If you read InMaricopa’s body of work, you’ll notice that we write about traffic and roads a lot.

We mean a lot. 

We can’t seem to escape criminal speedsters.  

It’s not that we’re obsessed with traffic — it’s just that when Maricopa drivers speed, they make it worth writing about. Who can resist these straight desert roads? Not many, it seems.

This is a story for those speeders, because a new study finds that Arizona speeding tickets cause car insurance bills to soar higher than in any other state.  

LendingTree just released the study. The report found that Arizona drivers see the largest dollar increase in auto insurance premiums nationwide after receiving a speeding ticket. Even a minor violation, going 11 to 15 miles per hour over the limit, adds more than $1,000 to insurance costs.  

The average car insurance rate in Arizona jumps from $3,808 to $4,880 after a single speeding ticket, a 28.1% increase. That’s an additional $1,071 a year, or about $89 a month, the biggest spike in the nation. 

Over three years, the extra costs add up to more than $3,200, the highest total increase among all 50 states. 

“Speeding isn’t just dangerous, it’s expensive,” said Rob Bhatt, a LendingTree auto insurance expert and licensed insurance agent. “Drivers with a speeding ticket are more likely to get into accidents, and insurers pass those higher crash risks onto drivers through steep rate increases.” 

Arizona’s higher premiums compound the sting of a ticket that can already cost hundreds of dollars in fines and fees. The state’s base rates ranked third highest in the nation this year, meaning surcharges hit drivers harder when violations occur. 

Younger motorists face the steepest penalties, with rate hikes often exceeding $1,100 a year. Older drivers, by comparison, see increases closer to $550, the LendingTree report found. 

Nationally, insurance costs rise by an average of 22.7%, or about $525 per year, after a speeding ticket. Only Arizona and California saw average increases of more than $1,000 annually. Vermont, Hawaii and Maine had the smallest impact, with average hikes below $300. 

The study analyzed average auto insurance premiums in all 50 states for drivers cited for speeding 11 to 15 miles per hour over the limit. It found that California had the biggest percentage increase in premiums, at 42%, followed by Michigan and Nevada. Arizona ranked seventh by percentage but first in total dollars.