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.

Ben Affleck :What are the normal speeding tickets that are given for over 50 km and what are the steps one can take. How would this affect auto insurance?
Response : I would deal with the insurance option first being an insurance expert. If you are caught speeding and do not have any demerit points, the personal auto underwriting companies will accept your proposal with a higher quote. If you get over 4 points , as per the personal lines, you will be grouped in the high risk category and you will have to pay higher insurance like the drunk drivings and other offences. You will have to go t the specialty insurance market who underwrite DUI or sr22 car insurance quotes, since they would give you a better quote than the drunk drivers. Believe me for them you are a low risk compared to the intoxicated driving offenders. You will naturally pay higher than the normal rates, however you can still get affordable cheap car insurance in this group for sr22 car insurance.

  When you are speeding by over 50 km ove r the limit that is posted and you have to pay a fine as per what you are charged. There are 3 options for you:

1) Pleading Guilty
2) Pleading Guilty with an Explanation
3) Trial / Not Guilty

When you plead guilty you will be fined and mostly the demerit points will not be added to your record. The trail option is the only option if you do not want to pay and fight the charge or reduce the charges and the demerit points also. A plea of guilt with an explanation is not a trial and your speeding ticket will not be eliminated off of your record with this option.  At most the speeding ticket may be slightly reduced, but this usually only includes the fine amount and not the demerit points.  The trial option is the only way to fight for dismissal of a speeding ticket or for a drastic reduction in the fine or demerit points.

Demerit Points for Speeding Tickets

0 – 15 km/hr over = 0 points (minor infraction)
16 – 29km/hr over = 3 points (minor infraction)
30 – 49 km/hr over = 4 points (major infraction)
50+ km/hr over = 6 points + 30 day license suspension

Eric Rockfeller : How does a speeding ticket put you in the high risk driver and affect your auto insurance?

Response : The number of speeding tickets or traffic vilation tickets within a short period of time 0 say over three tickets in 2 years will certainly be considered as a high risk dvirver and this will affect your car insurance. If your are over twenty five and this is the only ticket on your record in the last three years it will make little difference on your auto insurance rates. Insurance companies do not necessarily review your driving record every year. It is checked when you first apply and then it depends on the policy of that particular company.

The problems will start with your second ticket. That is why it is important to keep any and all tickets off your record. Many states will allow you to take traffic school or they have a deferment program.

Check the laws in your state to see what options are available. In most cases just showing up on your court date will allow you to negotiate for a reduction in the fine and points.

If you drive a company vehicle or have a CDL license it is very important to keep your driving record clean because the records of these drivers are checked every year.

As a general rule you can expect one four point ticket to increase your insurance premiums by at least 50% for each of the next three years. In many cases it is cost effective to retain an attorney.

 Many insurance companies will not check your MVR every year unless there is a change to the policy. If they do not check, then your rates will not change. Typically insurance companies only check high risk drivers and those who drive a company vehicle every year. If you are a high risk driver you might be asked to buy SR22 form.

Derrick : Nevada: I have only one speeding ticket and my insurer is telling me that they cannot insure my vehicle? Why is this so?

Response : Insurers often raise your car insurance rates after only one speeding ticket? It’s simple. The studies  by highway safety experts show that “the faster you go, the more deadly it is,” says Jeanne, spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute (III), an industry trade group. “There’s a higher possibility you’re going to cause a lot of damage to people or property,” Salvatore says.

If you’re charged for speeding, your insurer may attach a temporary surcharge to your policy for three years. You may be asked to renew your auto insurance policy with a specialty insurer and their rates are normally over 50% higher than the normal insurance rates.

The size and duration of the increase varies depending on several factors, including:

• Your driving record and your relationship with the insurance company. Some insurers waive the surcharge if the customer has had a long relationship with the company and previously had a clean driving history.
• Where you live. Insurance is regulated by the states, and different states have different laws regarding the cost of car insurance. Some states don’t allow insurers to impose a surcharge for first-time speeding tickets, while others require insurers to raise rates for some speeding violations. For example, a single male driver who lives in Phoenix and receives one speeding ticket will experience an average rate increase of 16 percent, but the same driver will pay no more if he lives in Philadelphia.
• How much you were exceeding the speed limit. An analysis by USA TODAY found that 10 percent of ticketed drivers in 2002 were “extreme speeders”—drivers who exceeded 90 mph, or 15 mph above any speed limit. Extreme speeding is considered reckless driving, a major violation. Even a first-time citation can more than double the cost of car insurance and inflate your car insurance rate quote.

Speeding may also affect insurance rates other than just your auto insurance. Insurance companies may look at your driving record when deciding whether you’re a high-risk customer and could charge you higher rates for life, health, disability or long-term care insurance.

Please follow the regulations and drive safely to save your auto insurance premium and yourself.