Auto Insurance Questions: How Will Points Affect Auto Insurance Rates?

Getting stopped by a police officer and issued a traffic citation can seriously affect you and be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if it has never happened to you before. Questions begin swirling around almost immediately in your mind. “How much trouble am I in?” and “How much is this going to cost me?” are among the most common, as is “Will I get points on my license?” and “How will points affect auto insurance rates?”

"Points?"

When people talk about “points” being placed on or taken from their driver’s license, they’re actually using technically incorrect terminology. What actually happens is that they receive a moving violation citation. These auto violations can be for speeding, failure to yield, running a red light, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, basically anything that a person can do in a vehicle that goes against traffic laws or endangers or injures others is a moving violation. These violations are assigned a certain “point value” by the state or county Department of Motor Vehicles. The more serious the infraction is, the higher the point value becomes. Running a red light may be worth more points than making an illegal lane change and a DUI violation will be worth more points than running a red light. These points are placed on your DMV driving record. They don’t stay there forever, and the length of time it takes for points to drop from your record may vary according to the offense and the regulations or laws in your area. Too many points on your record can result is suspension or revocation of your license in most states. Still the question remains: “How will points affect auto insurance rates?”

Pointers on the Points

There actually is no single answer to that question. Certainly most insurance companies will look at your DMV record when you purchase a policy with them. Some companies take the points into account and some do not. So, really, it is possible that points on your record may not affect your rates at all in some cases but could cause your rates to increase in others.

The best way, of course, to avoid having to ask these questions at all is to avoid getting points on your record. The best way to do that is to avoid breaking the law when behind the wheel. If it happens to you however, there are still ways to avoid having the points affect your record.

In many states certain offenses like speeding and failure to obey a traffic signal can have their points waived by the driver attending a traffic school. These classes typically last one day and are designed to turn dangerous drivers into safe drivers, with the added benefit of removing points. Successful completion of the class can have the points removed from your record. Whether you qualify for the class will be dependant on what the offense is and whether you’ve taken the class previously. Many states will not allow someone to go to traffic school if they have already attended anytime in the past six months or year.

Another way to avoid points added to your driving record is to plea bargain. This is particularly effective if you otherwise have a good driving record and this is your first offense in a long time. To plea bargain you show up to traffic court and usually agree to plead guilty in exchange for a reduced punishment, which ideally would include just a fine with no stains on your driving record. To maximize your chances of success, you may want to consult a lawyer who specializes in traffic violations.