While shopping for a new or used car, have you ever wondered if your vehicle could be a magnet for traffic tickets?
Of course, drivers receive tickets, not cars. But an Insurance.com analysis based on more than 323,000 insurance quotes found that speeders tend to drive many of the same cars.
Read more: 3 reasons why auto insurance rates are getting higher
Is your car a ticket magnet?
The most ticketed car? The Lexus ES 300. One-third of drivers got a ticket! Compare that to the Buick Encore, the least ticketed vehicle, at 3%. The average for all cars was 21%, according to Insurance.com.
The folks at Your Mechanic used data from the study to provide us with a closer look at the numbers:
10 most ticketed cars
10 least ticketed cars
Most and least ticketed SUVs
Most and least ticketed pickup trucks
Most and least ticketed compact cars
If your car isn’t on any of these lists, you can plug in your vehicle’s make and model at Insurance.com to see where it ranks.
How traffic tickets impact your insurance rates
What does this all mean for your wallet? It doesn’t matter what you drive, if you’re caught breaking traffic or speeding laws, your insurance rates will likely go up.
In its third annual moving violations report, InsuranceQuotes.com revealed how even minor violations can impact your premiums:
- Speeding by 1 to 15 mph: 21% increase
- Following too closely: 19% increase
- Failure to signal: 19% increase
- Improperly driving in a car pool lane: 18% increase
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While those increases might seem high, they’re nothing compared to the increase you’d pay for more serious violations, like driving under the influence.
- DUI/DWI: 94% increase
- Reckless driving: 85% increase
- Speeding by 31 mph or more: 29% increase
- Speeding by 16 to 30 mph: 28% increase
- Careless driving: 27% increase
For insurance companies, this is all about assessing a driver’s risk. Experts say the violations that cause rates to rise the most are strong indicators that the driver could have an accident in the future.
If you happen to get a ticket, consider shopping around to make sure you’re still getting the best rate.
