A speeding ticket won’t land you in jail, but it can break the bank in more ways than you think. If you get a speeding ticket your auto insurance premiums will increase, you’ll face fines, and you may require some legal services or enroll in a defensive driving course held by a DMV-approved traffic safety school if you want to get a speeding ticket off your record.
In states that use the license point system for driver records, also called the demerit points system, a speeding ticket can result in a mark-up on a driver’s history and no more clean driving record. The good news is that speeding is a totally avoidable traffic violation. However, if you are a lead-footed driver, there are ways that you can get speeding tickets off your driving record.
How Does a Speeding Ticket Affect Your Driving Record?
Every state except Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wyoming uses a demerit points system to keep track of driver records.
Points are assigned to a driver with a traffic violation after a traffic citation. How much exactly depends on the severity of the traffic offenses, the state, and its traffic laws, as they all have their own ways of adding points to your driving license and your record. It works like golf; you want fewer points because more suggests that you are a high-risk driver with several traffic violations.
A ticket for speeding can result in points being added to your driver’s license and your record. This will be noticed by your auto insurance provider, and you may see an increase in your auto insurance premiums. Too many points on your driving record can result in a license suspension.
How Long do Speeding Tickets Stay on Your Record?
Depending on the severity, a traffic violation or traffic ticket can stay on your driving record for anywhere between three to ten years.
Minor traffic violations, such as running a stop sign at a barren intersection, can remain on your record for less. A factor that is often used in a speeding ticket is how fast you were going at the time of the traffic violation.
How do Speeding Tickets Affect Your Car Insurance Rates?
A speeding ticket is known to increase the average auto insurance premiums rate by 22% to 30%, which calculates to approximately $290. Some states are even known to increase your car insurance by up to 50%.
The exact amount of car insurance increases varies based on the insurer and the severity of the traffic ticket. You can expect this car insurance premium increase to last at least three years. This is because your insurance provider tends to check your driving record every three years.
What if You Get an Additional Speeding Ticket?
A second speeding ticket within a couple of days or even weeks of your first speeding ticket can increase your auto insurance premium further. The average reported is a 43% increase in car insurance premiums. With speeding tickets in succession of each other on your driving record, your insurance company will have no choice but to assume that more traffic violations will occur.
How to Get a Speeding Ticket Off Your Record?
To answer the main question of this post directly -yes, there are a couple of ways you can remove a speeding ticket from your record in order to avoid the increase in auto insurance rates.
This is what you can do to get a speeding ticket off your record:
Don’t Pay The Speeding Ticket Just Yet
Paying your speeding ticket is admitting guilt which will be reflected on your record. The good news is that you have about a month to pay for your traffic ticket, so you have some time to weigh your options. Before deciding, see if you are able to contest your speeding ticket in traffic court for a plea bargain.
There’s no penalty for losing a traffic trial except the additional legal fees you’ll have to pay. But if the plea bargain is successful, think about the car insurance premiums you will save.
Go For a Legal Deferral
A deferral period is when you are found guilty in court, but the findings are deferred for about a year. During this period of time, you can have your speeding ticket dismissed altogether if you avoid other traffic violations. You may have to pay anywhere from $100 to $150 in order to be granted a deferral. This is usually the best method for drivers that were ticketed for the first time by a traffic officer for driving over the speed limit.
Enroll in a Traffic Course
A common remedy for all traffic offenders is enrolling in a defensive driving course by a DMV-approved traffic safety school. Attending traffic school courses and obtaining a certificate of completion can be used to reduce the penalties of a traffic violation or even dismiss a speeding ticket.
Taking a defensive driving class from traffic school shows auto insurance companies you are working to become a better driver which your car insurance company will thank you for. Some fees accompany the traffic school classes, and there may be limits to how much you can take, depending on your state.
Be aware that completing a course on traffic safety at traffic school won’t make criminal traffic offenses like drunk driving or reckless driving disappear.
Try to Plea Bargain
You may be able to ask for leniency from the court clerk, like having the speeding ticket offense downgraded to a moving violation which car insurance companies don’t punish as much.
Mitigation, where you admit guilt for a lower fine or penalty, can also be an option. The decision is up to the judge, and you may have to pay additional legal fees.
Contest Your Speeding Ticket
You can go to court and contest the speeding ticket by pleading not guilty. This may be best done with the help of a lawyer, but it is not required.
Traffic experts say that since a speeding ticket isn’t as severe as a DUI, you may stand a chance in court, but it still isn’t easy on your own. By hiring the services of a speeding ticket defense lawyer, you can maintain a clean record and preserve your driving privileges.
What Are Ways to Save on Car Insurance Premiums With a Speeding Violation?
At this point, if you have a speeding ticket on your driving record, your insurance company will increase your auto insurance premiums. You’ll be able to pay the fine or do community service to resolve the speeding ticket. This can help keep your car insurance premiums from increasing further.
Another thing you can do, depending on the state you live in, is asking for the removal of the driver’s license points. This can typically be done after completing a traffic school course. You may even qualify for a discount on your car insurance premiums.
You can also increase your auto insurance deductible since it is directly inverse to the car insurance premium you pay—the higher your auto insurance deductible, the lower your car insurance rates.
Another way to save on car insurance after a speeding violation is to drive less in order to reduce your miles. Your car insurance provider may offer a discount for this.
Installing additional security features to your car will also help lower your car insurance premiums. These discounts can run anywhere from 5% to 30%.
Shopping for car insurance after getting a speeding ticket? Regardless of your driving history, Insurance Navy is here to help.
We provide drivers with coverage no matter what level of risk they have. Get a free SR22 quote with us today. Quotes are available online via our website and mobile app. You can also give us a call at 888-949-6289.
