What is the SDIP Program?
North Carolina’s Safe Driving Incentive Plan aims to save lives by giving drivers a financial reason to drive safely. The SDIP assigns a point value to violations and accidents and the points will apply a monetary surcharge to drivers’ insurance policies. These points and their surcharge stay on your policy for a maximum of 3 years from the incident date if it’s an accident or from the conviction date if it’s a violation.
How Do Insurance Points Differ From Drivers License Points?
Insurance points and drivers license points are two completely separate things. You can get insurance points for an accident and no drivers license points or you can get both insurance points and drivers license points for a violation. Drivers license points are assessed and applied by the North Carolina DMV. If you receive 12 or more drivers license points in a three year period, the state will suspend your license.
The SDIP and Your Premium
As mentioned above, insurance points can be applied to your policy for a maximum of three years in North Carolina. The more points you have on your policy, the higher the surcharge is going to be on your premium. These points can have a large impact on the amount you pay for your coverage.
Below is an example from the North Carolina Department of Insurance on how points are applied and how they can affect the cost of your coverage. You can also find out more information about the NC SDIP by visiting the Department of Insurance’s website here.
Excellent Blog, SDIP Program is beneficial in Rewarding safe driving habits, lowering insurance costs for responsible drivers.