Report: R.I. drivers charged with DUI see insurance costs nearly double

PROVIDENCE – A new report reveals Rhode Island drivers charged with driving under the influence see – on average – insurance costs nearly double, which is the ninth most in the nation.
InsuranceQuotes.com, a website where consumers can compare insurance quotes online, released the report Thursday, saying Rhode Island drivers see a 96 percent average increase to car insurance premiums after being charged with driving under the influence.
The increase, albeit large, shrinks in comparison with North Carolina where drivers see an average increase of 337 percent. Maryland drivers, on the other hand, see an average increase of just 15 percent for the same violation.
The average increase for DUIs nationwide is 92 percent, which is most expensive infraction, according to the report.
“Most consumers are unaware of how much insurance rates go up even for the minor traffic violation, such as speeding a few MPH (miles per hour) over the posted limit,” said Laura Adams, senior analyst at insuranceQuote.com, in a statement.
The research looked at the impacts of the 17 most common moving violations in all 50 states and Washington D.C., using data from the largest insurers representing 60 to 70 percent of the market share, according to the report. The averages were based on a hypothetical 45-year-old married, employed woman with a clean driving record, driving a 2012 sedan, according to the release.
“The hypothetical driver has a bachelor’s degree, an excellent credit score, [and] no lapses in coverage,” according to the report.
Rhode Island averages also included an 86 percent increase for a reckless driving charge and no increase for driving without a license.
North Carolina topped the list for more than half the infractions and New York showed the lowest average percentage increase.
The most expensive infractions included DUI, reckless driving and speeding. The least expensive included not wearing a seatbelt, driving without a license and “violating railroad rules,” according to the report.
Readers can plug in different violations HERE to find the different impacts.

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