If you’ve got the need for speed, you should be careful about getting behind the wheel of a car. We at the MarketWatch Guides team analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the National Safety Council (NSC) and several other organizations to explore traffic ticket trends and how much a moving violation can cost you. Should you get ticketed for speeding, you won’t be paying cheap car insurance rates for long.
Key Findings
- According to our research, some of the most common traffic violations include speeding, distracted driving, improper lane changing and failing to stop.
- We found that just one speeding ticket for driving 21 to 25 mph over the posted limit can cost you an average of $648 more on your car insurance premium.
- Although 2021 was one of the deadliest years for speeding drivers since 2007, 2022 saw a decrease of 2.8% in speeding-related fatalities.*
Most Common Traffic Violations
Traffic violation tickets and fines are reminders that your decisions behind the wheel can endanger both you and others on the road. A traffic violation can result in points taken from your driver’s license* and increased car insurance rates, according to DriveSafe Online, an educational site where you can take courses on defensive driving and learn more on traffic laws and road safety. Among repeat or the most reckless violations, drivers risk license suspension or revocation and jail time.
DriveSafe Online, identifies the following traffic violations as some of the most common:
- Improper lane changing or turning
- Distracted driving, including driving while texting
- Speeding, following too closely and other types of reckless driving
- Failing to stop at a stop sign or running a red light
Additional traffic violations include driving without a valid driver’s license or car insurance and improper parking.
You can read the full article at MarketWatch.