by Bill Mixon (Our Christian Insurance Guy)
For an additional cost some insurance companies offer accident and speeding violation forgiveness. This means some auto insurance companies will not increase your insurance costs if you have a ticket or accident. The ‘forgiveness‘ is often conditional. In North Carolina speeding 76 miles per hour and above is a reckless driving charge and is not forgiven. Hit and run and passing a stopped school bus are two other charges that are not eligible for forgiveness.
In many states what you pay for insurance can nearly double after a second major speeding ticket, if the tickets were obtained within the same three year period. In North Carolina that increase in insurance cost is collected by the insurance company but it is then passed on to the North Carolina Reinsurance Facility which is an insurance company set up by the state to deal with drivers with the most challenging driving records. The insurance company keeps very little of the increased cost.
In some states, like North Carolina, a minor speeding ticket may be forgiven even if you did not pay extra for accident and violation forgiveness. A minor speeding violation is speeding under 55 MPH but 10 miles per hour (or less) over the posted speed limit… A 45 MPH in a 35 MPH zone is a minor speeding ticket. (An exceeding a safe speed is NOT a minor speeding ticket).
Sometimes it is well worth hiring an attorney when you are charged with a speeding ticket or a violation and sometimes it is a waste of money. It can be a great thing to have a relationship with your auto insurance agent so that you can call and work out your best options when you or a family member is charged with a traffic violation.
The best policy, of course, is to not speed.
You must be logged in to post a comment.