Hidden Penalties for Carpool Lane Cheats

TORONTO (December 15, 2005) – Illegally cruising the new GTA carpool lanes can end up being far more costly than drivers realize, according to the founder of InsuranceHotline.com.

The OPP has handed out tickets galore to solo motorists caught illegally using the designated high-occupancy lanes which opened on highways 403 and 404 this week. But Lee Romanov, founder of InsuranceHotline.com, says that drivers don't realize that one of these tickets can increase a driver's insurance rate by $500, which is far more costly than just the $110 fine and three demerit points that go with the ticket.

"Even if a driver fights the demerit points in court and wins, the insurance company won't care and will still raise the driver's rate," says Romanov. "And a combination of tickets or accidents can cause an insurance company to cancel your policy."

"And it's not hard to rack those tickets up at this time of year," adds Romanov. "One pullover by a police officer could do it. If you have snow on your back windshield obstructing your view, if your license plate is dirty and can't be read, if you aren't wearing your seatbelt, if your car isn't deemed safe for winter driving conditions, or if you don't have your license or proof of insurance with you – each of these offenses can get you a separate ticket."

Here's an insurance rate comparison, for the same car, from 30 insurance company rates. The only difference is the driver's record.

Record	Lowest	Highest	Difference
Clean	$1,321	$2,852	$1,531
1 ticket	$1,621	$4,784	$3,163
2 tickets	$1,871	$5,424	$3,553
1 accident	$2,805	$11,301	$8,496
1 tic/1 acc	$3,115	$11,301	$8,186

As you can see, a ticket has huge financial consequences.

Drivers who do get ticketed can still find the lowest rates for their driving record by visiting InsuranceHotline.com, a free, unbiased, online insurance rate comparison service.