Car insurance is one of those necessary evils every driver must have. Sure, it’s nice when an unforeseen disaster occurs and your insurance makes things right. However, that comes at a price. This price is paid every month in your premium. Many make finding affordable insurance rates their livelihood. With so many insurance companies offering the same insurance, competition is fierce. However, they all cost some amount of money. It’s up to drivers to find ways to keep those costs to a minimum. In California, one of those ways is to keep a clean driving record. The terrible fact is that even one traffic citation can increase your insurance rates by more than 20%. It’s important to know what you can control and what’s out of your control so you are master of your insurance premiums.
Some things are just out of your control. It’s unfair that these things may cost you higher insurance premiums, but there’s just nothing we can do about that. Things like age, gender, and where you live are just out of your control. Yet, insurance companies may charge you more for these things. It’s important to focus on things that are within your control. Things like making sure your credit score stays low and the type of car you drive. The most important thing is to make sure you have a clean driving record. Every ticket can increase your premiums.
Common Traffic Ticket Infractions and Insurance Premiums
| Infraction | Premium Increase |
|---|---|
| Careless driving | + 16.08% |
| Failure to stop | + 15.38% |
| Failure to yield | + 8.8% |
| Tailgating | + 13.37% |
| Improper Pass | + 13.54% |
| Improper turn | + 14.33% |
| Reckless Driving | + 21/9% |
| Speeding up to 14mph | + 10.6% |
| Speeding up to 29mph | + 12.22% |
| Speeding over 30mph | + 15.9% |
The good news is that even if you get a ticket, you can still make sure your insurance doesn’t go up. You can ask for traffic school. For most infractions, California will remove these from your driving record once you complete traffic school. It’s important to find a traffic school that is recognized by your state. Only these schools can help you keep a clean driving record and your insurance premiums at a minimum.
If you recently got a ticket, give Rapid Traffic School a call today. They can help clean up your driving record and get the insurance companies off your back. With easy online classes, you can remove infractions from your driving record in as little as a day.
