What are the Real Costs of New York Speeding Tickets?

Your car insurance rates can increase dramatically over a long period of time.

1. Auto Insurance rates, terms, and coverages are STATE/LOCATION SPECIFIC.

Remember that car insurance is always state specific, in fact, it is location specific.  So someone from California may generally pay more than someone from Mississippi. Then they will figure cost based on: where you reside in that state, which county, then city location or rural location, higher population versus lower population. Areas with more people usually pay more because there are naturally more accidents.  Is the car to be housed in a garage or at an apartment complex on the street?  So, the first factor you may have little to no control over.  You live where you live, and you reside where you reside, end of that story.

2. Auto Insurance companies consider both your FINANCIAL HISTORY AND DRIVING HISTORY. 

The insurance companies believe that issues in managing finances (loans, debt, bankruptcy) reflect poor decision making or impulsivity. Interestingly, and somewhat off topic,  many DWI and other criminal cases involving drugs require a drug/alcohol assessment (diagnosis, recommendation). The most current drug/alcohol evaluators are now using assessment questionnaires that involve this impulsivity connection to food, sex, gambling, and money to determine a potential link to drug addiction behavior. The NYS DDP (drinking driver program) uses a type of self test that reflects this paradigm as well. The goal is to weed out the real problem drivers (DWI re-offenders). All this is based upon research in Sweden that discovered a specific personality type that has more severe problems with drugs and alcohol.

Hubicka, Beata, et al. "Personality traits and mental health of severe drunk drivers in Sweden." Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology (2009). Web. 3 September 2010

Your FICO is linked to your Insurance Costs

This is why your FICO score can, and will impact not only your ability to get money (credit, loans, mortgage), but also your ability to get less expensive insurance on your home and/or car. The powers that be believe that poor money management (decision making) is directly linked with your ability to assess and gauge other life risks, like driving responsibly.

In the same vein, your driving history will be looked at before you are given an insurance premium quote. Those with histories of bad driving which include "at fault" property damage accidents, accidents with personal injuries, lapses in insurance coverage, and/or moving violations will pay higher costs. In addition, they will receive less coverage with more cost. They may not even get the best (AAA rated carrier) to offer them coverage, but a company with a low to poor rating on accepting claims.

This following list was taken from the insurance.com analysis of driving history and rate increases over a two year time period.

1. Reckless driving: 22 percent (this is misdemeanor crime in NYS, typically involving driving erratically in areas where people are present, like on sidewalks)
2. Driving while under the influence: first offense: 19 percent (this is a unclassified misdemeanor in NYS called DWI. In New Jersey, first time and second time DUI are merely traffic violations)
3. Driving without a license or permit: 18 percent (another criminal misdemeanor in NYS called AUO 3rd, aggravated unlicensed operation)
4. Careless driving: 16 percent
5. Speeding 30 m.p.h. over the limit: 15 percent (this is 6 point ticket in NYS, at 31MPH over NYS classifies as a 8 point violation, at 11 points you are suspended)
6. Failure to stop: 15 percent
7. Improper turn: 14 percent
8. Improper passing: 14 percent
9. Following too close/tailgating: 13 percent (this is one of many enumerated "serious" traffic violations in NYS and a four point ticket)
10. Speeding 15 to 29 m.p.h. over limit: 12 percent (this is another "serious" traffic violation in NYS)
11. Speeding 1 to 14 m.p.h. over limit: 11 percent (1 to 10mph over is a 3 point violation in New York, and at 11mph over the limit the punishment hits 4 points.)
12. Failure to yield: 9 percent
13. No car insurance: 6 percent
14. Seat-belt infractions: 3 percent

As you can see, your driving history has a direct impact on how much coverage and how good the carrier will be for your car insurance.  If you get a citation for any of the above tickets in New York, it is in your best interests to consult with an attorney, whether it be our office or somebody else.  You are welcome to give us a call: 607-229-5184