Will parking tickets increase my insurance rates

When you’re on the hunt for a new car insurance policy, insurers will ask you all kinds of questions to help them build up your driver’s profile and determine whether you are a high-risk customer or not. The higher risk you appear to them, the more expensive your policy will be, or you may even be denied a policy altogether. While you’re probably aware that your claims history plays a role in determining your risk factor, what about things like parking tickets?

What tickets show up on my driver’s profile?

There are all kinds of traffic violations that you can be ticketed for. However, some have more consequences tied to them than others. Generally, ticketed offences are categorised into two types of violations: Moving and non-moving violations.

Moving violations: these driving offences can be classed as minor, major, or serious, and will all show up on your driver’s profile. Minor tickets are issued for things such as failing to signal or stop at a stop sign. Speeding in a school zone, or failing to report an accident, are both classed as major infractions. And the most severe kind, which can leave you with a criminal ticket, are things like drinking under the influence, speeding over 50km/h over the speed limit, and manslaughter as the result of a collision.

While you may be eligible to fight some of these infractions, if you are found guilty they will show up on your driving history and, in turn, raise your insurance premium.

Non-moving violations: This is where parking tickets alongside other violations, including faulty equipment, missing tail lights, parking in a no-parking zone, in front of a fire hydrant, or parking in front of a fault ticketing machine, come into play. Unlike the tickets issued for moving violations, these will not appear as part of your driver’s history. Although it is important to be honest with your insurer about your driving history, you do not need to mention any parking tickets.

Can parking tickets affect your car insurance rates?

Unlike moving violations, since parking tickets aren’t recorded as part of your driver’s history, they tend not to have any influence on your auto insurance rates. However, if you find yourself frequently getting tickets and unable to pay them all off,  this can affect your ability to renew your vehicle plates.

Furthermore, you may end up having your license suspended, which would flag you as a high-risk customer, in turn affecting your insurance rates.

Remember, it isn’t just your driving history that is important when looking for new insurance rates. Any money you owe to the government can negatively impact your credit score, which will be a headache when trying to get the most affordable deal.

While returning to your car to find a dreaded ticket plastered to your windshield may bring the mood of your day down, it is essential that you try and pay it off as fast as possible to avoid any backlash.