For better or worse, your driving record tells insurance companies a lot about you.

Insurers assess risk, and if your driving history contains numerous examples of poor judgment and unsafe driving habits, most providers will view you as an unattractive customer, and may either refuse to provide coverage or do so at an exorbitant rate.

That's yet another reason why it pays to obey traffic laws and avoid accidents.

Top Traffic Tickets

Traffic ticket violations range from failing to insert a quarter into a meter and receiving a parking ticket to being caught driving drunk. Accordingly, insurers view each traffic violation as a measure of your risk profile.

So, non-moving violations usually have little impact on your premiums. However, serious moving violations―such as speeding tickets and DUI offenses―signal to your carrier you're more likely to be involved in a claim, and raise the odds your premiums will rise.

The more tickets you accumulate, the higher your rates will escalate. And, for speeding tickets, the faster you were driving over the speed limit, the greater the chances your rates will go up.

But, many insurers won't hike your premiums following your first moving violation, even if it's for speeding.

Remember, where you live can play a factor. Some states prohibit insurers from imposing a rate hike following a first-time speeding offense, but other states require carriers to hike premiums after certain severe violations or a selected combination of driving offenses.