Many people want to know how the insurance point system works. People understand that drivers license points can cause them to lose their license. But they don’t fully understand the insurance points, other than the fact that their insurance premiums can go up. This post aims to help you understand insurance points in North Carolina.
North Carolina has implemented the Safe Driver Incentive Program. This program establishes point values for various types of offenses, and the amount of increase you can expect to see in your insurance premiums.
Point Values Assigned
12 Points are Given for the Following:
- Manslaughter or Negligent Homicide
- Prearranged Highway Racing
- Hit-and-Run Resulting in Bodily Injury or Death
- Driving With a Blood Alcohol Content of .08 or More
- Driving a Commercial Vehicle with a Blood Alcohol Content of .04 or More
10 Points are Given for the Following:
- Highway Racing
- Speeding to Elude Arrest
8 Points are Given for:
- Driving While License Revoked
- Aggressive Driving
4 Points are Given for:
- Reckless Driving
- Hit-and-Run Resulting in Property Damage Only
- Passing a Stopped School Bus
- Speeding in Excess of 75 when the Speed Limit is Less than 70
- Speeding in Excess of 80 when the Speed Limit is 70 or Greater
3 Points for:
- At Fault Accident that Results in Death or Bodily Injury in Excess of 1,800, or an Accident that Results in Property Damage of More Than $3,000
2 Points for:
- Speeding 10 Miles per Hour in a Speed Zone of 55 Miles Per Hour or Greater
- Illegal Passing
- Following too closely
- Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road
- At Fault Accident Resulting in Property Damage in Excess of $1,800 and Below $3,000
1 Point for:
- Certain Other Moving Violations
- Speeding 10 Miles or Less in Excess of 55 Miles Per Hour
- At Fault Accident Resulting in Property Damage Below $1,800
Rate Increases
Now that we now some of the ways that you can get insurance points, lets take a look at just how those appoints affect your life.
According the North Carolina Department of Insurance, the insurance premiums can be effected as follows:
- 1 Point: 30%
- 2 Points: 45%
- 3 Points: 60%
- 4 Points: 80%
- 5 Points: 110%
- 6 Points: 135%
- 7 Points: 165%
- 8 Points: 195%
- 9 Points: 225%
- 10 Points: 260%
- 11 Points: 300%
- 12 Points: 340%
When you get the amount of points in the list above, you can expect your insurance premium to go up by the percentage listed next to the points.
As you can see, points being added to your license can result in a substantial increase in your insurance premiums. For instance, if you are paying $500 for car insurance, and you get 5 points on your license, your insurance premium could skyrocket to over $1000. If you are faced with a charge that can result in points on your license, strongly consider hiring a traffic attorney to help you.
