It seemed like a simple question and one I hadn't seen anyone answer. I called Rick Stahl, my agent at Rural Insurance, to ask whether a ticket for not wearing a seat belt likely would push a person's insurance rate higher.
It's not that I fear such a ticket. But a lot of people seem resistant to the state's new primary enforcement law, which means a law officer can pull you over on suspicion of nothing more than not buckling up. Critics say the modest $10 fine won't force them to abide by Big Brother's latest demand. So I wondered if it might cost them even more in auto insurance if they get such tickets.
Stahl says that, apparently, the insurance industry wouldn't consider it a "moving violation" (though you might well be moving when Mr. Officer sees you not wearing that belt), so such a ticket wouldn't drive up your insurance premiums.
That's nice for the Resisters. But then he belted me with the bad news.
Expect insurance costs to rise between 25 percent and 50 percent.
Much of the cost can be blamed on higher minimum levels that Gov. Jim Doyle pushed through in the new state budget. Now, the minimums are $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury; $15,000 for property damage and $1,000 for medical payment.
Wisconsin's auto insurance rates are the 46th cheapest in the country, Stahl says. That will change in November when the minimums rise to $100,000 and $300,000 for bodily injury; $100,000 for property damage and $10,000 for medical payment. Those will cost you more.
Of course, I knew all this from monitoring the state budget debate. I believe my wife and I already carry that much coverage, so I wasn't concerned. The problem is, Stahl told me, that an umbrella policy, which we also have, will cost between $40 and $200 more because of changes involving how insurers cover the uninsured and underinsured.
So much for balancing your family's budget at a time when most of us are bringing home less pay.
It's not that I fear such a ticket. But a lot of people seem resistant to the state's new primary enforcement law, which means a law officer can pull you over on suspicion of nothing more than not buckling up. Critics say the modest $10 fine won't force them to abide by Big Brother's latest demand. So I wondered if it might cost them even more in auto insurance if they get such tickets.
Stahl says that, apparently, the insurance industry wouldn't consider it a "moving violation" (though you might well be moving when Mr. Officer sees you not wearing that belt), so such a ticket wouldn't drive up your insurance premiums.
That's nice for the Resisters. But then he belted me with the bad news.
Expect insurance costs to rise between 25 percent and 50 percent.
Much of the cost can be blamed on higher minimum levels that Gov. Jim Doyle pushed through in the new state budget. Now, the minimums are $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury; $15,000 for property damage and $1,000 for medical payment.
Wisconsin's auto insurance rates are the 46th cheapest in the country, Stahl says. That will change in November when the minimums rise to $100,000 and $300,000 for bodily injury; $100,000 for property damage and $10,000 for medical payment. Those will cost you more.
Of course, I knew all this from monitoring the state budget debate. I believe my wife and I already carry that much coverage, so I wasn't concerned. The problem is, Stahl told me, that an umbrella policy, which we also have, will cost between $40 and $200 more because of changes involving how insurers cover the uninsured and underinsured.
So much for balancing your family's budget at a time when most of us are bringing home less pay.
1 comments:
A small accident or a ticket will definitely increase the insurance policy cost. No insurance provider would prefer to offer a policy to those who violates rules and carry risks. Even after buying a valued policy one has to be careful to maintain the insurance policy to make it affordable.
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