What Are The Links Between Traffic Tickets And Insurance?

Everyone knows that the more traffic tickets you have on your driving record, the higher your insurance premiums are likely to be. Tickets not only affect your insurance but they may also interfere with your ability to get a job, especially if the company hiring is going to entrust you with their company vehicle in conducting your daily activities. Others will not require that you drive but may view your irresponsibility on the road as an indicator of your overall responsibility and deny you the job. There is more to traffic tickets than meets the eyes so here is an exploration on what you might not know:

Unpaid tickets

Tickets have statues of limitations per state but the standard stipulation is three years. After that, it will no longer show on your driving record. If you have a list of unpaid tickets, not only will your insurance premium go up or your policy rescinded, you stand the risk of having your license revoked for a period of time and in some cases, you may also be subject to jail time. Some states are so strict on DUI or DWI tickets that they may cause foreign residents to face deportation. However, it is said that in certain cases, if you double pay your speeding or traffic ticket, it is automatically expunged from your record.

Tickets received in while out of state

You may be tempted to throw away that ticket that you received while on a road trip thinking that it will not affect you once you get home. Before you do so, you must realize that these driver records are inputted on a centralized database that many states have access to. These out of state tickets may still upwardly affect your premiums and driving records. It is best to pay them as soon as you get back home.

Type of ticket received

If you received a speeding ticket for going 5 miles above the speed limit, your fine will be lower than that of someone going 25 miles above the limit. The punitive action may also be lower with regard to your insurance. Some insurers will not raise premiums for tickets that you receive for slight over speeding.

Others will overlook one or two but choose to raise your premiums if you receive a third one within a certain time frame. Some infractions such as Driving under the influence of alcohol are so serious that all you need is one to affect your driving record and your insurance premiums. If you are caught driving while inebriated, you will also go to jail. This is because such offenses come with a certain measure of irresponsibility as the driver not only endangers his or her life and property, but the lives and properties of other innocent people.

If you do get a ticket, you are entitled to challenge it in court. You may also choose not to contest the ticket and pay the fine. If you double pay it, sometimes you may be able to remove the blight ticket from your driving records. So, looks like it's your call, folks!

You can consult a Knoxville financial advisor on understanding more about your insurance policy and let him show you better options. See this webpage!