy rates might therefore increase. Some of the charges that might raise your rates include:
- Speeding tickets
- Wreck citations
- DUI/DWI charges
- Violating the laws of school zones
- Other reckless driving actions
However, different tickets might have different impacts on your record. A one-time speeding infraction is bad. Still, it is not as serious as multiple speeding tickets in the last five years. Nor is it quite as bad overall as a DUI charge. Therefore, certain tickets will have different impacts on your rates.
For example, a speeding ticket might remain present on your driving record for only two to three years. You might have to pay an increased rate only during this time. Afterwards, the ticket will drop off your record, and your rates might drop. However, if you receive a serious charge, such as a DUI, the charge might remain on your record for over 10 years, or even indefinitely.
Therefore, you have a couple of different ways to protect your car insurance rates. You should first strive to never commit driving offenses in the first place. If you do commit an offense, you do everything you can to never offend again. You will have a better chance of keeping your car insurance rates affordable.
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