Dare County Speeding Tickets and Insurance Points
When you are cited for speeding in Dare County, the charging officer will sometimes tell you that you can pay off the ticket and avoid a court appearance. What they often fail to tell you is that one Dare County speeding ticket can cost you thousands when you consider increased insurance premiums. Let’s do some math!
According to NerdWallet, the national average for car insurance is $1,427 for a driver with good credit. The North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance allows a 3 year increase in insurance premiums based on convictions for moving violations in NC. A simple Dare County speeding conviction of 69 mph in a 55 mph zone would cause an NC driver to incur 2 points for insurance purposes. The NC Insurance Commission allows a three year, 45% increase of a driver’s premium based on a 2 point conviction.
So, if a driver’s annual premium is $1,427, then over 3 years it is $4,281. A 45% increase would cause that driver to pay a total of $6,287.45 over 3 years – an additional $1,926.45 in premiums!
Let’s say a person decided to represent themselves in Dare County court and pleaded guilty to a 76 mph in a 55 mph zone. The NC Commissioner allows an 80% increase for that conviction. Not only would the driver be subjected to a suspension of their license in this case, but would also go from paying $4,281 over 3 years to paying $7,705 – a $3,424.80 increase!
If you are accused of speeding in Dare County, please consider hiring a reputable criminal defense lawyer. If you have a lawyer in the area, use them. If you need a lawyer, please give us a call so that we might help you avoid some of these unintended consequences of a Dare County speeding ticket.
Since 2010, Donahue Defense has had the honor of providing legal representation to Outer Banks locals and visitors in traffic ticket cases, DWI cases, drug possession offenses, and other criminal matters.