Most people who consider themselves to be good, decent, law-abiding citizens still consistently break the law of a fairly regular basis. They do this because they feel that they are not hurting everyone and other people are doing it to. However, it is important to realize that driving above the posted speed limit is breaking the law and can be extremely costly for the unfortunate driver when they are pulled over by the police. Fines and penalties can vary across different states and will often depend on the speed of the driver relative to the legal speed of the road; but a person with a speeding ticket can count on paying at least $150 for the ticket itself. But there are many other hidden costs of getting a speeding ticket which can be significantly greater than the ticket.

According to Insurance.com, a leading insurance search site, drivers with even a single speeding ticket pay almost 20% more than someone without a speeding ticket. For an average policy this equates to close to $200 per year, which is more the the original ticket. For drivers with multiple tickets, the additional costs can double or triple. These additional costs will continue for as long as the ticket remains on one’s driving record. This varies across different states, but is usually anywhere from three to five years. That means for a person with a single ticket could end up paying an additional $1,000 for insurance over the course of five years.

When a person has too many tickets, many companies will refuse to even offer insurance coverage. In most states it is illegal to drive without a minimum amount of insurance. That means these costs will be unavoidable. Fortunately, there are some steps that one can take to help defray an insurance premium increase. Many states allow for a driver to take an educational course for reduce points on the driver’s license. This will also usually be taken into account when an insurance policy is renewed. These classes are usually only one day long and cost less than $200. This cost is significantly less than what one would pay in increased premiums over just a few years.

Of course the best way to avoid these extra insurance costs is to drive safely and smartly and follow all traffic laws. Driving ten miles over the speed limit will rarely get you to your destination more than a minute or two early, but it could cost thousands of dollars in fines and increased insurance premiums.