Drivers Ed Recap: How do Traffic Violations Affect Premiums?
Some of us learned how to drive in our parents’ pick-up truck on an empty farm-to-market road with plenty of room to make mistakes. But regardless of how you learned to drive, it’s important to know the rules of the road and what can happen if you violate them.
Drivers Education refresher course
The Texas Department of Public Safety Driver’s Handbook covers everything from how to make a right turn to how to become an organ donor. According to the Handbook, some important things to remember while driving include:
- Your license can be suspended if convicted of overtaking and passing a school bus, driving while under the influence, racing on a public highway, or if you have more than four traffic violations in a 12-month period.
- Always yield right-of-way to pedestrians, emergency vehicles, and school buses.
- When stopped by law enforcement, pull over to the right of the road, not the left, where it is safer. Turn on your hazards and turn off your engine.
Traffic violations and insurance premiums
If you’ve gotten a ticket recently, the first thing you should do is take a defensive driving course, offered at a discount to Texas Farm Bureau members.
“Not only can defensive driving take a ticket off your record, but you can help lower your premiums by taking the course,” says Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Agent Marcia Allen of Tarrant County.
“One of the worst violation you could get is passing a school bus,” says Allen. “It could be grounds for non-renewal.”
Take some time to review the Driver’s Handbook and remember to “drive friendly, the Texas way.”
Coverage and discounts are subject to qualifications and policy terms, and may vary by situation. ©2014 Texas Farm Bureau Insurance
