Traffic school is one way California drivers have been able to get a discount on high ticket prices. Myth or fact? -Although you will still need to pay the ticket, which can be hundreds of thousands depending on the violation you committed, once you have completed traffic school, you won’t have to add any charges to your car insurance. You’ve stopped the bleeding. What if you aren’t eligible or don’t want this option? You pay the ticket, and your car insurance will go up for the next three-years.
A single minor violation could increase your premium by $475 per year. In just three years you’ll have spent $1,425 less on your car insurance.
California’s traffic school limits state that you cannot go back to it again after you have completed the course. Each state has its own rules, so make sure you check with your DMV. You can get a speeding ticket if you attend traffic school in one summer and then get another ticket the next spring. This is a double whammy, which means you will have to pay a heavy fine and your car insurance will increase.
Today, your car insurance company will forgive you one ticket. This applies even if you have been to traffic school. Let’s say you get pulled over for speeding. You go to school. Six months later, you are cited for a stop sign violation. You can’t use that school option, but you have the forgiveness plan on insurance. Your rates won’t go up. As you can see, it can save you a lot of money. This is not an automatic benefit. You must add it to your auto insurance policy.
Tip: California traffic school graduates should review their auto insurance policies to ensure that the forgiveness program is included. This will protect you from any policy increases during those 18 months when traffic school is not permitted.
California Commercial/Truck Drivers Save Money on Insurance
There is much for CDL truck drivers to worry about. California truck drivers will be happy to learn that Allstate’s accident forgiveness program can help keep their insurance costs down. California law allows most drivers to attend traffic school for minor moving violations or speeding tickets. In exchange, their insurance won’t increase. This option is not available to CDL drivers in California. Allstate, which is the first to offer this option in California, offers ticket forgiveness. This allows professional truck drivers to keep their rates down by not increasing their rates after they get their first ticket.