Dan Kennedy : Delaware : I have been recently issued a speeding ticket and this is my first speeding ticket. Would this affect my auto insurance rate. A friend of mine was saying that I would need SR22 car insurance, is this true.

Response : I can understand that in Delaware there is a campaign going on and will let you know the news for this in details. Yes, technically if you have a speeding ticket than this would mean that your driving history is affected and so there is every chance and certainly that your auto insurance premium would increase. Secondly, let me assure you that having only one speeding ticket would not put in the category of a high risk driver requiring SR22 car insurance. You can check up my blog for a better understanding for what SR22 car insurance or SR22 form is about. You will infact, not also require to go for the speciality insurers for obtaining car insurance quote. You can get a low auto insurance quote by shopping for online auto insurance quotes before buying your insurance so that you know the lowest rates. The blog provides good cheap sr22 car insurance quote and for even for those who need personal car insurance quote.

Now, let me tell you that in Delaware’s four-month campaign against speeding produced 6,322 citations and you where one of them. The Office of Highway Safety says that’s an increase of nearly 4,000 compared to a similar, three-month campaign last year.

Office spokeswoman Andrea Summers says the number of fatal crashes attributed to speed dropped 12 percent, from 30 percent, after the campaign started.

Highway Safety director Tricia Roberts says “speeding enforcement will not cease” even though this period of public awareness and high visibility enforcement has ended.

The officers participating in the campaign are Delaware State Police, New Castle County police and Dover police officers. I know we do not like such campiagns but the brighter side is that they do prevent fatal accidents and reduce the cost of claims giving us all better savings and cheap sr22 car insurance quote or cheap automobile insurance quotes. Happy Motoring.

Martin : Why is it considered alcohol impaired driving if one has a BAC of 0.08, would it really matter for  auto insurance? Why is it considered high risk insurance?

Response : Martin, a lot of questions but relevant ones. Alcohol impaired driving or DUI driving under influence or driving under intoxication is when one has BAC levels of 0.08 and beyond. This figure has not been arrived just from the thin air but based on research, statistics and scientific data all combined. Even if you consider the recent statistics gathered by the NHTSA National Center for Statistic and Analysis than the data for the past ten years bespeaks of the fact that BAC levels of 0.08 or higher have been found in cases of  motor vehicle accidents and fatal losses.

What is more disturbing is the fact that the incident of alcohol impaired driving  at these BAC levels have lead to fatal accidents in children. Below are some statistical data from the NHTSA.

Children

In 2008, a total of 1,347 children age 14 and younger were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those 1,347 fatalities, 216 (16%) occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. Out of those 216 deaths, 99 (46%) were occupants of a vehicle with a driver who had a BAC level of .08 or higher. Another 34 children age 14 and younger who were killed in traffic crashes in 2008 were pedestrians or pedal cyclists who were struck by drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher.

The national rate of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in motor vehicle crashes in 2008 was 0.40 per 100 million vehicle miles of travel.

The above would make it very clear to you that this would make the claim ratios very high for the insurance companies and naturally they would than classify this as high risk and charge a premium or DUI car insurance based on the nature of the risk which is obviously very high. The Government and the traffic department would also insist that such DUI offenders should carry a SR22 form and take SR22 car insurance which is given by the specialty insurers, who underwrite these risks.

DUI car insurance or high risk drivers are also served in the market since this is their need and with the keen competition cheap sr22 insurance or affordable DUI car insurance can be obtained.

Thanks.

Leslie : Is DUI driving the only issue for auto insurance or are there any other measures being taken for stopping auto accidents. Is this also high risk as per auto insurance.

Response : Leslie, this is an excellent question. the next biggest problem other than drunk driving in the US is the problem of text messaging or distracted driving. This is another factor which is considered to be a big issue and high risk. Unfortunately for the insurance companies, just like the fact that many drivers do drunk driving or drive under influence but are not caught. Thus in spite of being a high risk they escape with paying a low premium. Likewise till date the persons doing text messaging or distracted driving are a high risk but are not caught.

Text messaging is now banned and so those caught with this offence have to pay only some fines, however, the person who is involved in an accident will naturally pay a higher premium on account of the accident on the record. I would not be surprised if the insurance companies do start considering this offence also as high risk , and rightly so. There are incidents when woman also have caused serious and fatal accidents because of this.

Leslie, one should stay away from drinks, text messaging and all other distractions whilst driving since it is your life at risk also. DUI car insurance, sr 22 car insurance and claim records all are high risk and costly insurances for anyone.

Reader: Does alcohol-impaired driving differ by gender?

Research has shown that male drivers are more likely to involve in drunk driving and crash than the female drivers. This is one of the reasons also why the auto insurance rates are higher for males. According to the data available 40% of the male drivers of passenger vehicles had BAC at or above 0.08 percent. The corresponding proportion among female drivers was 21 percent. The alcohol involvement in fatal accidents was highest for males between the age of 21-40 years.

According to national roadside breath surveys, the proportion of female drunk driving is increasing compared to the man. The night driving has increased for women. The nighttime samples taken from the woman has indicated that the incidence of drunk female drivers has increased from 16% in 1973 to 31 percent to 31 percent in 1996.

The insurance companies use this data and driving history to base their car insurance rates. Prevention is better than cure. It’s best not to drive when you are drunk to avoid all the hassles of law, stress, emotional turmoil and most importantly to get involved in high car insurance premiums.

K  Desai