Insurance.com's 'Uh-Oh! Calculator' shows how tickets boost rates

(January 1, 2013) Everyone realizes a ticket is likely to increase your car insurance rates, but few drivers know by how much. Insurance.com's “Uh-Oh! Calculator” tells you.

Insurance.com’s interactive “Uh-Oh! Calculator” allows you to compute the average percentage increase to your auto insurance rate for 14 common violations. "Our analysis reveals that reckless driving is the most expensive violation among the infractions we surveyed, with an average rate increase of 22 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, driving without a seat belt triggers a relatively small 3 percent uptick," Insurance.com says.

Based on Insurance.com's analysis of more than 490,000 auto insurance quotes given to drivers, here's how much common tickets will impact your rates on average:

    Reckless driving: 22 percent
    DUI first offense:  19 percent
    Driving without a license or permit:  18 percent
    Careless driving:  16 percent
    Speeding 30 mph over the limit: 15 percent
    Failure to stop:  15 percent
    Improper turn:  14 percent
    Improper passing:  14 percent
    Following too close/tailgating: 13 percent
    Speeding 15 to 29 mph over limit: 12 percent
    Speeding 1 to 14 mph over limit: 11 percent
    Failure to yield: 9 percent
    No car insurance: 6 percent
    Seat belt infractions: 3 percent

"We all make mistakes, and doing so while driving will cost you. Of course, you'll know immediately how much you owe for your ticket, but often you won't know the impact of the ticket on your car insurance rate until you get your renewal from your insurer," said Michelle Megna, managing editor of Insurance.com. "The ‘Uh-Oh! Calculator’ helps ease ticket trauma by showing how much more you'll likely pay."

For more tailored results, use the “Uh-Oh! Calculator” to enter your own age, type of dwelling, state, marital status, and length of time you’ve been with your car insurance company. You can also see how many points are commonly associated with each infraction as well as other penalties levied under state laws.