Having a valid driver's license is a privilege in this country, and you can lose that privilege by breaking the law when driving. If you incur too many driving violations, you may be required to obtain SR22 insurance coverage in order to keep your driving privileges. If this is the case, there are several things you should avoid doing if you want to continue driving legally. Here are three of the main things you should avoid when you get SR22 insurance coverage.

Failing To Get Coverage Fast Enough

The first thing to realize is that, when you are told to get SR22 insurance, you will have a limited amount of time to do this. The letter you receive from the DMV will tell you how long you have, and it will include a date. In order to prevent the DMV from revoking your driver's license, you will need to have the SR22 form back to the DMV by this date.

If you wait too long to act upon this request, you may not be able to get the coverage and form you need by the deadline you have been given. It can take 30 days or longer to get SR22 insurance coverage, which is why you should immediately begin looking for coverage when you receive the notification that you need it.

Failing to do this by the deadline will result in a loss of driving privileges. If this happens, you will need to contact the DMV to see what you can do about this.

Allowing The Policy To Lapse

The second important thing to avoid with SR22 insurance coverage is a lapse in policy. When SR22 insurance is required, it is normally needed for a certain length of time. This time frame is usually three years; however, it may be more or less than this depending on the situation and your state.

The key fact to know about this is that the coverage must be for a consecutive period of time. In other words, if you are required to have coverage for three years, you must have it for three consecutive years. This means you cannot miss even one day of coverage during this three-year period.

The consequence for allowing your policy to lapse is the possibility that the three-year requirement will start completely over when you get the SR22 coverage again. For example, if you had coverage for two years and allowed the policy to lapse for a day, you would need to obtain coverage for an additional three years on the date your policy was reinstated. This means you would have lost two entire years of having the coverage simply because you allowed a one-day lapse in coverage.

Getting New Driving Violations

Finally, if you have SR22 insurance, it will be extremely important for you to avoid getting any new driving violations. This includes major violations, such as drinking under the influence, but it also includes speeding tickets and other minor offenses.

Each state has different rules relating to driver's licenses and points, and you can end up losing your driver's license if you accumulate too many points. When you need SR22 insurance, you are automatically considered a high-risk driver, and you will probably already have points on your license. Any additional violations could put you over the limit of points in your state, and this could cause the DMV to suspend your driver's license for a certain amount of time.

SR22 insurance can sometimes cost more than normal car insurance, but it is not something you can choose not to get if you need it. To get a quote for SR22 insurance, contact an insurance company in your area today, such as Illinois Automobile Insurance. 

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