Do you have a lead foot? If you are not sure, here are some clues. Do you frequently miss your exit? Do your friends draw straws to see who has to ride with you? Does your spouse wear a helmet when you drive?
If you have a lead foot, you may get places fast but at great risk. Maybe you have been fortunate to avoid an accident, and you may pride yourself on having no speeding tickets. In fact, you may think a speeding ticket would be no big deal and would only slow you down until the officer was out of sight. Perhaps you haven't considered the cost of a speeding ticket that goes beyond the fine you may pay.
Making your point
Depending on how fast you are going when police pull you over, you will likely receive a fine. While $30 may not seem like much to you now, it may after the assessment of court costs, which are often close to $200. The infraction with which police charge you will likely result in points on your driving record. North Carolina has a unique point system that includes the following factors:
- Different offenses carry varying points.
- If you are driving more than 15 mph over the speed limit, you will receive points.
- If you accumulate 12 points within three years, authorities will suspend your license up to 60 days for a first suspension.
- A separate point system affects your insurance premiums.
You are fortunate to live in North Carolina, where auto insurance is more affordable than in most other states. However, this benefit applies to drivers who operate within the limits of the law. If you are careful about spending money, you should know that speeding tickets do affect your insurance premiums. Premium increases based on points for moving violations last for three years.
The true cost of a lead foot
Your driving record is one of the first factors an insurance company considers when setting the cost of your policy. While data shows that, among the regions of North Carolina, residents of Asheville may suffer least from insurance premium hikes due to traffic violations, that increase is still close to 50 percent or about $500 per year. That $30 speeding ticket can actually end up costing you over $1,800.
There are ways to avoid the hike in your premiums. With legal assistance, you may be able to avoid the conviction, or you may enter a Prayer for Judgement Continued, which means the conviction stands, but it does not affect your insurance cost. An attorney can answer any questions you have about your options when faced with tickets for moving violations.
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