How Too Many Traffic Tickets Affect Your Insurance

From driver to driver, and from coverage provider to coverage provider, insurance premiums rates greatly vary, sometimes with variations in the thousands of dollars annually. Regarding traffic tickets, however, the outcome is typically more uniform; for every traffic citation received by a driver; his or her insurance premiums will increase. Traffic tickets insurance rates increases will be subject to the nature of the traffic offense as well, the more serious an offense, the more risk a coverage provider sees in a driver, and in turn, the higher the driver's individual coverage premiums will be. How much a premium will increase is virtually impossible to determine until discussing the highly case-specific matter with your insurance company directly.

Insurance Rates Increases and Traffic Tickets

In most insurance companies, increases for traffic citations are categorized into one of three categories, including minor, major, and the most serious convictions. In all cases, drivers stand to lose more financially from the long-term increases in insurance coverage premiums than they do from the actual fines associated with the conviction itself. In any case, it is in the best interest of a driver to contest a traffic citation, especially in light of major or serious traffic citation offense.

Insurance and Too Many Tickets

Depending on the individual driver and the number of traffic citations, an insurance company can eventually drop the driver from coverage, or in other instances, place the driver in a general high-risk category, which comes with extensively higher insurance premiums than the average driver would have, if in good standing. Typically, these types of insurance premium increases run concurrently with administrative action at the state level, which may suspend or restrict a driver's license in light of too many traffic citations. Additionally, in certain states, administrative fees for too high point totals (or in effect, too many tickets) may result in annual fines or surcharges for being a habitual traffic violations offender.

Getting Legal Help with Too Many Traffic Tickets

In short, a driver with too many traffic tickets may face either increased or dropped insurance coverage, while also being faced with administrative penalties for too many tickets, including surcharges or license suspension. Having legal counsel to dispute or contest outstanding traffic violations citations may be necessary in certain cases, and in all instances, can prove highly beneficial. Consult with a traffic violations lawyer about disputing or contesting your current traffic ticket to learn more about the ability to defend against a traffic citation, as well as to commence legal action to prevent conviction of another traffic offense.