Car insurance rates in Colorado are traditionally calculated based on a driver’s age, auto make and model, driving history and other personal information. However, for high-risk drivers in Colorado, car insurance rates may be higher due to their increased risk to an insurance company.

High-risk drivers include those who have two or more traffic violations, at-fault accidents, DUIs, poor credit scores or no prior car insurance coverage. 

We have created this guide to make your search for car insurance for high-risk drivers hassle-free. It provides details on how auto insurance rates change based on infractions like speeding tickets, at-fault accidents and DUI convictions. It also reveals the cheapest car insurance companies for high-risk drivers based on driving profiles in Colorado. 

Who is a high-risk driver in Colorado?

Drivers of all age groups, those with or without experience, can be categorized as high-risk drivers by car insurance companies in Colorado if they have minor violations like speeding tickets or major violations like DUI convictions or lapses in insurance coverage.

Car insurance rates for high-risk drivers by driving profile in Colorado

The experts at CarInsurance.com have analyzed the rates for high-risk drivers based on driving profile for drivers with – speeding tickets, DUI offenses and at-fault accidents.

Here’s how each of the violations affect car insurance rates in Colorado.

Speeding tickets

In Colorado, car insurance rates increase based on the speeding limits you violate. For example, a driver who drives 1-10 MPH over the speed limit will pay 17% more for auto insurance than before having a speeding ticket.

Colorado drivers with speeding ticket violations for driving 11-29 mph over the limit pay 25% higher rates than drivers without speeding tickets. Whereas Colorado drivers with speed violations of more than 30 mph will pay 31% higher rates than drivers without speeding tickets.

Find out how much car insurance rates increase after a speeding ticket violation in Colorado.

Violation Rates after speeding ticket Rates before speeding ticket $ Difference % Increase
Speeding ticket 1-10 MPH over limit $2,311 $1,970 $341 17%
Speeding ticket 11-29 MPH over limit $2,469 $1,970 $499 25%
Speeding 30+ over limit $2,571 $1,970 $601 31%

Learn more: How much your insurance goes up after a speeding ticket

Cheapest car insurance companies in Colorado for drivers with speeding tickets

In Colorado, Nationwide offers the cheapest car insurance for drivers with speeding tickets at $1,690 annually. The car insurance rates offered by Nationwide increase by $279 after a speeding ticket violation.

Company Rates before speeding ticket Rates after speeding ticket $ Difference % Difference
Allstate $2,219 $2,443 $224 10%
American Family $3,387 $3,781 $394 12%
Auto-Owners $2,199 $2,476 $277 13%
Farmers $2,468 $3,149 $682 28%
Geico $1,285 $2,045 $761 59%
Kemper $1,893 $2,513 $621 33%
Nationwide $1,411 $1,690 $279 20%
Progressive $1,915 $2,447 $532 28%
State Farm $1,633 $1,753 $120 7%
USAA $1,292 $1,602 $311 24%

DUI offense

If you are convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) or DWI (driving while intoxicated) or OUI (operating under the influence) in Colorado, you can expect your car insurance rates to increase by 52% on an average, according to 2023 CarInsurance.com data.

Violation Rates after a DUI Rates without a DUI $ Difference % Diffrence
DUI/DWI first offense $3,002 $1,970 $1,032 52%
DUI/DWI second offense $4,264 $1,970 $2,294 116%

Here’s how much your insurance goes up after a DUI

Cheapest car insurance companies in Colorado for drivers with a DUI

State Farm offers the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with a DUI at $1,753 per year, in Colorado. The rate increases by $120 after getting a DUI offense on your driving history.

The second cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers with DUI is offered by Progressive at $2,231 a year.

See below for the auto insurance premiums offered by companies in Colorado for drivers with a DUI.

Company Rates before DUI offense Rates after 1st DUI offense Rates after 2nd DUI offense
Allstate $2,219 $2,905 $3,949
American Family $3,387 $3,781 $4,170
Auto-Owners $2,199 $3,737 $7,429
Farmers $2,468 $3,345 $4,482
Geico $1,285 $2,655 $4,037
Kemper $1,893 $4,210 $5,943
Nationwide $1,411 $2,717 $3,763
Progressive $1,915 $2,231 $3,378
State Farm $1,633 $1,753 $1,753
USAA $1,292 $2,682 $3,732

At-fault accident

After an at-fault collision, your car insurance premiums could spike in Colorado – unless you’ve added endorsements like accident forgiveness to your coverage.

According to a 2023 rate analysis by CarInsurance.com, on average, after an at-fault accident, car insurance rates increase by 40%.

However, there are states where car insurance companies provide coverage to the policyholder regardless of who was responsible for the collision or cover the medical expenses of the other driver. They are referred to as no-fault states and tort states.

Learn more: How much does car insurance go up after an accident?

Cheapest car insurance companies in Colorado for drivers with at-fault accidents

If you are looking for the cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident, State Farm is your best bet. It offers insurance at $1,873 per year.

Company Rates before an at-fault accident Rates after an at-fault accident
Allstate $2,219 $3,341
American Family $3,387 $3,915
Auto-Owners $2,199 $3,158
Farmers $2,468 $3,440
Geico $1,285 $2,238
Kemper $1,893 $2,606
Nationwide $1,411 $2,136
Progressive $1,915 $2,912
State Farm $1,633 $1,873
USAA $1,292 $1,877

Reckless driving

Reckless driving is a grave offense with serious consequences. Unlike other traffic violations, it is usually classified as a misdemeanor. It carries severe penalties such as hefty fines or even imprisonment, depending on the state laws, according to Findlaw, an online legal information resource.

Compare the car insurance rates for drivers with and without a reckless driving violation in Colorado.

Violation Rates after a reckless driving Rates before a reckless driving $ Difference % Increase
Reckless driving $3,016 $1,970 $1,046 53%

Cheapest car insurance companies in Colorado for reckless driving violation

Company Rates before a reckless driving violation Rates after a reckless driving violation
Allstate $2,219 $2,905
American Family $3,387 $4,302
Auto-Owners $2,199 $3,737
Farmers $2,468 $3,405
Geico $1,285 $2,500
Kemper $1,893 $4,210
Nationwide $1,411 $2,717
Progressive $1,915 $2,626
State Farm $1,633 $1,753
USAA $1,292 $2,007

Cheapest car insurance options for high-risk drivers in Colorado

Use the calculator below to see the cheapest companies for high-risk drivers in Colorado by violation.

Average cost of car insurance in Colorado for high-risk driver

Select your state and risk factor below to see the insurance company and its
average annual full coverage rates.

Average Annual Car Insurance Rate for At-fault bodily injury accident in Colorado, CO is $2,750
Show Graph View
Company Name Insurance Rates
State Farm $1,873
USAA $1,877
Nationwide $2,136
Geico $2,238
Kemper $2,606
Progressive $2,912
Auto-Owners $3,158
Allstate $3,341
Farmers $3,440
American Family $3,915

How to lower your car insurance rate if you are a high-risk driver

There are ways to lower car insurance rates even if you are a high-risk driver.

Resources & Methodology

Sources

Findlaw. “Reckless driving laws by state.” Accessed January 2023.

Methodology

Data is sourced from the Auto Problems Report 2022. Rates are based on the driving profile of a 40-year-old male driver who drives a Honda Accord LX and opts for a full-coverage policy with coverage limits of 100/300/100 and a $500 comprehensive and collision deductible across around 1500 ZIP codes with 50,00,736 records from 27 companies.
Note: In most states, USAA is the cheapest company for drivers with traffic violations, but it is only available to military members, veterans, and their immediate families.

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Contributing Writer

Prachi is an insurance writer with a master’s degree in business administration. Through her writing, she hopes to help readers make smart and informed decisions about their finances. She loves to travel and write poetry.