Tickets and moving violations make it more difficult for you to enjoy affordable car insurance. But note that it does NOT in anyway make it impossible. The following should help you take charge and drive down your rates…

1. Appreciate that you made a mistake — Who doesn’t. A mistake does NOT make you irresponsible. It’s what you do about it that does.

Analyze the situations that led to this mistake. See how you can avoid those situations and then take steps to ensure you do NOT repeat them again.

2. Moving violations that you think are undeserved should be contested in a traffic court. And if they are reversed, make sure you inform your agent so that you can enjoy the well-deserved relief.

3. You should pay high rates that result from your moving violations for as long as they remain on your driving records. However, once they are removed from your records, you should get a slash in rate (This should be at the end of three years — Some states keep theirs for up to five years). But painfully, some folks keep paying these high rates long after they’ve been removed from their records.

If you fall into this category, call your agent right away. You are overdue for a downward review of your rate. On the other hand, you can apply to another insurer who has better rates for you.

4. In many states you can take traffic school in exchange for a dismissal of a moving violation. However, bear in mind that this depends largely on the type of violation involved.

5. Although all auto insurers specialize in auto insurance, different companies are more specialized in certain profiles than others. If you get insurers who focus on high risk drivers, you may get better rates as they have a better understanding of your profile.

If you are at all serious about getting the cheapest auto insurance quote for your profile then you’ll need to do extensive comparison shopping. Get and compare quotes from five or more reputable quotes sites.