This will wake people up anytime you get in the ol

This will wake people up anytime you get in the ole billfold

Car Insurance Penalties For Distracted Driving Up Nearly 8,000% Since 2011, The Zebra Reports



The Zebra (PRNewsfoto/The Zebra)

New Research Shows Rate Increases Rising Sharply As Insurers Crack Down on Distracted Driving; Penalties Still Significantly Less Than For DUI Violations

Austin-based The Zebra, which is an online car insurance search engine, also has launched its own 2018 Distracted Driving Report. In comparison to EverQuote’s report, the Zebra also shined a light on the discrepancy in insurance penalties between drunk driving and distracted driving as well as including a data-driven look of the future.



One of the most interesting statistics included in this report is the finding that since 2011, Distracted Driving Violation Penalties are now a whopping 7,944% higher than just seven years ago. As an example, the Zebra writes that in 2011, a distracted driving violation which would result in a ticket that would only raise drivers’ car insurance rates by 0.2% (less than $3) annually. Today, however, the same distracted driving violation would cause a driver’s rates to rise 16% (about $226) – equaling a penalty increase of approximately 7,944%.



“
Speeding, drinking and driving, disobeying traffic signals – those violations have (unfortunately) been around since the advent of automobiles. Distracted driving is really the only new dangerous behavior to affect your driving record,” says Alyssa Connolly, Director of Market Insights at The Zebra. “The insurance industry and regulators have to ensure any rate changes they make are justified, so even though cell phones aren’t new to you and me, the risks and dangers they pose for drivers have only recently been substantiated – and now distracted drivers are really seeing the effects on their premiums.”

Other interesting statistics culled from the Report include the fact that Distracted Driving Insurance Penalties run the gamut across the U.S. from just $2.51 (New York) to $681 (Michigan) annually. Other cities, like Detroit, can have penalties as high as $2,000.

The study also includes a look at how insurance auto rates are affected by Distracted Driving versus other violations such as DUI. The Zebra notes that while both DUI and Distracted Driving are considered dangerous and deadly behaviors behind the wheel, the penalties imposed are not the same. DUI penalties are more often than not about 383% higher than for penalties involving Distracted Driving. In addition, the report notes that other violations like driving too slowly ($345), making an illegal turn ($328), or passing a school bus ($490) – all include much harsher and higher penalties than distracted driving.