Other variables that affect rates are location (different states, different laws), credit/financial history, and, most importantly, one’s driving record.

According to allstate.com, everything on an individual’s motor vehicle record is used to determine that person’s insurance rate. So a person who got a DUI while driving a car will still deal with the ramifications of that infraction while attempting to insure a motorcycle. Likewise, a person who gets a traffic ticket while driving a motorcycle will still deal with the ramifications from that incident with regard to his or her car insurance rates.

From the perspective of insurance companies, anything a person does while operating any type of car or motorcycle increases the risk of insuring that person. Studies have shown that people who get in accidents, get a DUI, or get traffic tickets are more likely to have more incidents. Therefore, there is a direct correlation between a person’s driving history and the premiums that person must pay to get insured.

However, car insurance rates do not necessarily rise after every infraction. Many companies don’t raise rates after one violation; particularly on non-moving violations such as parking a vehicle in an illegal space. Some states prohibit car insurance companies from raising premiums after one speeding offense; other states require a premium hike after certain violations or certain combinations of driving offenses.

According to information obtained from urbaninsuranceagency.com, all tickets are not treated equal. In fact, they can be tiered. Tier one would include parking tickets or being cited for improperly displaying a license plate. These infractions have little impact on car insurance rates. Tier two would include speeding, stop sign violations, or illegal turn violations. These infractions would have a moderate impact on car insurance rates. Finally, tier three would include DUI, reckless driving, and other more serious driving infractions. These incidents drastically increase car insurance rates, and may even prevent certain companies from insuring individuals who are involved in these incidents.

In essence, anything a person does while operating a car or motorcycle will have an impact on that person’s car insurance rates. But when determining whether or not an infraction will result in a hike in those rates, one must take into account other factors such as driving record, the type of infraction in question, and state laws.