How a Speeding Ticket Impacts Your Insurance in Illinois

You probably already know that car insurance is more expensive after accidents, but what happens when you get a run-of-the-mill speeding ticket?

Increased Premiums

On average, in Illinois, a speeding ticket can increase the cost of car insurance by 35 percent, but there’s a pretty wide range of upcharges depending on your insurance company.

While you won’t be able to get rates as low as they were before your speeding violations, you can lower your car insurance costs in five ways:

1. Work with cheaper companies: Insurers like Pekin, Safeco, Erie, USAA and State Farm have the lowest post-speeding-ticket rates. Get a quote in your ZIP code to see how much these providers will charge you after getting a speeding ticket.
2. Get minimum coverage: Technically, the state of Illinois requires only liability insurance as follows.
   • Bodily injury coverage per person: $25,000
   • Bodily injury coverage per accident: $50,000
   • Property damage per accident: $20,000²

   By getting the lowest amount of insurance legally allowed, you’ll have the lowest premiums.

3. Lower your limits: If you don’t want minimum coverage but still want to save money, lowering your limits will do the trick.
4. Raise your deductible: As long as you can afford to pay it if need be, raising your deductible on comprehensive and collision coverage will lower your premiums.
5. Get discounts: Finally, if all else fails, ask your insurance agent what discounts you’re eligible for. For example, you may be able to save money thanks to some features built into your car, such as airbags, antitheft devices and passive restraints. There are also good driver discounts, as well as discounts for taking a defensive driving course.

While a speeding ticket will certainly affect your insurance rate, there are still ways to get your costs as low as possible.

Aside from the inflated car insurance premiums you’ll pay due to a speeding ticket, the state of Illinois will charge you fines for petty infractions. You may also have to deal with points, bail and possible imprisonment with Class A or Class B misdemeanors.

Most speeding ticket violators will fall into the infraction category, which doesn’t require a mandatory court appearance or jail time.³ If you have three or more offenses within a year or if you’re under 21, two or more offenses within two years, your license will be revoked. Fines are separate from bail, which kicks in even if you’re only one mile per hour over the posted speed limit.⁴

There are three main paths you can take if you get a speeding ticket.⁵

1. Pay the fine: The easiest course of action is to plead guilty and pay the fine, which you can do online. The conviction will be on your driving record, but you won’t have to appear in court, do any additional paperwork or take a driver training course.
2. Plead guilty and request an order for supervision: If you want to avoid having the conviction on your record, you can plead guilty and go to traffic school.
3. Plead not guilty and request a trial: Pleading not guilty or being charged with a misdemeanor instead of an infraction will require you to appear in court for a trial. Be sure to dress nicely, arrive on time and enter your plea in front of the judge. You can either agree to a plea bargain with the prosecutor or go to trial — either a bench trial (in front of the judge only) or a trial by jury if you request it.

For the judge to declare you guilty, the prosecution must have proof against you. If you are convicted, you will have to pay the original fines plus court costs, attend traffic school, and, for more serious violations, be on probation, go to jail or perform community service. The conviction will be on your record regardless.⁶

Speeding isn’t the only traffic violation that will cause insurance rates to rise. Avoid other moving and non-moving violations, which can occur when your vehicle is in motion or parked.

Moving

• Not stopping at a red light
• Doing a hit-and-run
• Not yielding to a railroad crossing
• Not adhering to pedestrian right of way
• Improper passing

Nonmoving

• Parking
• Improper equipment
• Missing license
• Late registration

Even if it’s just a $50 fine, speeding isn’t worth it and teen speeding is even more dangerous. So the next time you’re running late, make sure you’re still driving under the maximum speed limit, not only to lower your financial costs but also to save a life.