Here’s What a Ticket Does to Your Car Insurance Rate

Getting a traffic ticket is bad enough, but what’s even worse is getting stuck with higher insurance premiums as a result. Whether or not a ticket will mean those costly extra charges, though, depends on a few things — and they’re factors that are largely out of your control.

In a new survey, InsuranceQuotes.com digs into the demographics of who pays higher insurance premiums after getting a ticket, and it finds that not all drivers are created equal.

First, the good news: Just under one in five drivers will be stuck paying higher premiums after getting a ticket, compared to nearly a third just two years ago.

When it comes to avoiding a premium hike after the fact, being older helps. InsuranceQuotes finds that drivers under the age of 50 are three times likelier to pay higher rates after a ticket than those 50 years old and older. Part of this could be due to how often insurance companies take a peek at your driving record: Younger drivers — who have a reputation for riskier driving — are checked more frequently than older drivers.

But drivers under the age of 30 are actually less likely to get tickets in the first place than those between the ages of 30 and 49, the survey finds.

Wealthier drivers are also more likely to get ticketed. Those with incomes of $75,000 or higher were the most likely income bracket to be ticketed — although they’re less likely that the poorest drivers to see a subsequent rise in their insurance rates.

While 21% of the wealthiest drivers paid higher premiums after a ticket, 24% of those earning under $30,000 a year had to pay higher rates. Drivers who earn between $30,000 to just under $50,000 fare the worst: 27% of those who got tickets saw higher rates.

In terms of income brackets, the sweet spot seems to be the upper-middle income bracket, as just 7% of those who earn between $50,000 and just under $75,000 paid higher premiums after a ticket.

Also, racking up more than one moving violation also increases the likelihood of having to pay more for insurance. While the most common citation, by far, is speeding, other common infractions include driving without a license, not using a seat belt, running a red light or stop sign, or using a cell phone while driving. InsuranceQuotes finds that, among drivers who have been ticketed over the past five years, just over 10% accrued four or more tickets.