Colorado drivers often underestimate the downsides linked with receipt of a single traffic ticket.
Take a speeding citation, for instance. Many drivers grind their teeth a bit when getting dinged for that offense, but they begrudgingly pay up and largely regard the matter as a one-off done deal that really won’t alter life that much.
And yet it could.
Indeed, it unquestionably does in some cases, yielding truly adverse consequences that can last for years.
Excessively speeding – even once – can yield a litany of woe. And other offenses like drunk or reckless driving can bring similar adversity and even starker outcomes.
One proven Colorado legal source on traffic violation repercussions spotlights the notable penalties that can link with one or more offenses. It notes that one downside ties to insurance maladies. Traffic tickets, it stresses, “can mean hundreds and thousands of dollars in increased insurance costs.”
Part of the spike owes of course to jacked premium penalties. There can be other financial woes, too, one of which is centrally highlighted below.
What’s involved in SR-22 insurance?
Here is a truth facing some Colorado motorists with ticketed behind-the-wheel histories: They may be tasked with securing proof of insurance that supplements their actual policy coverage.
And that can require a few clearance hurdles and additionally add to the financial pain already doled out for having a driving history deemed problematic by state regulators. Here are some essentials regarding so-called SR-22 insurance:
- Required of drivers regarded by law enforcers as especially risky
- Sent by insurer following driver’s filing request
- Required coverage (often at an expanded level) needing to be proved or added to existing coverage as prerequisite to state’s form acceptance
- Often leads to spiked premium rates, given motorist’s designation as risky driver and required expanded liability coverage
An SR-22 essentially works as a tandem insurance policy. Notably, and while it customarily attaches to a specific vehicle, some drivers not possessing a vehicle may still be required to procure a non-owner SR-22 policy.
Many types of traffic offenses can lead to a state demand for an SR-22. Those range broadly from impaired-driving charges (alcohol and/or drugs) and reckless driving to repeat offenses, driving without a license or insurance and more.
The duration for which an SR-22 is required varies from case to case. Typically, the form is mandated for a number of years.