Reader’s Question:

My husband received a ticket for over speeding in Arizona. He is qualified to enroll in a defensive driving school but he does not want to. What would happen if he chose not to enroll in a traffic school? Will this affect our auto insurance rate in Scottsdale, Arizona?

Hope

Scottsdale, AZ

A person who was given a ticket for over speeding and opted to pay the fine instead means he or she is admitting the guilt for the conviction. He/she would be convicted of over speeding and this would reflect on the person’s driving record.

But since you have mentioned that he your husband qualifies for a traffic school, the good thing about enrolling in traffic school is that he could have the ticket dismissed. Thus, the citation for over speeding will be removed. In addition, it will not show up in his driving record hence your auto insurance company will not see that he had been given a citation for over speeding. Also, your husband’s record will not show that he attended said traffic school.

Now, if your husband opted to pay the fine, I am afraid that the next time you renew you auto insurance, you might see an increase on your premium. Because being convicted of over speeding is not a good thing for auto insurance companies. So I would suggest he takes in the defensive driving class. It’s a win-win situation. He does only avoid being charged for higher auto insurance premium but also gains additional knowledge when it comes to traffic information.

For additional information about ticket removal, ask the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division or the clerk court.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance online, car insurance rate