Do non-moving violations affect insurance?

Car insurance rates are determined by a number of complex factors. Items outside of your control, like your age and gender, play a role in setting your car insurance premiums. The single greatest contributor to insurance costs is a person’s driving record, including a history of accidents or traffic citations.

Once a person’s rates increase due to violations, accidents, or other factors, the driver must wait until the infraction has dropped off their license. This can take several years, and an individual may be stuck paying high premiums during that time. It makes more sense to know what will impact your policy in advance and do everything in your power to avoid that.

You may know that your insurance premiums are affected by things like a traffic violation, but you might not realize that only certain types of tickets will cause your rates to increase. Of course, it’s best to avoid tickets altogether, but if you do slip up and receive a parking ticket, you’re safe: Non-moving violations do not impact the cost of auto insurance.

What is a non-moving violation?

Police spend a lot of time enforcing traffic laws. The purpose of these laws is to keep roadways free of accidents. Roads are meant to be driven on in certain ways, and people who drive outside of these norms cause collisions. For example, failing to stop at a red light or passing in a no-pass zone can cause a collision. Driving past the speed limit can cause an accident or make a collision more deadly. It is best to omit as many reckless driving behaviors as you can while on the road.

In order to enforce these laws, police officers will pull over drivers and write them a citation. This ticket must either be contested or paid by the driver. Failure to pay a ticket can result in further penalties, including non-renewal of registration, suspended driver’s licenses, and even arrest warrants if the infractions and numerous and severe. Tickets are generally divided into three categories:

• Criminal violations, like driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Moving violations, like speeding, running traffic lights, or failure to yield
• Non-moving violations, like parking in a handicap space, double-parking, or parking in a metered space without paying for time

In other words, a non-moving violation is a parking ticket. These kinds of tickets do not count against your driving record and your insurance company doesn’t care about them. They can get expensive to repay, and you may have a hard time with vehicle registration if you have outstanding parking tickets, but your insurance will not be affected by a parking ticket in the same way it will be by a speeding ticket.

Why Parking Tickets Don’t Count

Insurance companies are concerned about risk. People who have a high risk of being in an accident pay more for insurance than drivers with a low risk. This is because, over the duration of a policy, an insurance company will not need to pay as much in claims for drivers who do not frequently get into accidents.

Traffic violations are a good way to gauge an individual’s driving habits. People who speed, text while driving, run red lights or fail to signal when turning are all more likely to get into an accident and lose their driving privileges than people who obey traffic laws.

Parking tickets do not work the same way. People who park their cars in handicap spaces or fire zones are not more likely to be involved in collisions than those who don’t. Even if their vehicles are damaged while parked, the accident would not be considered their fault: All parked-vehicle accidents are the fault of the person who hits the parked car, even if that vehicle is parked illegally.

Because parking tickets do not cause a driver’s risk to increase, their rates will remain unaffected. Of course, this does not mean that drivers should park anywhere they wish or disregard laws. Parking tickets can get expensive and will prevent a vehicle from being registered, which can lead to further problems down the line if the driver continues operating an unregistered vehicle. Nevertheless, in any direct sense, parking tickets do not affect car insurance premiums.

If you’re faced with a sudden and unexpected insurance rate increase when your policy renews, you should contact your provider to ask for an explanation. In most cases, your agent will be able to inform you of why your rates went up and what you can do to mitigate the damage. Keeping track of your driving history and its influence on your premiums will help you keep your rates low and identify the best deals when comparison shopping for a new policy.

Case Studies: Non-Moving Violations and Insurance

Case Study 1: Parking Ticket Conundrum

John received a parking ticket for parking in a restricted zone. Worried about the potential impact on his car insurance rates, he contacted his insurance provider to clarify the situation. After discussing with the insurance representative, John learned that non-moving violations, such as parking tickets, do not affect car insurance premiums.

While he still had to pay the fine and ensure his vehicle’s registration remained valid, he was relieved to know that his insurance rates would not be impacted by this particular violation.

Case Study 2: Expired Registration and Insurance Rates

Sarah’s vehicle registration had expired, and she wondered if this non-moving violation could result in higher insurance rates. She contacted her insurance company to inquire about the potential consequences.

The insurance representative explained that while expired registration could lead to certain penalties, such as the suspension of a driver’s license or vehicle registration, it would not directly impact her car insurance rates. However, Sarah was advised to promptly renew her registration to avoid any further complications.

Case Study 3: The Impact of Broken Tail Lights

After receiving a citation for a broken tail light, Mark was concerned about how it might affect his car insurance premiums. He reached out to his insurance provider for clarification.

The insurance representative reassured Mark that a broken tail light, classified as a non-moving violation, would not lead to an increase in his insurance rates. However, the representative emphasized the importance of promptly addressing the issue to ensure road safety and compliance with traffic laws.