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What Is a High-risk Driver?
A high-risk driver is someone who’s considered more likely to file insurance claims than a typical driver. Insurance companies look at your driving record to determine how risky it would be to insure you and how much to charge you for coverage. Your insurer will classify you as either low or high risk based on factors such as whether you have DUI (driving under the influence) convictions, several at-fault car accidents or a number of traffic violations on your record.
High-risk drivers typically pay much more expensive car insurance premiums because providers view them as greater liabilities. Insurers also believe these motorists are more likely to make late payments or miss payments altogether.
It’s important to keep in mind that “high-risk driver” isn’t a legal designation, and the factors used to classify drivers as low or high risk vary by insurer.
How Do I Know if I’m Considered a High-risk Driver?
Auto insurance companies weigh many factors when determining if a driver is high risk or low risk. Typically, you’ll be considered high risk if the past three to five years of your driving history includes any of the following:
- A DWI or DUI conviction
- A reckless driving conviction
- At least one at-fault accident
- Multiple speeding tickets
- Multiple moving violations (like running a red light or making an improper turn)
Aside from a poor driving record, your financial and insurance histories also help determine whether you fit into the high-risk category. Some of these factors include:
- Having poor credit history
- Having lapses in insurance coverage
- Being a new driver who never had auto insurance coverage
- Filing many claims in the last three years
- Having a high-value vehicle
Insurance companies generally consider teen drivers riskier to insure than older and more experienced ones, but not all young drivers meet the definition of high risk.
Does Being a High-risk Driver Affect Car Insurance Costs?
High-risk drivers typically pay higher premiums than low-risk drivers. Riskier drivers could cost car insurance companies more money through claims payouts, so insurers protect themselves by charging these drivers more.
In the sections below, we’ll show how certain high-risk characteristics could affect your car insurance rates. The averages are based on rates for full coverage for a 35-year-old male driver.
Average Car Insurance Rates: DUI
One of the biggest factors used to designate a driver as high risk is a DUI or DWI conviction. The table below shows the differences between average annual costs for drivers with a clean driving record and those with a DUI.
| Car Insurance Provider | Clean Record | DUI |
|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | $1,433 | $3,288 |
| USAA | $1,512 | $2,721 |
| Travelers | $1,595 | $2,218 |
| Geico | $1,596 | $3,641 |
| State Farm | $1,657 | $2,194 |
| American Family Insurance | $1,851 | $2,457 |
| National average | $2,008 | $3,431 |
| Progressive | $2,030 | $2,548 |
| Allstate | $2,598 | $3,803 |
| Farmers | $3,169 | $5,309 |
Average Car Insurance Rates: Accidents
On average, one accident can increase your auto insurance premium by almost 50%. Drivers with more than one accident on their record will usually pay significantly more than low-risk drivers.
This table shows annual rate averages based on the number of at-fault accidents a driver has on their record.
| Car Insurance Provider | Clean Record | Single Vehicle Accident | Single Vehicle Accident + Driving Violation | Two Accidents | Three Accidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | $1,433 | $2,063 | $2,366 | $2,797 | $3,974 |
| USAA | $1,512 | $1,647 | $1,903 | $2,565 | $3,465 |
| Travelers | $1,595 | $2,193 | $2,612 | $2,935 | $4,085 |
| Geico | $1,596 | $2,364 | $2,836 | $3,509 | $5,043 |
| State Farm | $1,657 | $1,882 | $2,077 | $2,084 | $2,341 |
| American Family Insurance | $1,851 | $1,935 | $2,259 | $2,408 | $2,826 |
| National average | $2,008 | $2,689 | $3,212 | $3,761 | $5,436 |
| Progressive | $2,030 | $2,822 | $3,329 | $3,977 | $7,643 |
| Allstate | $2,598 | $3,598 | $4,173 | $4,724 | $6,395 |
| Farmers | $3,169 | $3,567 | $4,193 | $5,243 | $7,392 |
*Cost data for accidents taken from 2022 information
Average Car Insurance Rates: Speeding
Speeding is one of the most common moving violations. Each speeding ticket a driver gets will increase their premium, but the amount of the increase depends on how fast they were going when pulled over.
The table below shows annual rate averages for drivers with various types of speeding violations.
| Car Insurance Provider | Clean Record | Speeding Violation (1–5 MPH Above the Limit) | Speeding Violation (16–20 MPH Above the Limit) | Speeding Violation (21–25 MPH Above the Limit) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | $1,433 | $1,620 | $1,656 | $1,656 |
| USAA | $1,512 | $1,397 | $1,413 | $1,413 |
| Travelers | $1,595 | $2,006 | $2,023 | $2,269 |
| Geico | $1,596 | $2,452 | $1,856 | $2,492 |
| State Farm | $1,657 | $1,726 | $1,794 | $1,794 |
| American Family Insurance | $1,851 | $2,033 | $2,061 | $2,054 |
| National average | $2,008 | $2,225 | $2,313 | $2,464 |
| Progressive | $2,030 | $2,299 | $2,311 | $2,311 |
| Allstate | $2,598 | $2,738 | $2,746 | $2,746 |
| Farmers | $3,169 | $2,989 | $3,071 | $3,071 |
*Cost data for accidents taken from 2022 information
How Can I Avoid Being Designated a High-risk Driver?
To avoid paying the higher rates that come with being labeled a high-risk driver, there are steps you can take. Here are the most important things to do to remain a low-risk driver:
- Never drive under the influence.
- Pay your insurance premium on time and in full.
- Eliminate any distractions while driving.
- Obey all traffic laws and speed limits.
- Maintain a good credit score.
Some insurance providers offer discounts for safe drivers or those who take defensive driving courses. But if you have infractions, you’ll likely just have to wait until they drop from your driving record to see a difference. Each state has its own regulations, but most traffic violations stay on your record for three to five years.
Recommendations for High-risk Car Insurance
It may be difficult for higher-risk drivers to find cheap car insurance. However, a few providers offer affordable high-risk auto insurance. We recommend getting car insurance quotes from Country Financial and State Farm.
Country Financial: Best for High Risk Drivers
Country Financial can be a good option for high-risk drivers since it offers affordable car insurance for drivers with bad credit and DUI convictions. The company also has a usage-based insurance program called COUNTRY Financial DriverIQ®, which offers discounts to people who drive less often and practice safe driving habits.
The company holds an A financial strength rating from AM Best, and we rate it 8.9 out of 10.0 in our review of the best car insurance companies.
State Farm: Best Customer Experience
State Farm is the most popular car insurance company in the country. The provider tends to offer reasonable rates to young drivers and those with little driving experience, as well as discounts that can help policyholders save money. State Farm also has a telematics insurance program, Drive Safe & SaveTM, which reduces insurance costs for those who avoid risky behaviors such as speeding.
The company holds an A++ financial strength rating from AM Best, indicating that it’s well-equipped to pay out insurance claims. Because of State Farm’s affordable rates and numerous coverage options, we rate the insurer 9.4 out of 10.0 and name it Editor’s Choice.
Read more: State Farm insurance reviews
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What Is a High-risk Driver: FAQ
The term “high-risk driver” isn’t a formal legal classification, and the characteristics used to define it vary by insurer. Typically, insurance carriers view drivers as high risk if they’ve been convicted of DUIs, accumulated many points on their driver’s licenses or been involved in several car accidents. A driver may also be considered high risk if they have poor credit or have made multiple insurance claims in the last three years.
The highest-risk drivers are those with DUI convictions or many car accidents on their records. Though most research shows teenagers aged 16 to 19 are the most likely to get into car accidents, insurance companies don’t always consider them high-risk drivers.
Low-risk drivers are those who insurance companies believe are less likely to file claims. These drivers generally have clean driving records with few to no traffic violations and have experienced very few, if any, car accidents.
Our Methodology
Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car insurance companies. We collected data on dozens of auto insurance providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the insurers that scored the most points topping the list.
Here are the factors our ratings take into account:
- Cost: Auto insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services and discount opportunities were both taken into consideration.
- Coverage: Companies that offer a variety of choices for insurance coverage are more likely to meet consumer needs.
- Reputation and experience: Our research team considered market share, ratings from industry experts and years in business when giving this score.
- Availability: Auto insurance companies with greater state availability and few eligibility requirements scored highest in this category.
- Customer experience: This score is based on volume of complaints reported by the NAIC and customer satisfaction ratings reported by J.D. Power. We also considered the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each insurance company’s customer service team based on our own shopper analysis.
Our credentials:
- 800 hours researched
- 45 companies reviewed
- 8,500+ consumers surveyed
*Data accurate at time of publication.
If you have questions about this page, please reach out to our editors at editors@marketwatchguides.com.
