“First Speeding Ticket Will My Insurance Increase?”

Today I've gotten my first speeding ticket going 90 in a 60 zone. I was cooperative and knew I was speeding and the officer reduced my ticket to "75km in a 60" so I won't get any demerit points. I'm only 19, driving with a G2 and listed as a casual driver secondary driver under my mother's car. I asked the officer if this would increase my insurance and he told me its different with every insurance company, some won't increase in minor infraction cases while others will. So I'm just wonder if anyone here had their insurance premium increase from a first minor offense speeding ticket? I'm scared that this would increase my mother's insurance as well and I feel bad for that happening. I'm with Chieftain auto insurance.

EDIT: Additionally , I'll be eligible to take my G test in May since I've been carrying a G2 for almost a year now. Will this ticket affect me taking the G test at all? And how would my mother be able to find out about this ticket? When she renews her license plate yearly?

The officer is correct. There's way too many variables to give you an answer.

Surcharges vary by company. Most insurance companies use the Facility Association Rules as a guideline. Those guidelines would tell you 1-49 is a minor offense and the first conviction would result in a 0% increase. Some insurance companies will advertise this as a "forgiveness" program, so to speak. Others may not be so lucky.

So to answer your question, there really isn't an answer. Your policy will vary.

bend wrote:The officer is correct. There's way too many variables to give you an answer.

Surcharges vary by company. Most insurance companies use the Facility Association Rules as a guideline. Those guidelines would tell you 1-49 is a minor offense and the first conviction would result in a 0% increase. Some insurance companies will advertise this as a "forgiveness" program, so to speak. Others may not be so lucky.

So to answer your question, there really isn't an answer. Your policy will vary.

I got a ticket but was not convicted yet. If I get insurance from a company with a "forgiveness" program before I get convicted, will the forgiveness program work in this case? Thanks.

forgiveness is for accidents only, not for tickets,

I checked this a while ago,

Although depending on your insurance and what buisiness you have with them yadda yadda yadda it could go either way

bobajob wrote:forgiveness is for accidents only, not for tickets,

Although... some insurance companies do not count the first ticket that they deem to be "minor." Second ticket and more = surcharge or rate increase. Others count each and every ticket. All depends on the company...

thats true, but the term "accident forgiveness" which you sometimes pay an extra premium is for at fault accidents not traffic tickets.

And also the forgiveness is ONLY for that company at renewal,

if you have AF and change companies, its not valid.

I know this because I asked around

Radar Identified wrote:

bobajob wrote:forgiveness is for accidents only, not for tickets,

Although... some insurance companies do not count the first ticket that they deem to be "minor." Second ticket and more = surcharge or rate increase. Others count each and every ticket. All depends on the company...

bobajob wrote:thats true, but the term "accident forgiveness" which you sometimes pay an extra premium is for at fault accidents not traffic tickets.

And also the forgiveness is ONLY for that company at renewal,

if you have AF and change companies, its not valid.

I know this because I asked around

Accidents and convictions are two different things with different rates based on different categories.

Convictions are rated based on their definition. There are three different categories from The Facility Manual of Rules and Rates for example. There's "minor", "major", and "serious".

eg.:

Minor: Speeding 1-49, Seatbelt, Signalling Offenses, Using Handheld

Major: Failing to Report an Accident, Improper Passing of a School Bus, G1 Unaccompanied by Qualified Driver

Serious: Speeding 50+, Driving Without Insurance, Careless Driving

The Facility Manual of Rules and Rates uses the following surcharge table:

1 - 100%

Each Additional - 100%

1 - 15%

Each Additional - 25%

1 - 0%

2 - 5%

3 - 15%

4 - 25%

Your own policy may use different rates, but the structure remains the same. A provider may decide to not change your rates based on one minor conviction, but will certainly change it based on a second minor or any other single offense. You can call it whatever you want. "Forgiveness", "This One Is On Us", "First Ones Free", whatever. It's just advertising jargon completely made up by that specific provider. It's not something that is universal across all insurance companies.

cheers good info Bend

do you know ?

we are both insured for the same company, house, multicar discounts

now we have 2 Separate policies, now I have one ticket my wife has 1 ticket

at renewal, will they see me as having "2" convictions

husband and wife driving each others cars... I "think" my convictions only effect me, but surely the fact that as a "family" we have 2 tickets would that put is into the throwing us out territory for having 2 tickets

(if I've explained correctly)

cheeeeeeeers

bobajob wrote:now we have 2 Separate policies, now I have one ticket my wife has 1 ticket

at renewal, will they see me as having "2" convictions

husband and wife driving each others cars... I "think" my convictions only effect me, but surely the fact that as a "family" we have 2 tickets would that put is into the throwing us out territory for having 2 tickets

Anyone who lives in your house and has a valid license is automatically considered an occasional driver under your policy. How do they know who lives with you? Your insurance provider will ask you for the names of any licensed drivers in your house. If there's a change in your living situation, you're supposed to disclose that information with your provider. If you live with someone and don't want them on your policy, you'll have to fill out a form acknowledging you wont be using each others vehicles. Her driving record would absolutely have an impact on your rates.

Remember that insurance increases have nothing do with demerit points. So even a charge with 0 demerit points could still increase your insurance rate.

You would need to specifically ask your insurance company

(1) will a 30km/h over speeding increase my rates and

(2) will a 15km/h over speeding increase my rates

Don't tell them you got a ticket, just say you are asking for future reference IF you got one.

I wouldn't "lie" to an insurance company, because that "will" put you in some unsafe territory.

Possibly fraud, and in the case of an accident, they could walk away.

correct about the demerit points

jsherk wrote:Remember that insurance increases have nothing do with demerit points. So even a charge with 0 demerit points could still increase your insurance rate.

You would need to specifically ask your insurance company

(1) will a 30km/h over speeding increase my rates and

(2) will a 15km/h over speeding increase my rates

Don't tell them you got a ticket, just say you are asking for future reference IF you got one.

generally (0-49 over) is a minor, well at TD (Meloche monnex or whoever they are called) it is,

you can ask that question, but I found out that info on the TD FAQ website

and Bends chart is bang on the money

interestingly, TD (when I spoke to them) said the opposite) about the rates effecting each others policy,

and yes, looks like we are primary and secondary drivers on each others cars,

thankxs for the explaneo

bend wrote:

bobajob wrote:now we have 2 Separate policies, now I have one ticket my wife has 1 ticket

at renewal, will they see me as having "2" convictions

husband and wife driving each others cars... I "think" my convictions only effect me, but surely the fact that as a "family" we have 2 tickets would that put is into the throwing us out territory for having 2 tickets

Anyone who lives in your house and has a valid license is automatically considered an occasional driver under your policy. How do they know who lives with you? Your insurance provider will ask you for the names of any licensed drivers in your house. If there's a change in your living situation, you're supposed to disclose that information with your provider. If you live with someone and don't want them on your policy, you'll have to fill out a form acknowledging you wont be using each others vehicles. Her driving record would absolutely have an impact on your rates.

@bobajob - I agree that you should not lie. But if you have been charged with an offence but have not yet gone to trial and have not yet been found guilty, then you could ask "what if I was found guilty of XYZ offence" ... that is not lying.

Oh yep in that case carry on.

jsherk wrote:@bobajob - I agree that you should not lie. But if you have been charged with an offence but have not yet gone to trial and have not yet been found guilty, then you could ask "what if I was found guilty of XYZ offence" ... that is not lying.