After receiving a speeding ticket, it is very easy to say, “No big deal – one speeding ticket will not increase my auto insurance rate.” While that may be true, it also may be a big mistake. Under NY Insurance Law Section 2335 an insurance company can raise insurance rates for a single speeding conviction.
How can a speeding ticket in NY increase insurance rates?
If you receive a speeding ticket and immediately pay the fine, then you are pleading guilty to the offense and points are added to your license. If this situation repeats itself within a short span of time, you may accumulate a significant number of points on your driving record.
Each year insurance agencies review driving records in order to renew policies. Insurance companies calculate your rate according to the number of points on your driving record. If you have more points, then your insurance premium is likely to increase.
Simply, insurance providers perceive a driver who received numerous NY speeding tickets in one year as a potential hazard in terms of auto accidents.
It is important to note that driving an uninsured vehicle or giving an uninsured vehicle you own to someone to drive is illegal and result in losing your license and/or registration.
In general, the better the driving record is, the lower the insurance premiums will be.
It is also a common misperception that taking a driver safety course will remove 4 points from your driving record. This is not the case. The DMV website says:
Completion of a course under the “Point & Insurance Reduction Program” does not remove, delete, subtract, or erase any violation, conviction, or notice of original number of points from your driving record.
So, while the course will give you an extra 4 points before you lose your license, it will not remove them and they are fair game as far as your auto insurance company is concerned.
Here is a quick review of what you can do to avoid an increase in auto insurance rates:
Drive safely and follow the rules of the road. If you do not receive a speeding ticket in NY then insurance rates will not increase.
- Fight your traffic ticket instead of paying it and pleading guilty. An experienced NY traffic attorney like Adam Rosenblum can negotiate a plea bargain that results in reduced points on your driving record.
- When facing another speeding ticket in New York, as part of your plea bargain, offer to participate in the NY Department of Motor Vehicle’s Points and Insurance Reduction Program. DMV declares that PIRP is designed to benefit New York drivers by:
- Reviewing safe driving pointers and expanding knowledge of driving laws
- Reducing (but not removing) as many as four points from their driving record
- Lowering insurance rates by up to 10 percent.
PIRP involves enrolling in a driver safety course run by private companies that are approved by DMV.
If you have received one or more speeding tickets in NY and you are concerned about increasing insurance rates, then it is highly recommended that you contact an aggressive NY traffic lawyer who has a record of successfully combating traffic tickets. If you are thinking of going to court yourself, read Top 10 mistakes made in traffic court.