Insurance raised rate for 1 ticket??!

[Sierra39]

Has anyone ever had their auto insurance premium raised for just one speeding ticket? (Less than 20 miles over) I got a speeding ticket in PA last October and didn't contest it (it was in a hick town over 4 hours away)...no points, just a fine, and it was a scam – they downgraded the speed limit from 65 to 45 for a "construction zone" that was nothing but a few jersey barriers, and I was in a "road trip daze" and missed the lowered speed limit sign.

Now, after over 16 years of a clean driving record, USAA sends me a notice that due to the ticket, my rate is being raised $20! Should I contest it?? Anyone (Ken?) know the regulations concerning this??

 

[cattitude]

Originally posted by Sierra39
Has anyone ever had their auto insurance premium raised for just one speeding ticket? (Less than 20 miles over) I got a speeding ticket in PA last October and didn't contest it (it was in a hick town over 4 hours away)...no points, just a fine, and it was a scam – they downgraded the speed limit from 65 to 45 for a "construction zone" that was nothing but a few jersey barriers, and I was in a "road trip daze" and missed the lowered speed limit sign.

Dag, Sierra...I'll have to give this one to my son....don't think he's used this yet!!!

Otter had an accident (only about $600 damage to the other car and it was in a parking lot -- no cops/tickets) and they raised our insurace gobs.

For out-of-state tickets you don't get a point for MVA purposes but you do get "points" on your insurance for violations. That's how they rate you. I believe it's an insurance deal and nothing to do with the MVA.

 

[alex]

I wouldn't hassle over a $20.00 increase. My one and only ticket after 20+ years clean driving cost me over $100.00 I was only 10 MPH over the limit. The think you need to keep watch of is that after 5 years they reduce your rates again. That is when the ticket goes off your record.

 

[Ken King]

Originally posted by Sierra39
Has anyone ever had their auto insurance premium raised for just one speeding ticket? (Less than 20 miles over) I got a speeding ticket in PA last October and didn't contest it (it was in a hick town over 4 hours away)...no points, just a fine, and it was a scam – they downgraded the speed limit from 65 to 45 for a "construction zone" that was nothing but a few jersey barriers, and I was in a "road trip daze" and missed the lowered speed limit sign.

Now, after over 16 years of a clean driving record, USAA sends me a notice that due to the ticket, my rate is being raised $20! Should I contest it?? Anyone (Ken?) know the regulations concerning this??

It's your insurance company so I have no clue as to their "policy" but I would say you are fairly lucky it was only a $20 increase. As you were speeding in a construction zone some areas make that reckless driving and they probably could have cancelled you for that. Pay the extra and watch for those signs.

 

[pilot]

$20 is nothing. $200 is nothing. I once got a speeding ticket (my first ever--I had a perfect driving record up until then) and it raised my insurance by 500 a year!

 

[Kyle]

2-4K??? Whew! The worst I've ever paid was a little over $900 per year.

As a teenager it was only about $350 over my parents insurance. Ahhh, the good ole days.

 

[migtig]

Sierra - call USAA and double check that is the reason why they raised you $20. They raised my insurance policy about $20 and I have a great driving record, but they said it was due to 9/11. That all insurance was going up across the board. So in the process of my call, I said hey so if my car gets bombed outside my work in dc, I'm covered? and they said yes. I said what if a terrorist blews up the calvert cliffs, am I covered and they said yes. But by the end of the conversation they asked if I wanted to consider increasing my life insurance policy......? Gee I wonder why?

 

[Bruzilla]

Geico did me even worse. I got a ticket for a radar detector in Virginia, no points, not a moving violation, just a fine, and Geico DROPPED me because of it. I've had one speeding ticket in 10 years, and that was the only moving violation I had.

If you have Geico don't ever let them know if you have a detector.

 

[yornoc]

Re: Re: Insurance raised rate for 1 ticket??!

Originally posted by cattitude


Dag, Sierra...I'll have to give this one to my son....don't think he's used this yet!!!

Otter had an accident (only about $600 damage to the other car and it was in a parking lot -- no cops/tickets) and they raised our insurace gobs.

I can relate! My son backed into a car in the church parking lot and Nationwide raised our insurance for that. My agent told me that after 9/11 and with the decline in the stock market, the insurance companies (at least Nationwide) is hurting and has become strict on who they consider a risk. The higher your risk, the higher your premium.

My brother totaled my car and they cancelled me but re-instated it when I signed a statement prohibiting him from driving any of my vehicles.

 

[ltowngrrl]

speeding in a construction zone

...may be one reason. it's considered quite a bit worse than speeding in a non-construction zone. I once got the same kind of ticket on the GW parkway and learned the hard way. In addition to having to go to US District court (where they try terrorists) since it was a federal roadway, I got a huge fine, points, and my insurance went up for THREE years. The max penalty for speeding in a construction zone is 10,000 bucks and six months in jail. Ridiculous, but it just goes to show you how seriously SOME people take it. I suppose they should--you could kill a construction worker.

 

[Warron]

Insurance companies are funny. They have to be the biggest legal scam artists in history. What other service do people pay for that punishes them (by higher rates or cancelation) when they need to use it. An insurance companies best customer is someone who pays the insurance company regularly for their entire life and recieves absolutely nothing in return. And if you do use their service, you can expect to be punished for being despicable enough to require them to provide the service you have paid for. This arrangement truely amazes me.

Luckily, the two tickets I've got up to this point were never reported to the state I lived in, so the insurance company never found out.

 

[SmallTown]

Re: speeding in a construction zone

Originally posted by ltowngrrl
...may be one reason. it's considered quite a bit worse than speeding in a non-construction zone. I once got the same kind of ticket on the GW parkway and learned the hard way. In addition to having to go to US District court (where they try terrorists) since it was a federal roadway, I got a huge fine, points, and my insurance went up for THREE years. The max penalty for speeding in a construction zone is 10,000 bucks and six months in jail. Ridiculous, but it just goes to show you how seriously SOME people take it. I suppose they should--you could kill a construction worker.

I use to love the signs that said something like "I don't speed through your office, why speed through mine?"

And I thought about it.. And well, ya know, my office isn't on the side of the road so deal
But really, it can be a dangerous place to work.. But then again, I don't think I have seen a single person working on 235.. Whenever I drive by they are on the sidewalk talking or eating.

 

[SEABREEZE 1957]

Re: Re: speeding in a construction zone

Originally posted by SmallTown
I use to love the signs that said something like "I don't speed through your office, why speed through mine?"

And I thought about it.. And well, ya know, my office isn't on the side of the road so deal
But really, it can be a dangerous place to work.. But then again, I don't think I have seen a single person working on 235.. Whenever I drive by they are on the sidewalk talking or eating.

Sorry to stray off-topic a bit, but I love that Rt 235 observation!