Car insurance rates in Ohio 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 Ohio, 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 Ohio. 

Who is a high-risk driver in Ohio?

Drivers of all age groups, those with or without experience, can be categorized as high-risk drivers by car insurance companies in Ohio 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 Ohio

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 affects car insurance rates in Ohio.

Speeding tickets

In Ohio, 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 23% more for auto insurance than before having a speeding ticket.

Ohio drivers with speeding ticket violations for driving 11-29 mph over the limit pay 34% higher rates than drivers without speeding tickets. Whereas Ohio drivers with speed violations of more than 30 mph will pay 39% higher rates than drivers without speeding tickets.

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

Violation Rates after speeding ticket Rates before speeding ticket $ Difference % Increase
Speeding ticket 1-10 MPH over limit $1,368 $1,110 $258 23%
Speeding ticket 11-29 MPH over limit $1,490 $1,110 $380 34%
Speeding 30+ over limit $1,541 $1,110 $431 39%

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

Cheapest car insurance companies in Ohio for drivers with speeding tickets

In Ohio, Nationwide offers the cheapest car insurance for drivers with speeding tickets at $996 annually. The car insurance rates offered by Nationwide increase by $226 after a speeding ticket violation.

Company Rates before speeding ticket Rates after speeding ticket $ Difference % Difference
Allstate $1,747 $2,186 $438 25%
American Family $1,135 $1,446 $311 27%
Auto-Owners $1,017 $1,180 $163 16%
Erie $1,027 $1,117 $90 9%
Farmers $1,438 $1,951 $512 36%
Geico $766 $1,365 $599 78%
Nationwide $770 $996 $226 29%
Progressive $1,287 $1,620 $334 26%
State Farm $1,065 $1,166 $100 9%
Travelers $1,058 $1,563 $505 48%
USAA $899 $1,129 $231 26%

DUI offense

If you are convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) or DWI (driving while intoxicated) or OUI (operating under the influence) in Ohio, 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 $1,688 $1,110 $577 52%
DUI/DWI second offense $2,406 $1,110 $1,296 117%

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

Cheapest car insurance companies in Ohio for drivers with a DUI

State Farm offers the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with a DUI at $1,166 per year, in Ohio. The rate increases by $100 after getting a DUI offense on your driving history.

The second cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers with DUI is offered by American Family at $1,446 a year.

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

Company Rates before DUI offense Rates after 1st DUI offense Rates after 2nd DUI offense
Allstate $1,747 $2,425 $3,448
American Family $1,135 $1,446 $1,664
Auto-Owners $1,017 $2,037 $4,485
Erie $1,027 $1,651 $2,183
Farmers $1,438 $2,019 $2,936
Geico $766 $1,760 $2,241
Nationwide $770 $1,557 $2,352
Progressive $1,287 $1,476 $2,046
State Farm $1,065 $1,166 $1,166
Travelers $1,058 $1,676 $2,432
USAA $899 $1,349 $1,513

At-fault accident

After an at-fault collision, your car insurance premiums could spike in Ohio – 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 50%.

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 Ohio for drivers with at-fault accidents

If you are looking for the cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident, Nationwide is your best bet. It offers insurance at $1,249 per year.

Company Rates before an at-fault accident Rates after an at-fault accident
Allstate $1,747 $2,811
American Family $1,135 $1,595
Auto-Owners $1,017 $1,474
Erie $1,027 $1,385
Farmers $1,438 $2,128
Geico $766 $1,518
Nationwide $770 $1,249
Progressive $1,287 $2,045
State Farm $1,065 $1,266
Travelers $1,058 $1,532
USAA $899 $1,370

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 reckless driving violations in Ohio.

Violation Rates after a reckless driving Rates before a reckless driving $ Difference % Increase
Reckless driving $1,717 $1,110 $607 55%

Cheapest car insurance companies in Ohio for a reckless driving violation

Company Rates before a reckless driving violation Rates after a reckless driving violation
Allstate $1,747 $2,425
American Family $1,135 $1,739
Auto-Owners $1,017 $2,037
Erie $1,027 $1,117
Farmers $1,438 $2,313
Geico $766 $1,760
Nationwide $770 $1,557
Progressive $1,287 $1,887
State Farm $1,065 $1,166
Travelers $1,058 $1,676
USAA $899 $1,215

Cheapest car insurance options for high-risk drivers in Ohio

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

Average cost of car insurance in Ohio 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 Ohio, OH is $1,677
Show Graph View
Company Name Insurance Rates
Nationwide $1,249
State Farm $1,266
USAA $1,370
Erie $1,385
Auto-Owners $1,474
Geico $1,518
American Family $1,595
Travelers $1,601
Progressive $2,045
Farmers $2,128
Allstate $2,811

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 1,500 ZIP codes with 5,000,736 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.