Car insurance companies are esearching the driving habits most likely to lead to accidents. Insurers are gathering data from onboard vehicle computers and cell phone applications to measure what is happening behind the wheel. With this information, insurance companies may increase rates for drivers based on the riskiness of their behavior, such as speeding and hard braking.
While different insurers define speeding and hard braking slightly differently, the following findings were found to be consistent for all insurance companies:
- Drivers with one speeding ticket are 27% more likely to have an accident than people without any speeding tickets on their record.
- A married man is 3% more likely to have an accident than a married woman.
- Tailgating is the primary cause of accidents. People who slam on their brakes are 73% more likely to get into an accident than those who stay a good distance behind and slow down gradually.
- Driving on residential streets is approximately 12 times riskier than driving on a highway. Similarly, driving on unfamiliar roads leads to more accidents.
- Multiple short trips are riskier than one long trip. The average driver travels about 12,000 miles yearly, but a driver can travel well in excess of that and still be deemed a safe driver.
In the past, insurers have evaluated drivers by grouping them based on similar characteristics such as gender, age, marital status, driving history, and car type. Under this traditional pricing model, an 18-year-old male driving a sports car would be get a high rate, while a 30-year-old mother with a soccer van would be at a lower risk level. However, the new data being gathered could turn that model upside down and drivers may instead be rated based on behaviors like tailgating or driving on unfamiliar roads.
If you have received a speeding ticket in New York and you are concerned about increased insurance rates, it is highly recommended that you contact an experienced NY traffic lawyer. Rosenblum Law has a record of successfully combating traffic tickets. Fill out the contact form or call today for a free consultation at 888-434-0406.