Ticket Insurance

[NomisR]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353540,00.html

What do you guys think?  I might actually get it.

[dazzleman]

Interesting idea.

I wouldn't get it, because I don't get tickets that often anymore, and the insurance would cost me much more than my tickets ever did over a comparable period.

It's interesting that the article says that 80% of those who buy this insurance never get tickets.  That seems really high, especially when you consider that it would probably be ticket-prone people who would be inclined to purchase this insurance.

[Soup DeVille]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353540,00.html

What do you guys think?  I might actually get it.

Two words: Valentine One.

One more word: lawyer.

[Danish]

I can't actually believe someone started this kind of service....

And for only $156, how does he expect to make a profit?

[dazzleman]

I can't actually believe someone started this kind of service....

And for only $156, how does he expect to make a profit?

If enough people buy it, and most of them don't get tickets, he could surely make money.  I question the size of the potential market for something like this.  I would think it would either be the super nervous-nelly types, or ticket prone people.  I wonder if he will adjust his premiums based upon age, driving record, etc., as the car insurance companies do.

[dazzleman]

Two words: Valentine One.

One more word: lawyer.

Do you really think a lawyer's worth it for routine tickets?  I've always done pretty well bargaining my tickets down, and I've done it on my own.

[Soup DeVille]

Do you really think a lawyer's worth it for routine tickets?  I've always done pretty well bargaining my tickets down, and I've done it on my own.

No, but that lawyer is your fallback plan if you ever really screw up.

If I happened to injure somebody for instance.

[dazzleman]

No, but that lawyer is your fallback plan if you ever really screw up.

If I happened to injure somebody for instance.

Definitely.  If I were looking at a serious offense, or a succession of tickets that could lead me to lose my license, I'd use a lawyer.  But for a routine speeder, they're not worth the expense.

[NomisR]

If you think about it, it costs about as much as a subscription to XM Radio a year.  And this covers your ticket plus any increases in insurance premium from the ticket.  Considering a lot of the tickets I get are really BS anyways, mostly 10-15 over in an empty freeway with no other cars for a long distance.  But that was before I got the V1.  Probably wont' happen again but it's still nice to have a peace of mind when driving sometimes.   

[dazzleman]

If you think about it, it costs about as much as a subscription to XM Radio a year.  And this covers your ticket plus any increases in insurance premium from the ticket.  Considering a lot of the tickets I get are really BS anyways, mostly 10-15 over in an empty freeway with no other cars for a long distance.  But that was before I got the V1.  Probably wont' happen again but it's still nice to have a peace of mind when driving sometimes.   

In the past 5 years, have you spent an average of over $156 per year on tickets and increased insurance?

If so, maybe you should consider it.  But don't be surprised if there's a catch -- maybe you have to have a perfect driving record, or maybe they charge a lot more for the insurance if you have tickets on your record.

[NomisR]

In the past 5 years, have you spent an average of over $156 per year on tickets and increased insurance?

If so, maybe you should consider it.  But don't be surprised if there's a catch -- maybe you have to have a perfect driving record, or maybe they charge a lot more for the insurance if you have tickets on your record.

Well, in tickets, no, I didn't pay that much.   But in terms of time spent fighting them, it might've been worth it to let them go via the ticket. 

But I'm just saying perception wise, $156 may be a lot of money per year but people more readily spend that money on other stuff.  So is it really that much. 

It's just nice not having to be scared of a police officer on the freeway due to artificially low speed limits, which is something we shouldn't have to be anyways because they're suppose to protect us, right? 

[dazzleman]

Well, in tickets, no, I didn't pay that much.   But in terms of time spent fighting them, it might've been worth it to let them go via the ticket. 

But I'm just saying perception wise, $156 may be a lot of money per year but people more readily spend that money on other stuff.  So is it really that much. 

It's just nice not having to be scared of a police officer on the freeway due to artificially low speed limits, which is something we shouldn't have to be anyways because they're suppose to protect us, right? 

I'm not 'scared' of police officers on the highway, even if I'm speeding.  I don't go beyond the speed at which I can handle the penalty.  Pieces of paper that cost me nominal amounts of money don't scare me.

[CALL_911]

I'm not 'scared' of police officers on the highway, even if I'm speeding.  I don't go beyond the speed at which I can handle the penalty.  Pieces of paper that cost me nominal amounts of money don't scare me.

Yeah, but if you can keep that money in your pocket by just slowing down around them, I think that's a better bet.

[Lebowski]

I would never get it.  Unless you know something the insurance co doesn't know, you don't insure against low dollar items.  That's a rule.  The price says only $156, but I'm guessing like auto insurance that the more tickets you get, the more they raise your rates.  Also, $156 may sound cheap, but I speed as blatantly as anyone I know and I average far less than one speeding ticket per year (I've had one speeding ticket in the last 5+ years).  I'll stick to my current V1 plus a lawyer combo.

Insurance companies make money because they charge you more than the expected value of any payout you get.  It's a losing proposition to you.  The only time it is worth it to buy insurance is when you are protecting yourself against "catastrophic loss".  This is why homeowners insurance and auto insurance are worth it (i.e. if you're house gets blown away in a hurricane and you still have mortgage, you're fucked .... if you get in a car wreck and the person sues you for $250k, you're fucked .... it's worth paying for the insurance even though you pay more than the expected value of any damages because you're protecting yourself from the minute possibility of getting royally fucked).

[Lebowski]

Do you really think a lawyer's worth it for routine tickets?  I've always done pretty well bargaining my tickets down, and I've done it on my own.

Absolutely.  They only cost like $70, and for me missing half a day of work to screw with a traffic ticket isn't worth it.

I don't even care about paying the ticket, I just dont want the insurance points.  The lawyers I've hired both had options where they ask, do you want me to fight it, or do you want me to guarantee you get no points, and I ask for the no points option.  A $200 ticket every couple years is no problem, I just don't want my insurance going up.

[dazzleman]

Yeah, but if you can keep that money in your pocket by just slowing down around them, I think that's a better bet.

Sure, but you don't always see them in time.  99% of the time, you do, but there's that 1%.  I'd rather get nailed that 1% of the time than take all the fun out of driving by being so afraid of getting nailed that I go slowly all or most of the time.

[Byteme]

If so, maybe you should consider it.  But don't be surprised if there's a catch -- maybe you have to have a perfect driving record, or maybe they charge a lot more for the insurance if you have tickets on your record.

You can bank on the fact that a person with a handfull of recent tickets will pay more than someone like yourself with probably none in the past three years.  Simply put insurance companies play the odds.

In Texas you can take defensive driving once a year to keep a ticket off of you record.  Which means you don't suffer an insurance increase for it either.  You have to pay a fee to the court and then pay for the course, but that' still generally cheaper in the long run.  I'll take this option any day, especially since the insurance company then gives me a discount for taking defensive driving.

[Lebowski]

In Texas you can take defensive driving once a year to keep a ticket off of you record.  Which means you don't suffer an insurance increase for it either.  You have to pay a fee to the court and then pay for the course, but that' still generally cheaper in the long run.  I'll take this option any day, especially since the insurance company then gives me a discount for taking defensive driving.

We have that in FL too, but the catch is you can only take it 5 times in your life.  I'd already taken it 3 times by my early twenties and that's why I hire lawyers now.  I want to save those 2 remaining chances to take the class for when I really need it.

[Lazerous]

We have that in FL too, but the catch is you can only take it 5 times in your life.  I'd already taken it 3 times by my early twenties and that's why I hire lawyers now.  I want to save those 2 remaining chances to take the class for when I really need it.

And, if I'm not mistaken, you can only do it once a year in FL.

[Lebowski]

And, if I'm not mistaken, you can only do it once a year in FL.

Yes, I think that's correct.

I believe there is also an 8-hour course, or at least there used to be (the regular one is 4-hours).  If you've already taken the 4-hour once this year, or 5 times total, you can do the 8-hour.  I'd rather never get to that point, though, as the boredom would be excruciating.  It has the same limits as the 4-hr, once a year and 5 times total.

It's kind of funny how the course has gotten more and more worthless as the years go by and FL cuts the budget.  The first time I took it about 10 years ago, it was taught by what I assume was a gov't employee, he took the whole thing real seriously.  The second time, it was an independent company and was less serious.  The third time (and today), it's an internet class that is a total joke.  You just have to click a box that pops up randomly to "prove" you're t your computer, and I think there's a ridiculously easy quiz after every session.  You can easily watch TV and just click the box as it comes up, or better, pay a college student to do it for you.

[Raza]

I care more about the points than the money.  $156 was more than my last ticket.

[Lazerous]

Yes, I think that's correct.

I believe there is also an 8-hour course, or at least there used to be (the regular one is 4-hours).  If you've already taken the 4-hour once this year, or 5 times total, you can do the 8-hour.  I'd rather never get to that point, though, as the boredom would be excruciating.  It has the same limits as the 4-hr, once a year and 5 times total.

It's kind of funny how the course has gotten more and more worthless as the years go by and FL cuts the budget.  The first time I took it about 10 years ago, it was taught by what I assume was a gov't employee, he took the whole thing real seriously.  The second time, it was an independent company and was less serious.  The third time (and today), it's an internet class that is a total joke.  You just have to click a box that pops up randomly to "prove" you're t your computer, and I think there's a ridiculously easy quiz after every session.  You can easily watch TV and just click the box as it comes up, or better, pay a college student to do it for you.

Yeah, the first time I did the course, which was in order to get my license or permit, I sat in class. Must have been the most boring day and I believe it was on a weekend as well. Then in the end we had to answer either 15 or 20 easy questions.

Then I had to take it again for my ticket and I did it online. I essentially did what you said. Just opened up the page so the timer can run, then I went and did whatever more important things I had to do (watch TV or browse the spin ), wash and repeat for each section and take the quiz at the end.

[NomisR]

only 5 times in your life?  That's harsh.  In CA, it's once every 1.5 years but only 8 hour courses are available.  Of course it depends on what country, Los Angeles allows online traffic school while Orange doesn't. 


It it was spending 8 hours at a time at an a place, it may actually be worth it to have an insurance.  It I get one ticket every 5 years, it would benefit since it costs about $300+ per ticket most likely for speeding, plus either time spend at court, or traffic school which is 8 hours.  If you convert that time and multiply it by the $ per hour you make, it may or may not be worth it for you comparing to fighting it yourself.  Just IMO.

[Tave]

only 5 times in your life?  That's harsh.  In CA, it's once every 1.5 years but only 8 hour courses are available.  Of course it depends on what country, Los Angeles allows online traffic school while Orange doesn't. 


It it was spending 8 hours at a time at an a place, it may actually be worth it to have an insurance.  It I get one ticket every 5 years, it would benefit since it costs about $300+ per ticket most likely for speeding, plus either time spend at court, or traffic school which is 8 hours.  If you convert that time and multiply it by the $ per hour you make, it may or may not be worth it for you comparing to fighting it yourself.  Just IMO.

Why would you even bother taking the class if you only had 1 ticket in 5 years? That shouldn't affect your insurance rates.

[NomisR]

Why would you even bother taking the class if you only had 1 ticket in 5 years? That shouldn't affect your insurance rates.

I don't know if it would or not, wouldn't want to risk it.  Online classes doesn't waste that much time so I don't mind, it's the actual sitting at a stupid class thing I mind.

[TurboDan]

I care more about the points than the money.  $156 was more than my last ticket.

You don't live in NJ - every ticket in a 65MPH zone is doubled.  So the minimum highway speeding ticket in most places is about $300.  It's worth it right there.  Plus, NJ has the highest auto insurance premiums in the nation, and a single ticket can cost literally thousands over three years.

This service would be invaluable in a state like NJ, but not worth it in some other states.  Personally, I'm going to consider getting this.

[dazzleman]

You don't live in NJ - every ticket in a 65MPH zone is doubled.  So the minimum highway speeding ticket in most places is about $300.  It's worth it right there.  Plus, NJ has the highest auto insurance premiums in the nation, and a single ticket can cost literally thousands over three years.

This service would be invaluable in a state like NJ, but not worth it in some other states.  Personally, I'm going to consider getting this.

But how often do you actually get a ticket at this point?  If I were going to consider this, I'd really like to have full details about the premiums, and what they actually pay for if you get a ticket.  I think with something like this, it's super important to read the fine print.

[Lebowski]

It it was spending 8 hours at a time at an a place, it may actually be worth it to have an insurance.  It I get one ticket every 5 years, it would benefit since it costs about $300+ per ticket most likely for speeding, plus either time spend at court, or traffic school which is 8 hours.  If you convert that time and multiply it by the $ per hour you make, it may or may not be worth it for you comparing to fighting it yourself.  Just IMO.

No, the insurance is not worth it.  As I said before, insuring low dollar items (and a speeding ticket is a low dollar item) is NEVER worth it.  There's a reason insurance companies make money, what you pay them is always less than the expected value of what they pay you.

The value of your time argument does support why it's worth it to get a lawyer, though.

[Lebowski]

And this covers your ticket plus any increases in insurance premium from the ticket. 

I would definately read the fine print as it pertains to them covering any increases in your auto insurance.  I would bet if your auto insurance increases by a lot, they will find a way to either weasel out of paying it for you, or jack the rates they charge you in order to cover it.

What would stop them from simply dropping you as a customer if you got a lot of tickets and your auto insurance went up for a lot?  My guess is nothing.

[NomisR]

I would definately read the fine print as it pertains to them covering any increases in your auto insurance.  I would bet if your auto insurance increases by a lot, they will find a way to either weasel out of paying it for you, or jack the rates they charge you in order to cover it.

What would stop them from simply dropping you as a customer if you got a lot of tickets and your auto insurance went up for a lot?  My guess is nothing.

Well, if I were ever to get it, it'd definately read the fine prints.  But again, it's consider, I don't even know who actually offers it.