Do Car Theft Incidences in My Neighborhood Affect Car Insurance Rate in New Mexico
Reader’s Question:
Hi. My neighborhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico reported three car theft incidences in the last two months. Will this affect my auto insurance premium?
Morgan
Albuquerque, NM
Well, Morgan, two months is still early to tell if your area is hotspot for crimes. As you might have guessed, an area with a high crime rate may warrant your car insurance provider to increase your premiums. It is one of the factors that have heavy weighting. More stolen cars mean more money that they have to shell out.
However, three incidents is still relatively low. Maybe, if it stops at three, then I think you don’t need to be worried. I’m sure your neighbors are now more vigilant and police are on the tail of those perpetrators. But if this goes on, then the auto insurance providers will have reason to increase your car insurance premium, as they will know that security of the automobiles that they are insuring is questionable. In order to prevent your car from being stolen, it would help to install anti-theft devices, making it hard, if not impossible, for criminals to steal your car. Anti-theft devices lower car insurance premiums. With this vigilance, your insurers just might take this into consideration and factor out the risk of high incidence of theft in your area.
Am I Required to Carry an Out of State SR22 in New Mexico?
Reader’s Question:
I have a Santa Fe, New Mexico driver’s license and I failed to submit to BAC test in Alaska. Do I still have to have an SR-22 in Alaska even though NM does not require SR-22?
James
Santa Fe, NM
Since both NM and Alaska are members of DRiver’s License Compact, state members are required to report back the information to the home state of the person who commits the violation and/or fails to comply to the out-of-the-state requirements. Aside from the information regarding Alaska violaton and failure to submit to BAC test, the AK court will likely report to NM DMV what they requires from you, which includes the SR-22.
You may check with Alaska if they can allow other NM insurance for you to comply to their requirements since New Mexico does not require SR-22.
How will a Traffic Ticket Affect my Car Insurance Rate in New Mexico?
Reader’s Question:
I have always been a careful driver. I don’t drink and drive, and I drive defensively. Well, yeah, three weeks ago, I got a ticket for not using my seat belt. How is this going to affect my car insurance premium? I’m in Las Cruces, NM.
Kim
Las Cruces, NM
Hello there, Kim. It’s always heartwarming to know that responsible drivers are still out there. Well, except for that “no seat belt” thing, you would have been number one in my book. I assume this violation is a first. The assumption here is that there are no arrests or violations in your closet that you failed to mention in you question. Now, since it’s your first violation, auto insurance companies don’t usually change details of the insurance because of this. There is a big chance you will not see any change in your rate. However, different companies have different rules regarding rate changes in relation to traffic violations. Some auto insurance companies will change your premium based on the gravity of your traffic offense while some have a set amount for certain violations. But as I mentioned, since this is your first violation, I doubt if there would be any changes to your rate. Some states have laws that regulate these rate changes. These laws lay down rules on how or when to raise (or lower) premium rates that auto insurance companies have to follow. You might need to check with your local government in Las Cruces, NM, to know more details about this.
