Moving Violations Nearly Quadruple Car Insurance Costs in Some States

It’s well known that motorists who commit moving violations can expect higher car insurance costs. However, that increase varies significantly by state, according to a new insuranceQuotes.com report.

For example, drivers who receive a DUI charge will pay an average of 92 percent more for car insurance on a national basis. North Carolina residents will be hit much harder with an increase of 337 percent; while drivers in Maryland will only see a 15 percent percent increase for this violation.

In Hawaii, drivers charged with reckless driving will see costs rise 287 percent, which is significantly higher than the national average (83 percent) and residents of Arkansas (24 percent).

Smaller infractions showed great variance, as well. Driving without a license in Maryland will increase your cost by 95 percent, compared to no increase at all in Rhode Island.

North Carolina topped the list for highest rate increase for over half of the violations the study researched, whereas New York most consistently showed the lowest percentage increase.

On average, the most expensive infractions on a national basis are DUI (92 percent), reckless driving (83 percent) and Speeding 31+MPH (29 percent). The least expensive violations include not wearing a seatbelt (6 percent), driving without a license (16 percent) and violating railroad rules (18 percent).

“Most consumers are unaware of how much insurance rates go up even for a minor traffic violation, such as speeding a few MPH over the posted limit,” said Laura Adams, senior analyst at insuranceQuotes.com. “In many states, drivers can keep small speeding tickets and other minor infractions off their records by going to traffic school or taking a defensive driving course, up to a limited number of times.”

insuranceQuotes.com and Quadrant Information Services calculated the impacts of 17 common moving violations in all 50 states (and Washington, D.C.) using data from the largest carriers (representing 60-70% of market share) in each state/district.

Averages are based on a 45-year-old married, employed female with a clean driving record driving a 2012 sedan. The hypothetical driver has a bachelor’s degree, an excellent credit score, no lapses in coverage and the following limits: $100,000 (bodily injury), $300,000 (property damage), $100,000 (UI/UIM), $10,000 (PIP) and a $500 deductible.

Source: insuranceQuotes.com