No one wants to get a speeding ticket or traffic ticket, but unfortunately for most people it is something that happens at one time or another. When you get a ticket in Connecticut most people just think they need to pay it and move on. In fact over 75% of people just pay for their ticket and accept the fact that they will pay more expensive insurance premiums for years to come. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By taking a Connecticut traffic school course many of the expensive and harsh consequences of getting a ticket can be avoided. To make this more clear, let’ look at an example. Meet Marcy.
Marcy pays $100 monthly for her car insurance premium and had a clear driving record until last Tuesday when she got pulled over for speeding on her way to the gym. She was given a speeding ticket, which in Connecticut will add 1 point to her driving record. The speeding ticket she was given cost $250 plus an additional $100 in court and processing fees. Let’s look at Marcy’s options and the cost for each one.
Option 1: Take Connecticut Traffic School
One option that Marcy has is to take Connecticut traffic school online after getting her ticket. The course can be taken entirely online and costs about $35. Once Marcy finishes the online traffic school course the points will not be added to her driving record and her insurance premiums won’t increase. Unfortunately though she will still have to pay for the ticket and court fees.
The total cost for Marcy if she takes Connecticut traffic school is $385.
Option 2: Just Pay the Speeding Ticket
The second option Marcy is considering is just paying the ticket and not worrying about the points on her record. How much can 1 point really affect her car insurance costs? If Marcy chooses this option, she will need to pay the $350 plus any insurance increases for the next 5 years until the ticket is off her record. On average, car insurance rates increase by 20% for the first ticket. That means Marcy will need to pay an extra $20 monthly for the next 5 years, or 60 months. That is a total additional costs of $1200.
The total cost for Marcy if she takes just pays the ticket is $1550.
Option 3: Fight the Ticket in Court
Marcy’s final option is to fight the ticket in court. Fighting a ticket is a bit of a risk since there is no guarantee that Marcy will win. If she is successful and wins in court, her ticket will be completely erased and she will not need to pay the fine or face insurance premium increases. On the other hand, if she does not win, she will have the pay the fine and face the extra $1200 in insurance costs.
The total cost for Marcy if she fights the ticket is wither $0 or $1550.
In the end, Marcy decided that taking Connecticut traffic school was the safest and most cost effective choice for her. She finished the course quickly online and was able to get the point taken off her record. you can sign up for Connecticut traffic school below.