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      Safeco: Violations & Accidents

      What are the Safeco violations & accident surcharges?

      Accidents, Convictions and Claims

      In either program, all driving records and claims activity must be shown on the application. Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) reports and motor vehicle records (MVRs) will be utilized to verify the information provided.

      Please stress the importance of full disclosure to avoid additional premiums or policy cancellations. Any unrevealed driving activity will be added to the driving record and the policy will be re-rated accordingly.

      The experience period is 36 months prior to the effective date of the policy. Point charges are based on the conviction date and not the violation date. When multiple points are applicable to one occurrence, all incidents should be input on the application; however, only the accident or conviction with the highest points will receive a merit surcharge. Each driver is rated with his/her own points. We do not combine points for drivers.

      The following driving record and claims activity must be shown on the application:

      • Minor convictions which have occurred in the past three years
      • Major convictions that have occurred in the past three years include, but are not limited to:
        • Careless or improper operation of a vehicle
        • Drag racing

      • Driving under the influence (DUI) – DUIs occurring on or after January 1, 1999, are retained for 10 years for purposes of determining the good driver discount but merit points are only charged for 36 months. Please input DUIs that occurred in the last 10 years accordingly.

      • Claims which have occurred in the past three years:
      • Include at-fault accidents, not-at-fault accidents, and comprehensive losses
      • Exclude towing losses
      • Exclude not-at-fault losses where the only payment was for personal injury protection or medical payment losses for the vehicle owner or other operator residing in the same household

      All accidents are considered chargeable unless proof is submitted of not-at-fault. Proof may be in the form of a copy of the accident report, police report, court record, or other relevant documentation. We will also accept a declaration, under penalty of perjury, as to at-fault accident history.

      At-fault Accidents

      For accidents occurring prior to December 11, 2011, a chargeable at-fault accident is one in which the driver's actions or omissions were at least 51 percent of the proximate cause of the accident, and, if the damage to the property of any one person associated with the accident exceeds the $750 property damage threshold.*

      For accidents occurring on or after December 11, 2011, a chargeable at-fault accident is one in which the driver’s actions or omissions were at least 51 percent of the legal cause of the accident, and either the accident resulted in bodily injury or death or, for an accident that resulted only in damage to property, the total loss or damage caused by the accident exceeded $1,000.*

      *And no California-specific fault exemptions apply per California Administrative Code Title 10, Section 2632.13.

      Non-chargeable Violations

      • Commercial vehicle violations
      • Emission control violations
      • Certain non-safety-related violations
      • Certain parking violations
      • Bicycle or moped violations
      • Suspensions

      Suspended License

      If your customer has had a suspended license at any time within the past three years, it is necessary to indicate this on the rating system, along with the reinstatement date if applicable.