Motorcycle Insurance Articles
Impact Of DUI Convictions On Motorcycle Insurance Rates
2010-10-05
A DUI conviction is not something you want on your record. Aside from the flurry of consequences that include court fees, legal expenses, hours spent in court, and the possibility of a suspended driver's license, your motorcycle insurance company has three years to decide if they want to raise your rates. Some companies may decide to drop your policy completely, leaving you stranded and looking for a new carrier.
Insurance companies base their rates on how likely they think you are to get involved in an accident that will require them to pay to cover for you. In the eyes of insurance companies, incidents like speeding tickets and DUI convictions mean a more careless driver and someone who is more likely to be involved in an accident that the carrier will have to pay for. While it may take several minor infractions to pile up before an insurance company will consider you a higher risk, a DUI conviction will typically put you into a high-risk category automatically.
Upon receiving your DUI conviction, you will immediately have points put on your driving record that auto insurance companies will see when determining your rates. Most states require you to get a form called an SR-22 from your auto insurer. This form validates, in the eyes of the Department of Motor Vehicles, that you carry liability insurance and no longer have a suspended license. Some insurance companies do not even offer SR-22 policies, so you could have your current policy immediately canceled. As hard as it will be to find a new carrier with your recent DUI, the fact that you have had an insurance company cancel a policy will also show up on your record, making you an even higher risk for another insurance company to cover.
Other factors can contribute to how exactly your motorcycle insurance will be affected. If somebody was injured when you received your DUI, or if there was property damage, your rates will be particularly high. Even if you were considered a safe driver or were in some sort of preferred class, this DUI conviction will nullify any special benefits you were receiving. In cases like these, because your previous premiums were discounted, the new rates will seem especially high, as much as tripling in cost.
The points on your driving record will stay there for at least three years and can affect your motorcycle insurance for up to eight. Various factors such as state laws and how well your driving record improves over the next few years will determine how long you will have to pay increased rates. On top of all the legal and court fees, DUI convictions end up being very expensive.