Distracted driving has plagued roadways since cell phones texting became popular. Yet, for a while, insurance companies were not penalizing drivers too hard for being ticketed for it. However, since 2011, research shows that companies have skyrocketed their penalties for distracted driving by 10,000%. Unfortunately, you did read that correctly, it’s not an exaggeration in the slightest. This post will discuss the increase over time, what you can do to avoid being ticketed, and what sr22 car insurance might cost them.
Don’t Let The Prices Distract You
In a study done by The Zebra, premium penalties for distracted driving were traced back from 2011-2018. In 2011, a distracted driving ticket would increase a driver’s auto insurance premium by 0.2%. The penalty steadily increased for a few years before making a major jump from 2015-2016. In 2018, the penalty reached 19.7% which would add about $290 extra to your premium. This obviously would be devastating for most people, since $290 is a lot of money. Worse yet, if a driver racks up too many violations or already has sr22 car insurance, they stand to pay even more.
What Are My Options
Since almost every distracted driving violation occurs when a driver uses their cell phone, a solution should not be hard to find. For some drivers, simply not using their phones may feel impossible. Drivers have options, such as keeping their phones locked in their glove box or center console. Some drivers even put their phone in their trunk, although we do not recommend it. But at the end of the day, would a driver rather risk injury or losing money over sending a text or checking their social media? Sadly, many chose the risk and ended up paying for it. Don’t be one of them. Whether you have regular car insurance or sr22 car insurance, an increase in your premium will hurt your wallet.