Insurance
The relationship between automobile insurance and traffic tickets is simple in concept. Drivers who speed, disobey red lights or fail to heed other signals or signs on the roadway are statistically more likely to cause damage to people and/or property. Such drivers are the drivers most likely to experience automobile insurance increases.
How much will my insurance go up?
The amount of the increase and for how long you will be paying the increased rates depends on several factors, including:
Your driving record.
While a first offense may very well lead to an increase in insurance rates, multiple moving violations are that much more likely to have an adverse affect on the amount you pay for automobile insurance.
Your history/relationship with the insurance company.
If you have a long history of excellent driving while with a particular insurance company, it may take a little more to see a rate increase than it would for a driver with a similar driving history who is new to the insurance company.
State laws.
Insurance is regulated by the states, and different states have different laws regarding the automobile insurance. Some states specifically prohibit insurance companies from raising rates under certain conditions while other states will require insurance companies to impose surcharges under other conditions.
The type of moving violation(s) in question.
Again, insurance companies are trying to determine which drivers are a safety concern and most likely to cause damage to people or property. There is an inherent difference, for example, between an excessive speeding ticket and a traffic ticket issued for excessive use of a horn. That said, even minor traffic tickets can lead to an increase in insurance rates.
While there are many factors to consider and it is difficult for anyone to say exactly how much a traffic ticket will increase your car insurance, it is safe to conclude that traffic tickets lead to higher automobile insurance rates.