In defensive driving class most drivers know that a moving violation, such as a traffic ticket, will cause an auto insurance rate hike.
In defensive driving class most drivers know that a moving violation, such as a traffic ticket, will cause an auto insurance rate hike.
However, the dollar size and how long of that rate increase lasts may be a little shocking to some.
We share this document with students in defensive driving class that shows that for the second year in a row, auto insurance premiums can climb by as much as 92 percent after a single moving violation on average nationwide.
The study, done by insurance quotes.com, analyzed the average national premium increase for one moving violation in 17 categories.
The study found that premium increases vary significantly between different types of violations.
For instance, one conviction for driving under the influence (DUI), also known as driving while intoxicated or DWI, will result in a 297 % increase in North Carolina however, speeding in excess of 31 MPH over the posted limit results in a 45 percent average premium spike
According to Mike Barry, spokesman for the nonprofit Insurance Information Institute (III), this study further illustrates the ways in which insurers use various driving infractions as a way to assess different levels of risk for individual drivers.
“The bottom line is that certain moving violations are linked to more expensive claims than others,” Barry says. “I’m not surprised at all by the DUI number because an incident like that has the potential for a truly catastrophic loss of life, bodily injury and even very expensive lawsuits.”