Question:
I was driving to college with my friends and one of them got a
ticket while driving my car. I just obtained an insurance policy of
my own and I don't want my rates to go any higher, so will his
ticket affect my rates? And does he have to pay it since it was in
a state he doesn't live or go to college in? Can we all just ignore
it?
Answer
:
It is a seriously bad idea to ignore any traffic ticket. Nothing
good can come of it, and a lot of bad things probably will. But
let's start with the good news first.
Your friend's traffic tickets shouldn't affect your insurance
rates. When on a
road trip
, other drivers are usually covered to operate your vehicle as
permissive drivers. Your rates are determined by the risks posed by
listed drivers -- the people named specifically on the policy.
Even though your friend was driving your car, unless he is
listed on your policy as a driver, your auto insurance company
wouldn't have a reason to look at his driving record and thus
change your rates. Your friend doesn't need to be rated as a driver
on your policy unless he's your roommate or frequently drives your
vehicle and your insurer labels him as an
occasional driver
. (See "
Who can drive your car?
")
It's a different story if he crashes your car, though. Because
insurance follows the car, any claim would go through your auto
insurance policy (even if he's not a listed driver on it) and could
be counted against you so that higher rates would likely
result.
Now let's look at what a horrifically bad idea it is to ignore a
traffic citation.
What exactly happens varies by state, of course, but you can
expect an ignored ticket to
follow you out of state
.
Most states are part of the Non-Resident Violator Compact (NRVC)
and recognize the rights of other states to penalize traffic
violators. If the penalty for ignoring the ticket in the state that
nabbed your friend is a suspended license, the your home state
would also suspend his license until the ticket was taken care of.
When your license is suspended in your home state, it's not valid
in any state.
All states except Alaska, California, Michigan, Montana, Oregon
and Wisconsin are part of this interstate agreement.
Even if your friend's home state isn't part of the NRVC, his
driver's license could still be affected when his name is placed on
the National Driver Registry (NDR) by the ticketing state after it
suspends his license for failure to comply. Being listed on the NDR
would keep your friend from being able to renew his license or
receive a new one.
A suspended license would affect his ability to drive and get
auto insurance. Penalties are severe if he is caught driving
without a valid license.
While this ticket won't affect your rates, being a young driver
makes you an automatic high risk to insurers. You can do keep
your rates manageable in part by maintaining a clean driving record
and making yourself eligible for a good student discount. Also,
shop around to make certain you're getting the cheapest student
auto rates -- spending a few minutes to compare car insurance
quotes can save you hundreds of dollars, if not more.