Do Premiums Increase after First Ticket?

I am a 20-year-old male with no previous accidents or citations on my record. I was driving from Wisconsin to Illinois recently and was pulled over after being clocked at 106 mph. My question is how this first ticket will affect my car insurance rates and if there is anything I can do to prevent a rate increase?

Answer

Because you were traveling at such a high speed when you were pulled over, the offense may be considered a felony in some states, which is more serious than your average traffic offense. In some states, if you are going more than 20 mph over the speed limit, you will be arrested, and your license will be revoked. If the officer gave you a break and just issued a regular speeding ticket, then you might be able to attend traffic school to get the ticket removed from your record. By doing so, you could prevent the ticket from affecting your car insurance rates. Similarly, some insurers will forgive your first ticket if you have an otherwise clean record. Contact your insurance agent to find out your company’s policies on the matter. If your insurer does raise your rates considerably, you can always get quotes through our site on different policies to see if other insurers can offer you a better deal.