This post is from our regular Wednesday contributor, Erin.
Are you guilty of being a bad driver at some point in your life? Considering an average of 112,000 people get a speeding ticket on a daily basis, I’d wager a few of us are.
Statistics Brain goes on to say that the average cost of a speeding ticket is $152, and that annually, $6,232,000,000 is paid toward them.
Can you believe that!?
As young adults, I think it’s important we establish decent driving habits early on – otherwise, they could end up costing us big time over the long run!
Today, we’re going to take a look at how being a bad driver can cost you, both financially, mentally, and physically.
Speeding Tickets are Expensive
I’ll repeat it again – the average speeding ticket is going to cost you $152 (including fees). Yikes.
I have thankfully not been the victim of a speeding ticket, but almost everyone else I know has been hit with one.
Driving over the speed limit by 5mph seems so harmless, yet it’s worthy of being pulled over.
The problem is, thinking 5mpg isn’t a big deal can lead to thinking the same of 10mph, or 15mph.
The other issue is that when people have been speeding for years, and haven’t been caught, they begin to think they’re infallible.
Don’t wait for it to get to that point. Control your lead foot, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.
Accidents Are Costly
You might hit someone’s parked car because of bad weather, or a turn gone wrong. The damage isn’t horrible, but either way, you’re responsible.
You might rear-end someone or crash into them on the road, either because you weren’t paying attention, or because you were going too fast and weren’t able to brake in time.
Lastly, there’s a chance you could get into a fatal accident. Do you really want your bad driving to be the cause of your death or someone else’s death?
Regardless of the accident, it’s possible your insurance rates will increase. If you’ve had a good record thus far, you might be lucky to have accident forgiveness.
Increasing insurance rates is probably one of the bigger expenses you’ll face, simply because it’s affecting you for a period of time.
Say you’re a male that finally turned 25 and received a discount on his insurance, but then you get into an accident, and your rates go right back up to where they were before turning 25. You’re now losing out on the difference, and in some cases, that can be $50-$100!
Aside from insurance, if your coverage isn’t great, you might have to pay out-of-pocket for some costs. And if the damage to your vehicle was bad, you might be forced to replace it.
Red Light Cameras
Who also hates these? I’m not saying people should run straight through a red light, of course, but I have made a right on red (where it was legal), only to be caught because I apparently didn’t stop fully. Forget the fact it was 3am and no one at all was approaching the intersection.
If you’re not careful, these can quickly add up. I believe the one I paid was $50. I had more important things to put that money toward, and I was pretty annoyed at myself afterward.
Violators Will Be Towed…or Fined
Parking doesn’t require you to actually be driving, but it’s still a part of being a driver. In bigger cities, it pays to be aware of the parking signs on the street.
I am super paranoid about parking, so I will check parking policies online before I even go into the city. Parking illegally is an easy way for the police to give you a ticket – don’t make it easy for them!
If you leave your car somewhere it’s not supposed to be for an extended period of time, you also run the risk of having it towed. That is not cheap.
Additionally, you have all the regular moving violations you can get ticked for: not signaling, illegal passing, having a light out, making an illegal u-turn, running a stop sign, texting/talking while driving, etc.
Play it safe instead.
Wasted Time
Time is another big factor here. If you were injured in an accident, you’re might have to spend time away from work, or worse, at the hospital.
Not to mention having to go back and forth with the insurance companies! Or trying to contest a ticket in court.
Though it’s not really a “waste”, you might have to attend a defensive driving course to get points off your license, or to get your insurance rates to go down again. These can often be all-day affairs (unless you choose an online course). They’re also typically not free.
You also might also have to pay a trip to everyone’s favorite place – the DMV.
You Could Put Your Life in Danger
Or someone else’s life. That’s a lot of guilt to live with.
Is going for a joy ride or racing your friends down the freeway worth that guilt?
My fiance was in a horrible car accident years before we met with two of our mutual friends; they got T-boned at an intersection.
He was lucky enough to escape unscathed, but one of our friends was severely injured.
Not just physically (he was in the hospital for about a month, and sustained lasting injuries), but mentally, too. He just started driving again, 5 years after the fact.
Every time we passed the intersection where the accident occurred, my fiance couldn’t help but think about what happened, and how lucky they were to have made it out alive.
When you’re behind the wheel, you need to think about how your actions can affect everyone else around you. Don’t be a selfish driver.
Being a Bad Driver Isn’t Worth It
I’ve certainly had more than my fair share of impatient moments in traffic. Yes, it’s aggravating. But is there anything we can really do about it (besides use public transportation)?
Most of the time, people who insist on switching lanes constantly don’t end up very far ahead. It’s wasted effort.
We’re better off trying to accept traffic conditions as they are, and enjoying the ride.
Trying to get to where you need to be quicker isn’t going to be worth the time and money you’re going to have to devote to a driving mistake.
Ending With a Story
I want to drive this point home to people, as I think too many have a tendency to think it’ll never happen to them.
One of my coworkers was driving under the influence one night, and he got caught. I don’t think any accidents occurred (thankfully), but he obviously shouldn’t have been behind the wheel.
Well, this wasn’t his first time getting caught.
He had several appearances in court, and was eventually sentenced to jail time.
He ran the risk of losing his job because he would be gone for months. Besides that, he wouldn’t be able to see his son, and he went away right around the holidays.
Seriously – reckless driving just isn’t worth it. You don’t want to end up in that situation.
_______________________
These reasons should be enough to make you evaluate your driving habits, and whether they could improve or not. None of us are perfect drivers (I’m far from it), but by being mindful of others on the road, and giving our vehicles the attention they deserve, we can hopefully avoid the financial, physical, and mental repercussions of bad driving.
Have you ever gotten a ticket? How much time and money did it cost you? If you’ve been in an accident, what did you learn from it?
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Argh…red light cameras! I hate them and think sometimes they might cause more accidents than they allegedly prevent. Plus, it’s hard to tell how low the yellow is and there have been rumors that some municipalities intentionally shorten them to get more revenue for tickets. They’re like $80 up here. People driving while impaired really bothers me…not only are you endangering yourself, you are endangering others. I’ve driven behind people who seem impaired and it is really dangerous when I see them swerving.
I hate those red light cameras too! We don’t have any in Omaha, yet, but we did have them in San Diego and hated those stupid things. I’ve gotten one ticket – years ago and really have come to the point where it’s just not worth it. So many different things can happen that it’s just not worth it.
Andrew LivingRichCheaply That honestly wouldn’t surprise me that they manipulate the cameras. After that incident, I was always paranoid about making rights on red, especially near the LIE.
If I see anyone driving “oddly” on the road, I always do my best to stay as far away as possible (or pass them really cautiously). It’s not a good feeling to be around that.
FrugalRules Well I hope they never get to you! I don’t think we have any here in Charlotte (I could be wrong), but the amount of cops on the interstates make up for it. You’re right that there are too many technicalities to get caught on – you’re better off driving safely!
We managed to get three speeding tickets in one year and our insurance went up a fair amount. It’s ironic because it had probably been a decade sine we had speeding tickets. My best advice is to slow down!
Those red light cameras are the worst! I got a ticket for $300 from one and protested it – and won! I really question if they help call out bad drivers or are in place to make money for the city and state.
I have definitely turned into a cautious driver the older I get. I try to stay out of the way of aggressive or speeding drivers too – they are welcome to pass me anytime!
Eyesonthedollar Ahh, that’s the worst! I think we sometimes get too comfortable. I know my fiance got caught in the trap of thinking, “Well, I’ve been speeding and haven’t gotten pulled over yet, so I’m just going to keep doing it!” Until he got pulled over, and now cruise control is his friend. =)
believeinabudget Wow! $300 is crazy, I’m glad you protested it and came out ahead. I wonder if they really help, too. I’ve seen so many people run red lights going straight through an intersection, but it seems like the red light cameras catch more people just making a turn.
Me too! I started out a little crazy – I won’t lie – but I’ve become so paranoid, it’s better to just take it slow.
I’ve been lucky. I’ve only had a couple tickets. One was speeding and another was an open container. I’ve also talked my way out of a couple tickets. The things that I learned is to be honest with the cop if you get stopped and to also slow down. Nothing is worth getting into an accident over.
Poor driving has definitely cost me money in the past. My insurance was a lot higher because of speeding tickets and then there was the cost of the tickets themselves. I’m much more careful now because I don’t want that expense!
Jason @ The Butler Journal I agree that honesty is the best policy! Acting like a jerk to a cop is not a great idea. =) You’re very right that nothing is wrong getting into an accident over. I think we take driving for granted too often and don’t realize the potential damage we can cause.
figuremoneyout Sometimes we have to learn the hard way, right? It almost became a joke that my dad was guaranteed to get a speeding ticket whenever we went on a long trip. Better to learn earlier than later on in life!
When I screen for my rentals, I see lots of bad drivers. It can even keep you out of an apartment. If you cannot follow road rules, I suspect you cannot follow a rental lease either.
A DUI will raise your insurance too. And if the cops pull you over, they will be looking for any other thing they can find. Drugs, stolen goods, etc. That is why they pull you over in the first place. Look for an excuse, then check out the vehicle. It solved MANY crimes and puts bad people in jail.
No Nonsense Landlord Interesting to know from a landlord’s perspective, thanks! Makes sense. It’s definitely better to just be safe on the road – you never want to give officers an excuse to pull you over and look through your possessions.
A few years ago, I had two accidents and a violation, and not only did my insurance premium increase, but I was hit with a state-mandated surcharge for 3 years. My car was damaged beyond repair, and the stress and expense of the situation were terrible. We all need to pay careful attention when driving, not only to what we’re doing but to what others are doing as well. And if you do have a bad driving record, check if your insurer will offer a discount for taking a defensive driving course.
Gary @ Super Saving Tips Ouch, sorry to hear that, Gary! There is definitely a lot of stress associated with accidents and driving incidents, more than just the financial penalties. It’s very worth it to check with insurers as to what discounts you could be eligible for!