Everyone has a few bad habits, but when your vice comes in the form of poor driving behavior, it can increase your chances of causing an auto accident, which means that more than just your driving record will be tarnished. The following behaviors are what create so much of the danger that exists on Michigan highways, and they can send your auto insurance premiums skyrocketing.
Reckless Driving Causes Michigan Auto Accidents
In general, the definition of “reckless driving” means that you are intentionally ignoring the safety of other people or property. In Michigan, two separate statutes – Careless Driving and Reckless Driving – include the concept of aggressive driving, aka as road rage, which also fits into the category of willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others. Clearly, speeding isn’t the only violation that constitutes a reckless driving ticket. Reckless driving causes an unconscionable number of auto accidents in Michigan. This violation can increase your insurance premium by 15 to 20 percent.
Repercussions of Driving Under the Influence in Michigan
Earning a drunken driving violation is the most effective way to secure astronomical insurance costs – premiums could go up as much as 25 percent. Rack up more than just one or two DUIs or DWIs and you may lose your insurance completely because it’s just too much of a risk for the insurance company. Cause an auto accident in Michigan without insurance and your problems will balloon considerably. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that drunken driving caused a fatality an average of every 51 minutes in 2010.
Reign in That Lead Foot
Both speeding and running a red light can bump up your insurance premiums by about 10 percent. Continue to speed or coast through on red and your insurance will just keep going up until you’re finally dropped – red-light runners in particular are more likely to have a history of auto accidents, speeding, DUIs, and other violations, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
But your biggest concern should be the danger that you cause to others by going faster than you should. The NHTSA estimates that speeding is involved in over 30 percent of all fatal crashes. And in 2010, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports, crashes involving the running of a red light killed 673 people and injured about 122,000 with half the fatalities in these accidents being pedestrians, bicyclists, and car passengers.
Reckless driving, drunk driving, and speeding on Michigan highways cause far too many auto accidents and fatalities. Contact Femminineo Attorneys PLLC to speak with personal injury attorney David C. Femminineo about your case.
