Our Blog

A study by Insurance.com recently conducted a study as to how various traffic violations affect auto insurance premiums. They listed insurance average insurance increases for 15 common traffic violations:

• Reckless driving – 22 %
• DUI (1st offense) – 19%
• Driving without a license (would include driving after revocation and Operating After Suspension – 18%
• Imprudent Speed-Fail to Control Vehicle-Too Fast for Conditions -16 %
• Failure to stop – 15 %
• Driving 30 or more over the limit – 15%
• Improper turn – 15%
• Texting while driving
• Improper passing – 14%
• Following too closely – 13%
• Speeding 15 – 29 over the limit – 12%
• Speeding 1- 14 over the limit – 11%
• Failure to yield – 9%
• Driving without insurance – 6%
• Seat belt violation – 3%

I recently read an article about a Green Bay Packer player suspended for the opening game due to a recent conviction for Possession of Marijuana THC). In the comments section of the article, there was confusion among readers about the legality of marijuana drug possession in Wisconsin. Some people assumed marijuana was now legal in Wisconsin;  many others believed it was legal in some parts of Wisconsin and not others.

In Wisconsin “Hit & Run” is known as “Duty upon striking person or attended or occupied vehicle” per Wisconsin Statute 346.67.  This provision says:

(1)  The operator of a vehicle involved in an accident shall reasonably investigate what was struck and if the operator knows or has reason to know that the accident resulted in injury or death of person or in damage to a vehicle that is driven or attended by a person, the operator shall stop the vehicle he or she is operating as close to the scene of the accident as possible and remain at the scene of the accident until the operator has done all of the following:

For Illinois-licensed drivers receiving traffic citations in Wisconsin, convictions typically affect your Illinois driver’s record. Convictions are reported by the Wisconsin DMV to the Illinois Secretary of State and considered for suspension, insurance and demerit point purposes.

Any violation considered to be a “moving” violation by the Illinois Secretary of State which is issued in Wisconsin counts toward the yearly allowable number of moving violations before an Illinois license suspension action is imposed. Two or three moving violations in a year, depending on your age, leads to an Illinois license suspension. The length of license suspension is based upon the demerit points assigned in Illinois for the Wisconsin conviction (and other in and out-of-state convictions).

For speeding violations of 25 over more over the limit in speed zones of 55 or higher, a driver’s license suspension is mandatory.  The court SHALL suspend the driver’s license privilege of a person for 15 days upon conviction.   There is no eligibility for an occupational driver’s license during that time.  After such a suspension, the driver must also comply with license reinstatement procedures with the Wisconsin DMV to terminate the suspension.  If this is not done, the license will remain suspended indefinitely.

If you are in a vehicle crash involving injuries, a citation for Failure to Yield Right of Way will trigger a mandatory driver’s license suspension.

If the offense resulted in bodily harm of another, the license is suspended for 60 days. If the offense result in great bodily harm, the suspension is 90 days. If resulting in death, the suspension will be 9 months.