Or: How Serious Driver Related Crimes Can Affect Your Insurance
Recent example from Illinois: How Serious Driver Related Crimes Can Affect Your Insurance
Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Josh Brent has been charged with
intoxication manslaughter following an accident that killed his fellow player, Jerry Brown. The crash happened last year on December 8 around 2 am in Dallas. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene. Brent was subject to field sobriety tests at the accident site and arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Once Brown was pronounced dead, the charge was upgraded to intoxication manslaughter. He is being held without bond.
While Brent had no intention of injuring his fellow player that night, he made the decision to drive while intoxicated and had a history of doing this. Back in February of 2009, Brent was arrested for driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license, and speeding. This incident took place in Illinois. At that time, Brent was sentenced to 60 days in jail, two years’ probation, 200 hours of community service and a fine. One count of aggravated DUI/no valid driver’s license was dropped in plea bargaining. While this most recent accident is going to take a toll on many areas of Brent’s life, it is worth examining how incidents such as these could affect anyone’s auto insurance.
Driving Violations Raise Premiums
It’s important to know that the cost of a ticket does not end once you have paid the necessary fines. In some states, even the original ticket cost can build up and hurt your wallet. A California newspaper, The Daily Breeze, published an article in 2011 about how a man’s $35 ticket for failing to come to a complete stop grew to over $234 after penalties and fees were added to it. How often this will happen and with what severity is dependent on your state (and probably how much debt they are in) but even with a small violation such as that man received, you may not be done paying. Anytime you receive a citation, there is a high chance that your insurance premiums will go up despite the kind of policy in which you’ve invested.
The severity of the citation also plays into how much your premiums can increase. Failing to stop at a stop sign will not raise your premiums as much as a speeding ticket and a speeding ticket won’t do as much damage as driving under the influence. But while one speeding ticket may not raise your premiums significantly, two in a short period of time might and could even lead to cancellation. Some examples of other violations that can raise rates includes offenses such as reckless driving, running red lights, fleeing from the police, driving the wrong way, improper passing, making an illegal U-turn, and failing to use the proper child restraints. We all remember the infamous Britney Spears and her disregard for proper child restraints. The costs of each these citations will vary state to state and also will highly depend on your driving record.
Examining Josh Brent’s Illinois Charges
When playing for Illinois, Josh Brent was charged with several violations, including driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license, and speeding. With a trifecta such this, even a football player headed for the big leagues could not have avoided a hefty premium increase. When drivers receive 3 or more violations, they can expect their insurance premiums to jump to over 50% of the original rate they were paying. When a driver is charged with an offense such as reckless driving, the insurance company is notified. Even if your next ticket is driving 42 mph in a 35 mph limit, your insurance company knows and takes notes. At the point, you are establishing a recognizable pattern. Robert Passmore, spokesperson f or the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCIAA) says that, “It’s a pattern of behavior. If a person has one ticket in 10 years and someone else has three tickets in six month, you tell me [who is going to get the lower rate].” The insurance company has to assume the risk for insuring you and if you have proven that you are a careless driver, in their mind, you deserve to pay more.
Out of Brent’s three original charges, the DUI charge could bring the most increase for insurance premiums. It can probably be assumed though, that his charges were already fairly high due to the fact that he was charged with driving on a suspended license. The only way that a driver’s license can be suspended is if an individual has accumulated too many points and/or citations on their record or is unable to provide proof of
insurance. Just the legal ramifications for being caught with a suspended license can include jail time and a hefty fine. Any additional charges brought upon, as in Brent’s case, can result in extra jail time. For the charges, he would spend 30 days in jail and complete additional community service hours.
Intoxication Manslaughter
Josh Brent is once again involved in an automobile dilemma but this time, he has lost much more than time and money. While dealing with the fact that his friend’s death is a direct result of his actions, he faces a charge of intoxication manslaughter, which can carry a prison sentence of two – 20 years in prison. This is a second degree felony. If convicted, it is unlikely that Brent will be on the road anytime soon so car insurance will not be the first thing on his mind. But it is always important to understand all the ramifications any driving decision you make can have. In trying to avoid higher insurance premiums, you become a safer driver which will help avoid more serious, life changing events.
