Let App WinIt fight your speeding ticket.
If you spend enough time on the road, you’re probably going to end up with a speeding ticket at some point. The cost of the ticket is just one of the problems you’ll face. You’ll also likely have to pay more for car insurance.
Find out how a speeding ticket impacts your insurance and how much more you can expect to pay. Also, get the details on fighting your ticket, so it doesn’t go on your record or affect your car insurance rates.
How Does a Speeding Ticket Affect My Insurance?
Insurance companies measure risk when providing insurance policies. They are in the business of making money, so the higher the risk, the more you’ll pay.
Speeding tickets are a sign that you’re a risky driver, so your annual insurance premium will increase. While some drivers only see a small increase, others pay almost 50 percent more after receiving a speeding ticket.
The increase depends on numerous factors. First, your state of residence will impact the amount of the rate increase. For example, North Dakota residents only see an average rate increase of 8 percent. On the other hand, California drivers experience an increase that averages 49 percent. You definitely don’t want to get caught speeding there.
The insurance company you use also affects how much you’ll pay. That’s why so many people shop around after getting speeding tickets.
Your driving history also impacts the amount of the rate increase. Is this your first moving violation? If so, you’re less likely to end up with a steep increase than someone who has a ton of tickets.
Now, if you do have several violations, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. The company will also consider the amount of time since your last ticket. If it’s been a year or longer, you won’t have to pay as much as someone who received a ticket a month ago.
The violation itself can also determine how much more your premium will cost. Were you ticketed for going 5 miles over the speed limit? That’s not nearly as serious as going 20 miles over. You can expect to pay quite a bit more if your speed was excessive.
If the insurance company stops offering you a discount as an experienced driver, your premium can also be affected. As a general rule, the longer you’ve been on the road, the lower your premiums will be. However, if you have speeding tickets, the experience won’t put you into the “safe driver” category, so you could miss out on significant savings.
Finally, you run the risk of losing standard auto insurance coverage if you wrack up lots of speeding tickets. A single ticket won’t cause you to lose coverage, but multiple tickets can. If that happens, you’ll be forced to purchase high-risk coverage, which can be incredibly expensive.
Reading about the impact of speeding tickets can make you feel a little stressed. Fortunately, speeding tickets won’t impact your coverage forever.
How Long Will a Speeding Ticket Affect My Insurance Rate?
Insurance companies don’t punish speeding drivers for the rest of their lives, but they do have long memories. If you get a speeding ticket, you can expect it to affect your rates for three to five years. You can speak to your insurance company to find out just how long it will stay on your record.
When you speak to them, you can also talk about how much they’ll increase your premium. First, though, get a general idea by looking at rate increases by company.
Insurance Rate Increases for Speeding Tickets By Company
Insurance companies have the authority to decide how much to increase premiums after speeding tickets. While various factors determine how much you’ll pay, you can get a basic idea of what to expect by reviewing the average increase by the company.
Nationwide
On average, Nationwide increases annual premiums by 19 percent as a result of speeding tickets. While you can add accident forgiveness to your policy, Nationwide won’t look the other way if you have a speeding violation.
Allstate
Allstate customers can expect an average increase of 20 percent after a speeding ticket. Like Nationwide, customers can add accident forgiveness, but the company doesn’t forgive speeding violations.
Farmers
Farmers will increase rates by an average of 24 percent when people get speeding tickets on their records. This insurance company is a bit different, though. It often forgives the first speeding ticket for customers who have been with Farmers for six months or longer. Then, simply keep your record free of tickets so you can maintain the same low price.
State Farm
State Farm customers pay an average of 27 percent more after the first speeding ticket. Also, it doesn’t forgive speeding tickets, so stick to the speed limit if you use this company.
Progressive
Progressive customers pay an average of 31 percent more after receiving speeding tickets. However, your rates might not go up after the first ticket. Instead, you might not see higher premiums unless you get two or more tickets.
GEICO
On average, GEICO increases premiums by 31 percent. It doesn’t offer speeding ticket forgiveness, either, so you’re likely to experience a rate increase.
While the insurance company you use impacts how much your rates will go up, you also need to consider your state of residence.
Insurance Rate Increases By State
Value Penguin calculated rate increases for each state. These increases show how much you can expect your premiums to increase after a single ticket. Keep in mind that the amount you pay also depends on the insurance company and additional factors.
| State | Annual Increase in Dollars | Percentage of Annual Increase |
| Alabama | $490 | 26 percent |
| Alaska | $211 | 13 percent |
| Arizona | $862 | 28 percent |
| Arkansas | $401 | 19 percent |
| California | $882 | 49 percent |
| Colorado | $772 | 25 percent |
| Connecticut | $1309 | 48 percent |
| Delaware | $509 | 18 percent |
| District of Columbia | $380 | 14 percent |
| Florida | $751 | 23 percent |
| Georgia | $381 | 16 percent |
| Hawaii | $284 | 16 percent |
| Idaho | $253 | 15 percent |
| Illinois | $609 | 27 percent |
| Indiana | $325 | 22 percent |
| Iowa | $283 | 17 percent |
| Kansas | $361 | 18 percent |
| Kentucky | $801 | 28 percent |
| Louisiana | $631 | 18 percent |
| Maine | $320 | 25 percent |
| Maryland | $384 | 16 percent |
| Massachusetts | $749 | 35 percent |
| Michigan | $1,100 | 15 percent |
| Minnesota | $435 | 21 percent |
| Mississippi | $1,031 | 48 percent |
| Missouri | $548 | 22 percent |
| Montana | $512 | 22 percent |
| Nebraska | $499 | 22 percent |
| Nevada | $732 | 24 percent |
| New Hampshire | $393 | 19 percent |
| New Jersey | $377 | 13 percent |
| New Mexico | $406 | 20 percent |
| New York | $280 | 10 percent |
| North Carolina | $570 | 38 percent |
| North Dakota | $187 | 8 percent |
| Ohio | $216 | 14 percent |
| Oklahoma | $525 | 21 percent |
| Oregon | $645 | 28 percent |
| Pennsylvania | $225 | 12 percent |
| Rhode Island | $628 | 18 percent |
| South Carolina | $420 | 20 percent |
| South Dakota | $420 | 17 percent |
| Tennessee | $247 | 13 percent |
| Texas | $190 | 7 percent |
| Utah | $471 | 20 percent |
| Vermont | $252 | 15 percent |
| Virginia | $245 | 15 percent |
| Washington | $416 | 24 percent |
| West Virginia | $261 | 12 percent |
| Wisconsin | $252 | 16 percent |
| Wyoming | $525 | 25 percent |
If your state is known for high rate increases, you are likely a little worried right now. Fortunately, you have some options for lowering your rates after a speeding ticket.
How Can I Lower My Insurance Rates After a Speeding Ticket?
If you are dealing with a rising insurance premium, you can take action. Let’s look at some ways you can reduce rates, starting with taking a safe driving course.
Take a Safe Driving Course
Some states allow residents to reduce insurance premiums by taking a safe driving course after getting a speeding ticket. Taking such a course could reduce your annual premiums by 5-20 percent. The amount of the discount depends on factors that include the insurance company and your location.
Ask for a Discount
Insurance companies have a broad range of discounts available. Sometimes, you have to ask to get these discounts, though. If you’re eligible, you can use these discounts to reduce your premiums back to a manageable amount.
You might be eligible to get a discount if you are:
· Accident-free
· A loyal customer
· Insure multiple cars
· Good student
· A firefighter, teacher, or member of the military
· Switch to paperless billing or automatic payments
This is far from an exhaustive list. Ask your insurer which discounts are available and see if any apply.
Avoid Additional Moving Violations
Insurance companies look at your driving record as a whole. Thus, you can reduce your premiums by staying safe and avoiding violations. While this won’t lead to an instant decrease, you could get lower rates during your next assessment.
Shop Around for New Insurance
If your insurance premiums go sky high after a speeding ticket, you might find a better rate with another provider. Some insurance companies penalize customers more than others, so do some comparison shopping. If you find a better rate, sign up for coverage.
These are all good options, but fighting your ticket in court is even better.
Fight Your Ticket, So Your Insurance Does Not Increase
You can avoid a rate increase and keep the ticket off your driving record by fighting it in court. If you win, the ticket won’t go on your record. That means you won’t accumulate points on your license, and your insurance premiums won’t increase.
You might be surprised to learn that you can come out a winner when you dispute your ticket. First, the ticketing officer might not show up to court. Typically, the judge dismisses the case if the officer doesn’t appear, so your speeding ticket will go away.
Even if the officer does appear, you can still win in court. Some common defenses include:
· Inaccurate radar gun reading
· Speed limit not posted
· Speeding to avoid an accident
· Speedometer not calibrated
These are just some possible defenses. However, proving your case on your own can be a challenge, even if the facts are on your side. Because of that, it’s a good idea to hire a lawyer.
You’re already dealing with the potential cost of a speeding ticket, plus an upcoming insurance rate increase if you don’t win in court. Thus, the idea of paying for a lawyer doesn’t sound that enticing.
Fortunately, you can use Winit to fight your speeding ticket. This website matches you to a lawyer who will fight the ticket for you. You just need to:
· Submit a picture of your speeding ticket
· Upload any evidence that you have
Then, an attorney will dispute the ticket and keep you updated on the process. You don’t have to do anything.
If the attorney isn’t successful, you won’t pay for the legal services. On the other hand, if you win your case, you’ll pay 50 percent of the fine. For instance, if your fine is $200, you’ll send $100 to Winit.
Winit is only available in some states right now, but the site is constantly adding new states to the list. If your state isn’t available, you can submit a request to add it.
Fight Back Against High Insurance Premiums
As you can see, you have options to reduce your insurance premiums if you get a speeding ticket. Contesting the ticket in court is the best option since the ticket will disappear if you win. However, you can also ask for discounts, take a safe driving course, and more. Then, build a safe driving record, so you can continue to save.
