Pedal to the Metal
Austin-area drivers pay more for speeding tickets than most of Texas
Everybody hates getting a speeding ticket, but according to financial website NerdWallet, if you're going to get caught speeding anywhere in the state of Texas, you should steer clear of the Austin area.
The Austin area accounted for three of the top five cities in Texas where drivers see higher percentage increases to their auto insurance after they're busted for going 15 MPH or more over the speed limit. Pflugerville ranked No. 2, Round Rock ranked No. 3 and Austin ranked No. 5.
Where else don't you want to live if you have a need for speed? Lubbock, which came in at No. 1 and Corpus Christi, which came in at No. 4.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area is ideal for keeping costs down. That's because area drivers see vastly lower insurance increases (percentage-wise). Out of the 154 Texas locales surveyed, cities in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Rockwall counties accounted for 22 of the lowest average percentage increases.
In fact, all of the top five cities — those with the least expensive insurance increases after a speeding ticket — were in North Texas: Flower Mound, Garland, Sachse, The Colony and Coppell.
NerdWallet notes that insurance premiums, which take in factors like crime rate, number of uninsured drivers, median income and the weather, are notoriously wide-ranging even within the same city, so the averages aren't necessarily gospel. But even if they're close, it's a good reminder for Austinites to mind the speed limit.