Motorcycle Insurance Articles
Speeding Tickets And Their Effect On Motorcycle Insurance Quotes
2010-09-15
Speeding tickets are a right of passage for any motorcycle rider. Driving a bike around in the summer could be done well under the speed limit, but at some point during the long summer months of hot asphalt and cool drinks the need for speed will take over. Depending on your luck you may find yourself on the wrong end of a speed radar camera or pulled over by a uniformed officer. While speeding tickets are a non-criminal matter and there are a number of different types issued, they can all mean a change in your motorcycle insurance quotes. For companies, tickets equal risk, and that equals a rise in insurance rates.
Every type of speeding ticket will come with a different outcome in terms of judgment, but all are often looked at in the same way by insurance companies. Photo radar tickets cannot carry demerits for licenses, and certain speeds over the limit or in a construction zone can result in substantial fines or a court appearance, but as far as a motorcycle insurance company is concerned, these tickets equal risk. This risk makes them less profitable and therefore less inclined to offer any discounts or promotions on your insurance policy. One or two tickets may not be enough to affect a current policy but may affect future motorcycle insurance quotes. Enough tickets in a short enough period of time will mean a quick raise in rates, sometimes by a substantial amount.
In order to deal with these speeding tickets and their effects, there are a number of things that riders can do. The first is to simply stop speeding. While this can be difficult, it is a proven way to ensure that there are no more tickets on file and that your insurance is no longer affected by them. Another option is to employ a ticket-fighting service to go to court on your behalf or appear in court yourself. If you can have the speeding ticket thrown out on legal or technical grounds, then the insurance company will be unable to justify a raise in your rates, and they are typically required to do so under state law.
For any rider, the ideal situation is to be as safe as possible and stay within the bounds of the speed limit. For those who are caught driving over the speed limit, a fine and increased insurance rates may be the result. Limiting the number of speeding tickets issued to a policyholder and fighting those that are already present can reduce their impact on future motorcycle insurance quotes.