One thing you have to have along with your new car is insurance. In fact, in most states, car insurance is mandatory. When you first get your policy, the insurance company gives you a monthly rate to pay. Good driving allows this rate to stay the same. If you are a bad driver, your rates can go up, and in some cases, the rate could go up drastically. Below is more information about this so you can save money.

Speeding Tickets

Many people get speeding tickets over their lifetime. If you get one and pay it on time, your insurance company may not penalize you. If you do not pay the ticket on time, however, the insurance company may be notified. If so, they may increase your insurance premium. If you get a lot of speeding tickets, however, this does not look good to the insurance company.

It also depends on how fast you were driving over the speed limit. For example, if you are driving five miles over the speed limit, your rates may not increase at all or only a little. However, if you are driving much more over the speed limit, your rates will likely increase.

The reason the insurance company increases rates is because if you receive a lot of traffic violations, this increases your chances of getting into an accident.

Car Accident

If you are in a car accident, you need to notify your insurance company as soon as you can. If the accident is proven not to be your fault, your rates will likely not go up. If they do, it will only be a small amount. If the accident was your fault, however, your insurances rates will likely go up. How much this is depends on the type of accident you had.

For example, a collision accident may not cause your rates to go up as much as if you caused a multiple car accident due to speeding. The insurance company will contact the police department and ask for a copy of the police report. This report will help the insurance company determine what your increase should be.  

If you feel you were wrongfully accused, you can contact an auto accident attorney to help you.

Make an appointment with an insurance company like Affordable Insurance, and talk to them about this information. They can give you specifics on how much your rate will go up due to tickets and accidents.