Non-moving violations are traffic violations that do not involve the movement of your vehicle. Examples of non-moving violations include parking tickets, expired registration, and broken taillights.
Many people wonder if non-moving violations affect their insurance rates. The answer is generally no, but there are a few exceptions.
In this article, we will discuss whether non-moving violations affect insurance, and we will provide tips on how to keep your insurance rates low.
Do Non-moving Violations Affect Insurance?
In most cases, non-moving violations do not affect your insurance rates. Insurance companies are primarily concerned with moving violations, such as speeding tickets and accidents, because these violations are more likely to lead to insurance claims.
However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, if you have too many unpaid parking tickets, your insurance company may raise your rates. This is because unpaid parking tickets can lead to a suspended license, which is a major risk factor for insurance companies.
Additionally, if you receive a non-moving violation that is considered a “serious offense” in your state, your insurance company may raise your rates. For example, in some states, driving with an expired registration is considered a serious offense.
Non-Moving Violations
It’s exactly what it sounds like: a non-moving violation. You broke a vehicle code or a traffic law, but your car wasn’t moving at the time, or the violation didn’t involve vehicle movement.
Expired registration, broken taillights or headlights, overly tinted windows, and illegal parking are all examples of non-moving violations.
Non-moving violations, in general, will not affect your insurance rates as long as you fix the violation and pay the ticket. Your insurance company may raise your rate if you have too many unpaid parking tickets.
Insurance Rates Rise
A moving violation, accident, or DUI conviction can cause your insurance premiums to skyrocket, sometimes dramatically.
The level of projected risk you represent determines your insurance rate. Your insurance rates will be lower if you have a clean driving record. Your insurance may be significantly higher if you have a poor driving record.
In many cases, there are no restrictions on how much your insurance could rise after an accident, a ticket, or a conviction for driving with a suspended license or a DUI. After a single $2,000 or more claim, insurance rates can rise by more than 40% on average. A DUI in Louisiana can nearly double your insurance premiums.
Even if you are not involved in an accident and only receive a speeding ticket, your insurance may increase. A moving violation within the last three years or a DUI within the last ten years, according to Esurance, will be considered when calculating your insurance rate. The good news is that once a moving violation has been removed from your driving record, it will no longer affect your insurance rate.
What Effect Do Parking Tickets Have On Your Insurance?
Parking tickets typically do not affect your insurance because they are not moving violations, and most states do not report them on driving records. On the other hand, failure to pay a parking ticket may cost you more than just a rate increase, as many states will refuse to renew your vehicle registration until you have paid it. Remember that driving without an active registration can result in a citation for driving illegally.
Do Other Non-moving Violations Have an Impact on Insurance?
While any violation on your driving record can affect your insurance, non-moving violations usually do not. Parking tickets, vehicle violations such as a broken light, and expired registrations are examples of non-moving violations.
What Effect Do Speeding Tickets Have on Insurance?
If you get two or more speeding tickets in three years, your insurance rates will almost certainly rise. If you receive your first and only speeding ticket during this time period, your insurance may not increase at all. The amount of your rate increase will be determined by several factors, including your insurance company, driving record, insurance history, and, in some states, how fast you were driving when you were cited.
How Long Does a Speeding Ticket Stay On Your Driving Record?
Depending on how long your state keeps violations on their records, speeding tickets may be removed from your driving record within 3-5 years. When you get a quote, most car insurance companies will also ask about any speeding tickets you’ve had in the past.
Which Traffic Violations Will Not Raise Your Insurance Rates?
Because each insurer has its own set of criteria for determining how traffic violations affect rates, some tickets may affect you with one insurer but not another.
In general, if an insurance company raises your rates, it means the company believes you’re more likely to file a claim. As a result, violations that do not necessarily indicate that you are a risky driver may be less likely to result in a premium increase than others.
For example, if you received a parking ticket, there’s little reason for your insurer to use that incident to justify raising your rates. The same is true for tickets for having too heavily tinted windows or not wearing a seatbelt, as well as fix-it tickets.
But, once again, there are no hard and fast rules. It is up to the insurer to define risk and how violations affect rates.
Do Other Moving Violations Affect My Insurance?
Any major or minor moving violation on your driving record may result in an increase in your car insurance rate, depending on how your state and insurer treat the violation. When you violate a traffic law, most states add a certain number of points to your license; however, the number of points added per violation varies by state. For example, in Arizona, a speeding violation will result in 3 points being added to your license. If you get 8 or more points in a year, the state may require you to go to traffic school or suspend your license for up to a year.
While insurers do not directly factor points into your car insurance rate, your rate is likely to increase if you’ve accumulated a significant number of points simply due to the number of violations on your record.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common traffic violations and how they can affect your insurance rate:
- What effect does texting and driving have on insurance? It is determined by state law. Some states prohibit insurance companies from considering texting tickets when determining rates. In states where it is not prohibited, insurers may treat them as minor moving violations, which could result in a rate increase.
- Is a red-light ticket going to affect my insurance rates? If you receive one of those infamous red-light camera tickets in the mail, your insurance rates may or may not increase. It depends on how your state handles texting tickets, just like it does with speeding tickets. Some states outright prohibit insurance companies from using red-light camera tickets to determine rates, while others treat them as minor moving violations that may result in a rate increase.
Read Also: Does a Parking Ticket Affect Your Insurance: All You Need
- Is insurance affected by failure to stop or yield? You may or may not see a rate increase if you are cited for failing to stop at a stop sign or yielding to traffic when required. It depends on how your insurer and state treat the violation, just like it does with red-light and texting tickets. However, if you cause an accident due to your failure to stop or yield, you will almost certainly face a rate increase.
- Do out-of-state tickets have an impact on insurance? Yes, tickets received while driving out of state can raise your insurance premiums. However, depending on how the state or your insurer handles the violation, your rate may change minimally or not at all. If you receive an out-of-state ticket, the best thing you can do is pay the fine. Otherwise, the next time you pass through that state, you may be arrested.
- Will a DUI raise my insurance rates? Yes. DUI convictions always raise your insurance premium because they make you a riskier customer to insure. Some insurance companies will not even sell a policy to someone who has a DUI. Find out more about DUIs and insurance.
What Can You Do to Avoid the Extra Cost?
Regarding your insurance rates, it’s clear that not all traffic violations are created equal. The length of time violations stay on your driving record varies depending on where you live. Speeding tickets, for example, will remain on your record for one to six years, depending on the state.
However, in some cases, you may be able to avoid having the ticket added to your driving record, which will keep your insurer from finding out and raising your rate:
- Take traffic school. In some states, you may be able to take a defensive driving course to avoid having certain violations added to your record. You’ll usually have to pay a fee in addition to the court fees to attend, but it might be worth it in the long run to avoid higher insurance rates.
- Request a postponement. Some courts may allow you to postpone the consequences of your violation in exchange for attending traffic school. In this case, you’ll usually have to plead guilty and pay a fee in addition to the fine for the violation. In exchange, the court will sentence you to probation for a set period of time. If you complete your probation without receiving any new citations, the violation will not be added to your record.
- Dispute the ticket. If you believe the ticket is unfair or inaccurate, you can go to court and ask for the case to be dismissed or reduced to a lesser offense. You might succeed if you can cast doubt on the circumstances using witnesses and evidence. Consider hiring an attorney to assist you with more serious violations.
Read Also: Does License Suspension Affect Insurance 2023: All You Need
Unfortunately, depending on where you live and the type of traffic violation, there is no guarantee that any of these options will be available to you. However, it will not hurt to contact the court and discuss any options it may have to keep your insurance premiums from rising.
Also, keep in mind that more serious violations may result in your insurer dropping you entirely, making it difficult to obtain coverage from another insurance company without paying exorbitant rates. The same is true if you have multiple accidents or violations and the insurer believes you are too dangerous to continue the relationship.
Other Ways to Save Money on Auto Insurance
Whether or not you’re facing a rate increase as a result of a traffic violation, it’s a good idea to look into ways to save money on car insurance. Here are a few examples:
- Look around. Because each auto insurance company has its own criteria for determining rates, you can save money even if you have a violation on your record by switching to a different insurer.
- Inquire about discounts. You might be able to find discounts that will help you save money on insurance. Inquire with your insurance provider about any available discounts that you are not currently taking advantage of. If you’re looking for a policy, do the same thing with each insurer who gives you a quote.
- Improve your credit score. Auto insurance companies in most states use a credit-based insurance score to help calculate your rates. Check your credit score to see where you stand, then go over your credit report to identify problem areas. Improving credit takes time, but the effort can pay off in the long run.
- Reduce your coverage. Downgrading your car insurance may also be an option, especially if you’re over-insured. Just make sure to weigh the benefits of saving now against the costs you may incur if you need to file a claim.
You’ll have a better chance of limiting the impact of a traffic violation now and in the future if you look into these and other ways to reduce your auto insurance costs.
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