Thursday, September 8, 2011

New York State Speeding Tickets and Insurance Premiums

Many people facing speeding tickets from a little town or village court have one question:

"What's going to happen to my insurance?"

New York State Insurance Law § 2335 can be complicated to read and understand.
It loosely states that an insurance company CANNOT raise your premiums if you have a traffic infraction

UNLESS it is one of the following situations:

1. speeding more than 15 miles per hour;
2. reckless or speeding resulting in a death;
3. 3 speeding tickets;
4. driving drunk (DWI) or impaired (DWAI);
5. leaving an accident w/o reporting it;
6. racing/speeding contests or running from the police;
7. 2 or more moving violations.

so the Interpretation, a ticket less than 15 miles an hour shouldn't trigger a rate increase.

But 10 MPH or more over will be a 4 point ticket, and a speed against your record though. Remember 11 points or 3 speeds within 18 months is an automatic NYS suspension of your driving privileges. So in my opinion better not to have a speed or something with less points.

Often a speed can be reduced (plead down) to a 1110 (a) Failure to Obey a Traffic Device. This shouldn't trigger a rate increase either, it will be a 2 point ticket. Of course depending upon the Court, the prosecutor, your past driving record, your specific situation, and the judge some tickets
will be more difficult or impossible to have reduced.

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