Can a parking ticket affect you car insurance?

It certainly can.How many of us have thrown that nasty citation for a nuisance meter violation into our glove box with utter anger and arrogance?  For a select few of us, there may even be a colony of them building up in there. Then, a few months later, there comes the hard reality. Failing to pay fines for an extended period of time can come back to haunt you worse than a headless horseman come October.

Insurance carriers’ policy costs are primarily based on risk. To them, speeding, reckless driving and DUIs are understandably of greatest concern. For this reason, they are less concerned about these minor offenses, and we all know that paying for tickets comes out of our pockets and not theirs. The obligation to track and pay for these offenses should be regarded just like any other bill we receive. If we become delinquent with our payments for too long, our insurance rates eventually will be affected.

How is that possible?Let’s look at a very plausible example. Many municipalities have laws which can suspend your car registration for failing to pay for a ticket by a certain date. Some folks do find registration reinstatement too costly for them and postpone payment and choose to drive with a suspended registration. Getting stopped for this offense is a serious moving violation which will incur additional fines and result with much steeper insurance rates. Driving an uninsured and/or unregistered vehicle is illegal. And, if you are DUI, that is that much worse still.

Unfortunately, drivers who have these recorded violations have a real tough time finding another provider who has any more affordable rates, because many insurance carriers use the same metrics and sources for determining rates. The insurance industry is very savvy with tracking poor insurance risks (drivers). It can take years to reestablish a decent rate status. So please, pay the fine so you don’t have to risk paying much more later on.

Working with the right insurance carrier and agency should make you driving experience enjoyable. Let Jensen help you determine the best auto policy for your needs. Fill out a quote online or call our office today. (508) 429-2100