Saving on Auto Insurance by Taking Traffic School
Did you know that getting a traffic ticket in California or moving to a new area can cause your auto insurance rates to rise? Considering the amount of money that we all spend on car insurance every year, it’s good to know why we’re paying the rate that we are, right? Knowing how your rates are determined can help you save money on your premium.
What is the California Good Driver Discount?
In California, state law dictates that insurance carriers must give their customers a 20% discount if they meet certain criteria. The law was part of Proposition 103, which went into effect in 1989.
According to the law, California drivers are eligible for the Good Driver Discount if they meet the following requirements set by the state:
- They must have continuously held a driver’s license for a minimum of three years.
- They must have one or fewer points on their driving record.
- They must not have been to traffic school more than once.
- They must not have been involved in any at-fault accidents that resulted in injury or death.
- They must have no DUI-related convictions within the last 10 years.
If you live in California and meet these requirements, your insurance carrier is obligated to give you 20% off your car insurance — no matter which insurance provider you use. If you qualify but are not currently receiving this discount, you should contact your insurance carrier as soon as possible.
Insurance Rates?
We wish we could tell you that traffic tickets hardly affect your rates at all. Unfortunately for us Californians, just one traffic ticket can cause an auto insurance increase. The “Uh-Oh” Calculator on Insurance.com is a helpful tool that tells you how much your California traffic ticket can raise your insurance rates. According to the tool, a reckless driving infraction will raise your rates the most (21.9%). More infraction types and the average percent increase are listed below:
How Tickets Affect Your California Auto Insurance
| Infraction Type | Percent Increase* |
|---|---|
| Careless Driving | 16.08% |
| Failure to Stop | 15.38% |
| Failure to Yield | 8.8% |
| Tailgating | 13.37% |
| Improper Pass | 13.65% |
| Improper Turn | 14.33% |
| Reckless Driving | 21.9% |
| Speeding 1-14 MPH Over Limit | 10.62% |
| Speeding 15-29 MPH Over Limit | 12.22% |
| Speeding 30+ MPH Over Limit | 15.9% |
*Based on National Average
Online Traffic School
If you need to appear in court, often the judge will allow you attend a traffic school to reduce the number of points on your record once every 18 months. The bad news: you cannot attend traffic school if you were traveling in excess of 30 mph over the posted speed limit. The good news: a certificate from a traffic school can lower your points if you’ve been issued a speeding ticket for under 30 mph over the limit! Low or no points could mean little to no impact on your insurance rates. This can vary both by state and insurance company, but you can a state accredited online traffic school can potentially reduce the impact of that speeding ticket on your premium.