As we noted in yesterday’s blog on four potential penalties of speeding, there’s much more that goes into a speeding citation than meets the eye. While we were doing a little information digging on the subject, we came across a cool infographic from the site NerdWallet.com. The graph explained the average true cost of a speeding ticket in different cities throughout Minnesota. Take a look at where Minnesotans can expect to pay the most for a simple speeding ticket.
via:NerdWallet
Most Expensive Minnesota Cities For Speeders
So why are tickets more expensive in some cities compared to others, especially because the citation fine is the same? It all comes down to insurance premium increases. Here’s a closer look for each city in the top 10.
1. Prior Lake – True Cost: $670.75. Drivers in Prior Lake face the steepest insurance increases. On average their annual premiums increase from $1,180.42 to $1,355.67, a 14.85% increase. That increase lasts for three years, leading to an average increase of $525.75 from the base fine.
2. Lakeville – True Cost: $666.25. Drivers in Lakeville average a $173.75 increase in insurance premiums per year after a speeding ticket, and over the course of three years, that adds up to to $521.25.
3. Cottage Grove – True Cost: $592.85. Cottage Grove residents average a $149.29 premium increase, which totals $447.87 over the course of three years.
4. Coon Rapids – True Cost: 585.70. They’ll see an average increase of $440.70 in insurance premiums over three years.
5. Austin – True Cost: $567.13. A 12.31% increase for three years leads to an average of $422.13 in additional fines after the base citation in Austin.
6. St. Paul – True Cost: $566.86. A $140.62 average insurance increase totals $566.86 in extra expenses for speeders in St. Paul.
7. West St. Paul – True Cost: $566.02. Drivers in West St. Paul will average an extra $421.02 out of pocket for insurance costs after a speeding ticket.
8. Minneapolis – True Cost: $563.86. A $140.11 increase over three years adds up to a $563.86 true cost when you add in the citation amount in Minneapolis.
9. Albert Lea – True Cost: $563.50. Drivers in Albert Lea will pay an additional $418.50 in insurance costs over three years.
10. Burnsville – True Cost: $558.94. After three years of an average insurance increase of $137.98 per year, and a base fine of $145, Burnsville residents can expect to pay $558.94 for a speeding ticket.
As you can see, speeding tickets are much more expensive than what’s listed on the citation itself. This is why it’s so important to contact a traffic ticket attorney after you’ve been cited!