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If you’ve been driving for
awhile, chances are you’ve had that “Uh-oh moment” when you’ve looked in your
rearview mirror and seen the stomach-clenching vision of a police car’s
flashing lights right behind you. Most
of us feign ignorance to the officer that pulls us over, claiming we had no
idea we were
a) speeding
b) making
an illegal turn
c) driving
without a seatbelt
d) talking
on our cell phone
Chances are that our bogus excuse
(“Sorry officer, but I didn’t see a No U-Turn Sign!”) didn’t save us from
getting a ticket. Once we’ve mentally
kicked ourselves for getting pulled over, (after all, it really wasn’t the
officer’s fault, was it?) the next step in the course of remorse is wondering
how much the citation will affect our insurance premium. It’s an apt thing to
consider, as moving violations will jack up your insurance bill faster than a
tow truck’s hydraulic lift. What follows are some violations and the average
increase in insurance rates.
- Thinking about thundering across town at high
speeds and screeching around corners like a stunt driver in the latest action
blockbuster? Think again. A citation for reckless driving jacks up
insurance premiums the most. The
average increase is 22%, versus a seat belt citation, which results in a 3%
premium rise.
- The next highest insurance price tag goes to
driving under the influence (DUI), with a rise of 19% for the first
offense. After that, you might have a
chance to ponder the risks of drinking and driving while behind the bars of a
jail cell.
- If you don’t have a driver’s license or yours
has been suspended, driving without one will get you an increase of 18% on your
insurance bill.
- Careless driving is slightly less impactful than
reckless driving, as it comes with a price of 16% on your insurance premium.
- Like to put the pedal to the metal? Ease up on the accelerator and you’ll save
yourself a bundle. A speeding ticket for going 30 m.p.h. over the limit will
garner you an increase of 15%. Speeding
15 to 29 m.p.h. over the limit gets you a rise of 13% and 1 to 14 m.p.h. is
11%. The bottom line: What’s the rush? Unless you’re going to put out a fire, just
drive the dang speed limit!
- If you have a habit of driving through stop
signs – well, you’re tempting fate in more ways than one. Get caught and you’ll wind up with an
insurance increase of 15%.
- An improper turn will jack up your rate by 14%,
as will improper passing.
- Tailgating is an annoying and dangerous habit
that will result in a 13% rise in your premium.
- Failure to yield the right of way increases your
bill by 9%.
- Think you’ll just forego car insurance
altogether? (After all, all those
citations are costing you a fortune!)
Not so fast, buster. Get caught
and you’ll get another rise of 6 %.
These premium increases are approximate and
depend on the state in which you drive and your insurer.
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