How Long Do I Remain a High Risk Driver?

The only good news about being a high-risk driver is that it is temporary.  However, the key to success here is to learn from your mistakes and make sure that you never repeat them again. As long as you avoid any and all infractions, eventually your status will be restored to low-risk and you will stop paying stellar insurance premiums.

Duration Depends on Your Error

As soon as you get labeled as a high-risk driver you should be counting down the days until your previous status is restored. This will take a varied length of time depending on what earned you your high-risk driver status.

New Drivers

Something minor such as having no prior insurance can take only six months to clear up. This happens whenever you get insurance for the first time or you had insurance and chose not to renew it for a period of time for any given reason. The bad news in this case is that you will be billed surcharges for the lapse of time you spent without insurance when you do choose to renew it. The good news is that after six months you will no longer be paying increased premiums. However, this applies only for six continuous months. If you get a new policy, make sure you keep it for the minimum amount of time required otherwise you will have to start over again later.

Common Traffic Violations

One of the most frequent ways in which people get labeled as high-risk is by getting traffic violations. These can range between minor traffic violations, such as speeding tickets, to accidents where you were at fault. Most of them last for 3 years before they are wiped from your record. During that time you will pay increased premiums and will have to wait for a policy renewal in order for the surcharges to pass, even if the violations have expired. However, this can be overcome by switching to another carrier as soon as the violations expire.

Serious Traffic Violations

There are more serious violations such as a DUI, which carry heavy penalties that can last for up to 5 years. In fact, some companies do not even want the business of such high-risk drivers and choose not to renew their policies. If you are facing a DUI charge you will want look for a new provider that only has a 3-year penalty on major violations. These companies usually have higher premiums, so you should look to change carriers again after the total 5 years have passed.

Incentive to Drive Safe

All of the inconveniences that come with the high-risk label are why it is so important to always drive safely and defensively. Not only will this greatly decrease your chances of you or the people around you becoming seriously injured from a car accident, but the financial rewards of paying low insurance premiums year after year are another reason to keep cool on the road.