The Massachusetts SDIP or Safe Driver Insurance Program can be a little confusing and many people don’t realize just how much this rating factor affects their Massachusetts Auto Insurance Policy
. This program, overseen by the Merit Rating Board of Massachusetts, has been in effect since 2006 when it replaced the old “step based” program. The current Massachusetts SDIP program has been specifically designed to reward safe drivers, and to encourage drivers with a high SDIP score to practice safe driving by requiring them to pay a higher insurance premium. If you would like to contest applied SDIP points, you do have the right to Appeal a MA SDIP Surcharge.
Here is the breakdown of the types of incidents and violations that incur SDIP Points and what it all means:
Major Traffic Violations: 5 SDIP Points
Minor Traffic violation: 2 SDIP Points
Major at-fault traffic accident: 4 SDIP Points
Minor at-fault traffic accident: 3 SDIP Points
Major traffic violations are considered the most serious offense with a 5 SDIP point penalty and can include: operating under the influence (OUI), leaving the scene of an accident where there is property damage or bodily injury, refusing to stop for a police officer, operating a vehicle after suspension or revocation of a driver’s license, manslaughter, or driving to endanger.
Minor traffic violations while considered “minor” and incurring 2 SDIP points, are ticketable offences and can include: speeding, following too closely, failure to use child restraint system, improper passing, failure to display current inspection sticker, failure to stop, operating a vehicle that is not properly registered, and many, many more.
Major at-fault traffic accidents are serious business and are determined by the dollar amount paid out for an at fault accident. If you are more that 50% at fault, and your insurance company pays out more than $2,000 for your claim, then you can expect to incur 4 SDIP points on your driving record.
Minor at-fault traffic accidents are defined as any at-fault accident that results in an insurance claim that pays out less than $2,000 in damages and medical expenses. A minor traffic accident will incur you 3 SDIP points. With the cost of vehicle repairs you can see how it would be easy to go over the $2,000 mark, making most accidents (unless actually very very minor) Major Accidents.
If you are involved in a scenario that incurs more than one violation, accident, or ticketable offence for the same instance, they will both be applied as an Incident to your record. But, you will only incur points for the highest rated offence. For example if you are involved in a major accident where you are also cited for speeding you would only receive additional SDIP points for the major accident, but there would be 2 Incidents which will be counted toward your “Incident Count” more about this in a minute.
So what does all of this mean, how long before you can get these points off your record, and what if you are a good driver?
SDIP Points range from 0-45 with two additional categories of 99 and 98. SDIP points generally stay on your record for 6 years.
There are only two ways to remove SDIP points from your record before the 6 year mark: contesting an offence and what is called the “Clean in 3” rule.
“Clean in 3” has 3 criteria, (1) You have 3 or fewer surchargeable offences on your record in the 5 years preceding your current insurance policy’s effective date. (2) Your most recent surchargeable event is over 3 old, and (3) you have at least 3 years of driving experience.
Every year that you meet this “Clean in 3” criteria, you will drop 1 SDIP point from your record.
The next big number is 5 for the Excellent Driver Discount or the Excellent Driver Discount with one Incident, both considered a 98. This would apply if you (1) have at least 5 years of driving experience. (2) You have one or less surchargeable offence in the last 6 years consisting of a non-criminal traffic law violation that is over 3 years old.
The best and most coveted score is a 99, the Excellent Driver Discount Plus. You can achieve this rating if and only if (1) You have 6 years of driving experience and (2) You have no surchargeable events in the last 6 years of policy history.
There is one more rule that is worth mentioning. If you receive a non-criminal minor traffic violation and you have a not received a surchargeable event within the last 5 years, no surcharge points will be assigned. (WooHoo it’s a freebie, well kind of.)
This blog post is the first in a Massachusetts SDIP series that will continue with other topics including: Appealing a Surcharge, How SDIP Points Affect My Insurance Premium, and Other Ways to Lower Your Massachusetts Insurance Premium. Click the RRS Feed at the top of the page to subscribe to our blog to receive subsequent blog posts on this topic and other important Insurance related topics from your Insurance experts Downey Insurance Group.
