Auto insurance is expensive enough. You don’t need a traffic ticket to raise your premiums even higher. That is why it is important to drive carefully, courteously and within legal speed limits. This way, you will not give any reason for a police officer to stop you and issue you a citation regarding irresponsible driving patterns.

You may be wondering. The ticket itself carries a fine. Why would your insurance company penalize you even more?

To be honest, your insurance company is not interested in punishing you. They only seek their own interests. When they see that you have been convicted of a moving violation, they see it as a danger to their operations. Traffic violations show the insurance company that you are at higher risk of being part of a car accident or collision than someone with a clean driving record. A car accident, in insurance terms, means that there will likely be a claim that it will cost you money. The insurance company balances the risk of a car accident claim with a high premium or an additional charge.

Of course, each company individually assesses its response to a poor driving record. However, in general, they have a team that looks at the general behavior that you have exhibited when you are behind the wheel.

And when deciding the amount of the rate increase, the insurance company will consider the severity of the traffic violation.

Therefore, if you are committed to driving while intoxicated, you will meet an extremely strict reaction regarding a fare increase. If you have simply been fined for a broken headlamp, your judgment will be light. And if you have been found to be accelerating 15 miles above city limits, you will get a larger increase than if you had been accelerating just five miles beyond the posted mileage.

People often ask about parking tickets. For the most part, the motorist who receives a parking ticket only needs to worry about paying that ticket. The insurance company will not increase their rates if they see that you are responsible for their bill and they do not see a parking citation as a concern regarding your likelihood of being involved in a car accident.

The line of thought goes far beyond a car. Whether you drive a truck, van, motorcycle, or other type of vehicle, your rates may increase if you have been convicted of a moving or speeding violation.

To learn more about the subject, speak with an experienced independent insurance agent.