Here's how much the most expensive traffic violation in your state will raise your auto insurance
If a cop hands you a ticket for speeding, swerving in and out of lanes, or causing a crash, you're already paying up. However, drivers need to keep in mind that those tickets can also mean big increases to their car insurance premiums.
For example, if you're caught racing in North Carolina or driving drunk or recklessly in California, that single incident will cost you nearly $3,000 on your annual auto insurance premium. (For North Carolina, that's a 350% rate increase.) And that's not including the ticket itself or any court fees or other expenses.
Although each state regulates insurance differently, every state's most costly violation will earn the driver a car insurance rate increase of at least 40%, according to The Zebra's new State of Auto Insurance Report.
To determine what violation was most costly in each state, The Zebra analyzed auto insurance pricing data from its quote engine. The analysis includes annual auto insurance premium data across all U.S. zip codes for a base driver profile of a 30-year-old single male driving a 2012 Honda Accord EX.
Below are the most expensive traffic violations by state and how much each could wind up raising your insurance.
1. Alabama
Most Costly Violation: Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
Dollar Increase on Premium: $716
2. Alaska
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $568
3. Arizona
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,574
4. Arkansas
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $850
5. California
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving, DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $2,869
6. Colorado
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $842
7. Connecticut
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,790
8. Delaware
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $2,125
9. District of Columbia
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,016
10. Florida
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,735
11. Georgia
'Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $812
12. Hawaii
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $2,396
13. Idaho
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $594
14. Illinois
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving, Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,619
15. Indiana
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $462
16. Iowa
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving
Dollar Increase on Premium: $622
17. Kansas
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $512
18. Kentucky
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,435
19. Louisiana
Mostly Costly Violation: At-Fault Accident
Dollar Increase on Premium: $791
20. Maine
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $623
21. Maryland
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving
Dollar Increase on Premium: $666
22. Massachusetts
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $961
23. Michigan
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving
Dollar Increase on Premium: $2,312
24. Minnesota
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,019
25. Mississippi
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving
Dollar Increase on Premium: $790
26. Missouri
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $529
27. Montana
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $640
28. Nebraska
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $755
29. Nevada
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $945
30. New Hampshire
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $759
31. New Jersey
Mostly Costly Violation: At-Fault Accident
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,229
32. New Mexico
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $896
33. New York
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,150
34. North Carolina
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $2,888
35. North Dakota
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving
Dollar Increase on Premium: $761
36. Ohio
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $607
37. Oklahoma
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,187
38. Oregon
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,079
39. Pennsylvania
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,032
40. Rhode Island
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,473
41. South Carolina
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $793
42. South Dakota
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,009
43. Tennessee
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $743
44. Texas
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,268
45. Utah
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving
Dollar Increase on Premium: $606
46. Vermont
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $892
47. Virginia
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $722
48. Washington
Mostly Costly Violation: Reckless Driving, Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $736
49. West Virginia
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $1,057
50. Wisconsin
Mostly Costly Violation: Racing
Dollar Increase on Premium: $550
51. Wyoming
Mostly Costly Violation: DUI
Dollar Increase on Premium: $709
Why Are There Variations by State?
So many things about insurance pricing vary by state and situation, and violations are no exception. Just as marital status, gender, and homeowner status affect your rate differently depending on your state, the same can be said for traffic tickets.
The risks associated with accidents are statistically different for each state, so what insurance companies consider the "worst" (and thus costliest) ticket in each state will come down to the ticket which leads to the greatest amount of risk caused by drivers in that particular state. For example, certain states (even certain zip codes) have higher frequencies of DUIs that lead to collisions than others, so insurance companies factor the likelihood of someone getting into a collision based on those statistics.
What Can Drivers Do to Keep Their Car Insurance Rates Low?
Drivers should consider shopping around every six months or every year for new rates. Insurance companies may increase their rates due to various factors, so you might be paying a higher rate if you stay. Be honest about your driving history when you compare quotes to truly see the lowest rates for your coverage needs.
Maintain continuous coverage. Insurance companies will raise your rates if they see gaps in time when you didn't have an active insurance policy.
Consider sharing or combining policies with a family or household member if you aren't able to afford a policy on your own. Combining policies can make you eligible for additional discounts that you might not qualify for on your own, such as a homeowner discount or multiple vehicle discount.
Bundle your auto policy with a renter's or homeowner's policy if you like the insurance company and can get the coverage you need. You could earn a substantial discount.
And, of course, maintain a clean driving record. As we've seen above, a driving violation nearly always raises your rates – and can sometimes double or triple your annual premium – so stay focused on the road when driving and watch that speed limit.
[Editor's note: Your credit score can also influence your car insurance rates. You can view two of your scores for free, updated every two weeks, on Credit.com.]
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How to Get Out of Debt: A Step-by-Step Guide to Financial Freedom
What Is the Average Credit Score?
You Can Get a Credit Card With Bad Credit. Here's How
This article originally appeared on Credit.com.
