(iStock)
It’s one of life’s great mysteries: How much is that traffic ticket going to cost?
Not the fine itself, but the almost inevitable bump in your insurance rate that will follow.
Call your insurance company with a “what if” scenario, and they’ll probably tell you that they won’t know until it actually happens. (I can personally confirm this.)
Well, online marketplace Insurance.com has a little more pull and it surveyed six top carriers to figure out the average increase 18 different violations would bring to the driver of a 2017 Honda Accord LX with typical coverage.
It’s no surprise that drunk driving as the worst impact, causing a 79 percent increase, but reckless driving and street racing weren’t far behind at 73 percent and 71 percent. Things drop off quickly after that, with a 30 mph over speeding ticket netting just a 30 percent increase.
Interestingly, getting caught driving without insurance only increases premiums by 10 percent, while failing to use a seatbelt barely moves the needle, just 3 percent.
The range can vary dramatically, however. For example: The lowest rate for a driver with a 16-29 mph over speeding ticket on their record would pay $1,449 at Geico and $2,239 at Allstate, so it pays to shop around.
The full list follows to scare you straight:
DUI/DWI first offense 79%
Reckless driving 73%
Operating a vehicle in a race (highway racing) 71%
Speeding 30+ over limit 30%
Careless driving 26%
Texting-while-driving 23%
Distracted driving 22%
Speeding 16-29 MPH over limit 22%
Improper/illegal pass 20%
Speeding 1-15 MPH over limit 20%
Following too closely 20%
Improper turn 20%
Failure to yield 20%
Failure to stop 19%
Talking on cell phone 16%
Driving without a license or permit 12%
Driving without insurance 10%
Seat belt infraction 3%