Hello from Pennsylvania! Can anyone help me out here? My teenage son was caught drunk driving and got his insurance cut off. Now he wants to start driving again. Will we still be able to get insurance for him? Is there such a thing as drunk driver insurance?

Eric

Pittsburgh, PA

Hi there Eric. Uh-oh… Drunk driving is not good. Are you sure you want to let your son back on the road so soon? Anyway, there’s still hope for insurance although it will be trickier this time around.

You can also your auto insurance rates to go up because of your son’s tarnished driving record. If your son’s license and registration has been suspended, you will need to ask your automobile insurance company to file an SR-22 in your behalf. This is a legal document that will prove to the Pennsylvania’s Department of Motor Vehicle that you have the proper insurance coverage. This must be maintained for at least three years, and there will be reinstatement fees to be paid. I suggest you look for an insurance company that specializes in serving high-risk insurance drivers and SR-22 filings.

You may also want to look into companies that specialize in teen driving insurance. These companies will be able to provide affordable insurance rates even with your son’s record of drunk driving. How about going to online auto insurance companies websites? You can easily get cheap online auto insurance quotes from these websites free of charge! And please, next time he does go on the road, tell your son to drive safely.

My daughter is away at college and was recently arrested for underage drinking. She does not have a vehicle at school but her license has been suspended for 3 months. She is on my auto insurance and I would like to know this affect my insurance rates? I live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Henry

Lancaster, PA

Even though your daughter is away at college, since she stays on your auto insurance it is likely that her underage drinking violation could affect your car insurance rates. An insurance carrier in Lancaster, Pennsylvania will normally take into account the driving histories of all household members, especially those listed as drivers on the insurance policy.

Since insurance carrier’s rating systems vary, to check for sure how your daughter’s violation of the law will affect your car insurance rates contact your insurance broker. Also your insurance carrier’s rating system should be filed with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department if you would rather contact them for this information.

I am only eighteen years old and I receive a DUI in Scranton, Pennsylvania, I went through the ARD program and I would like to know if my auto insurance will go up at all?

Charles

Scranton, PA

In Pennsylvania they permit for an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) for 1st offense of DUI. When a DUI offender is accepted into an ARD program the state suspends their charges however they are required that certain court ordered conditions are met. These conditions may include community service, drug and alcohol counseling, etc.

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department states that if you are convicted of an alcohol related violation such as DUI in Scranton, Pennsylvania, whether or not you complete an ARD program, your license will be suspended. This alone is a valid reason for insurance providers to increase rates, non-renew or cancel your insurance policy.

A: Even if you are pretty good driver and have a history of being so, having SR22 insurance will almost always immediately racket you into a category of higher risk. This happens because of the way car insurance companies rate policies, which is on a basis of risk. So what’s SR22 insurance got to do with it? Well, even if you didn’t get you SR22 insurance requirement because of a moving violation or anything particularly dangerous, most of the reasons for a license to be suspended are pretty risky–drunk driving, accumulating ticket points, getting into an accident. Others, which aren’t quite as risky, such as driving without insurance, are still negative in the eyes of the car insurance company because they want customers who are able to pay them consistently. If you have a record of being uninsured, then you’re less likely to do this.

Lucky for you, it won’t last for ever. What’s SR22 insurance but a temporary thing? In five years, so long as you stay out of trouble in the meantime, you’ll no longer see the effects of SR22 insurance on your record.