Avoid Careless Driving Habits and Your Insurance Will Reward You

You have a spotless driving record. You’ve never gotten into a single accident, you don’t speed, you keep your phone in the glove box while you’re on the road, and you keep a good distance between yourself and other drivers at all times. You’ve got to have earned some kind of reward, right?

It depends on how long you’ve been driving. Many insurance companies offer rewards as long as you avoid careless driving. These rewards will vary from company to company. Most of the time, it comes in the form of lower premiums. Check out this guide to learn all you need to know about careless driving and your insurance.

What Counts as Careless Driving?

There are several things you can do on the road that counts as careless driving. Many people lump it in with reckless driving, but the two are a little different. When comparing careless driving vs reckless driving, the difference is the intent. Someone who makes a careless driving mistake didn’t necessarily mean to put anyone in danger. The opposite is true for reckless driving. For example, if you run a red light because you’re not paying attention, that’s careless driving. If you run a red light because you don’t want to wait for it to turn green again, that’s reckless driving.

How Does Careless Driving Affect Your Coverage?

Your insurance company will reward you for being a safe driver. They’ll also punish you for getting a careless driving ticket.

Premiums

Again, safe driving rewards will vary from company to company. Many will give you lower premiums if you don’t gather up any careless driving points. On the flip side of this, your premium will go up if you do get a ticket. Even something minor can affect the price of your insurance. How much the price will go up, we can’t say. It depends on your policy. A careless driving ticket may stay on your record and drive up your rate for 3 years.

Lower Quality Coverage

If you get a certain amount of careless driving tickets, the quality of your coverage could drop to non-standard. This status is given to drivers who don’t have the best record. You’ll still have coverage, but it will be limited because you cost more to insure. As long as you stay safe and don’t get any careless driving points, you’ll have access to more coverage options.

Canceled Policy

Careless driving could result in a canceled policy if you get enough tickets and convictions on your record. Companies are allowed to do this at any time. It will be hard for you to find another company to insure you. If you can find someone, your rate might be a little unaffordable depending on the company. It’s better to avoid complications and drive safely.

How to Avoid Careless Driving?

So, how do you avoid stacking up careless driving points so you can save money on your insurance? The answer is to avoid distracted driving. Distracted driving doesn’t only involve answering your cell phone while you’re on the road. Something as simple as a little bit of road rage can affect how you drive.

Give Yourself Time

You snooze your alarm clock until you have 15 minutes left to get to work. You spring out of bed, throw on anything you can find that smells clean, and rush out the door. You end up taking the backroads and speeding so you can get to the building on time. This scenario is one that many people go through every single morning.

It’s a habit that you’ve got to break if you want to avoid a careless driving ticket. When you don’t give yourself enough time to get where you need to go, it’s likely that you’ll end up speeding. You may not even realize how fast you’re going until you hear the cop’s sirens and see the flashing blue lights through your rearview mirror.

Reel in the Road Rage

It might be hard to reel in your anger when another driver cuts you off, but you’ve to try. Getting angry will only raise your stress levels, which could prevent you from paying full attention to the road. In the heat of the moment, you may end up doing something careless.

Careless driving, also known as reckless driving or aggressive driving, can have significant implications on auto insurance premiums. Insurance companies consider reckless driving a high-risk behavior, which increases the likelihood of accidents and claims. Here’s how careless driving can impact the cost of insurance:

1. Higher Premiums

Increased Risk: Careless driving behaviors such as speeding, tailgating, running red lights, or weaving in and out of traffic pose a higher risk of accidents.
Insurance Risk Assessment: Insurance companies use your driving record to assess risk when determining premiums. A history of reckless driving convictions or citations will likely result in higher premiums.

2. Policy Rate Adjustments

Surcharge or Penalty: Insurers may impose a surcharge or penalty on your policy for reckless driving violations. This can significantly increase your premium for several years, depending on your insurer and state regulations.
Loss of Good Driver Discount: Reckless driving convictions may lead to the loss of any good driver discounts you previously qualified for, further increasing your premiums.

3. Potential Policy Cancellation or Non-Renewal

Policy Termination: In extreme cases, repeated reckless driving violations could lead to your insurance company canceling your policy or choosing not to renew it. Being dropped by your insurer can make it more challenging and expensive to find coverage elsewhere.

4. Impact on Future Rates

Long-Term Consequences: Reckless driving convictions typically stay on your driving record for several years, depending on state laws. During this time, you may face higher insurance rates, even after the initial citation or conviction.

5. Legal and Financial Consequences

Fines and Legal Fees: In addition to increased insurance costs, reckless driving convictions often come with hefty fines and legal fees.
License Suspension or Revocation: Depending on the severity of the offense, reckless driving convictions can lead to temporary or even permanent loss of your driver’s license.

6. Mitigating Factors

Driver Improvement Courses: In some cases, completing a defensive driving or driver improvement course may help mitigate the impact of a reckless driving conviction on your insurance rates.
Policy Shopping: If you’ve received a reckless driving citation, it’s essential to shop around for insurance. Some insurers may specialize in high-risk drivers and offer more competitive rates.

7. Behavioral Changes for Safer Driving

Prevention is Key: Avoiding reckless driving behaviors not only helps keep you and others safe on the road but also reduces the likelihood of accidents and insurance rate increases.
Safe Driving Discounts: Conversely, maintaining a clean driving record and demonstrating safe driving habits over time may qualify you for discounts on your insurance premiums.

Careless driving can have severe consequences, including increased insurance costs, legal penalties, and potential loss of driving privileges. It’s crucial to prioritize safe driving practices to protect yourself and others on the road and to maintain affordable auto insurance rates. If you’ve been cited for reckless driving, consider seeking legal advice and exploring options to mitigate the impact on your insurance premiums.

Keep a Distance Between You and Other Careless drivers

You can control what you do on the road but you can’t control other people. This being said, you have to leave a bit of distance between yourself and other drivers on the road. Well, more than a bit of distance if it’s raining or snowing. This way if the car in front of you comes to a sudden stop or goes into another lane without turning on their turn signal, you won’t rear-end them.

Don’t Get Distracted

If you’re going to get something to eat on your way to your destination, stop and eat at the restaurant. Trying to eat and drive at the same time counts as careless driving. You should also leave your phone in the glove box. If you must answer a phone call or text message, pull over to the side of the road and do it.

Avoid Careless Driving and Reap the Rewards

To safely arrive from point A to point B, you’ve got to avoid careless driving. If you check your phone or let road rage get the best of you, it could lead to you and several other people getting hurt. You’ll also lose your chance on some great rewards from your insurance company. To get rewards for avoiding careless driving, you’ve got to have an insurance company first. Go here to start your auto quote.

Why is it important to avoid careless driving habits?

Avoiding careless driving habits can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and help maintain a clean driving record, potentially leading to lower insurance premiums.