SDIP - How to figure out your Massachusetts Driving Record

*RULE 56. THE SAFE DRIVER INSURANCE PLAN (SDIP)


The following summary is a general overview of the Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP) and its impact on underlying rates. For specific details, you can visit the Massachusetts Merit Rating Board.

Surcharge Points/Experience Period

Each listed operator on a policy is assigned an Operator Surcharge Factor or a Credit Factor based on the operator’s driving history record. The Operator Surcharge Factor is the factor applied to the otherwise applicable rate which reflects the number, type, and age of Surchargeable Incidents during the Policy Experience Period. The Credit Factor is either the Excellent Driver Discount, awarded to operators with Incident-Free Periods of more than five but less than six years, or the Excellent Driver Discount Plus, awarded to operators with Incident-Free Periods of at least six years. The Experience Period is the six year period immediately preceding the effective date of the policy. The points for the 2006 policy year, and subsequent policy years, will range from 0 to 45; the Commissioner may establish or modify this point range annually. The Merit Rating Board will compute and report to the Insurer the total number of operator Surcharge Points or Credits for each listed operator.

Classification of Surcharge Points

SDIP surcharge points are assigned as follows:

Minor traffic law violation 2 points

Minor at-fault accident 3 points

Major at-fault accident 4 points

Major traffic law violation 5 points

A claim payment for Bodily Injury Liability, Damage to Someone Else’s Property, Collision or Limited Collision of at least $500 and up to $2,000 constitutes a minor at-fault accident. A claim payment of more than $2,000 constitutes a major at-fault accident. An “at-fault” accident is one in which the company determines that the listed operator is more than 50% at fault.

Surcharge points are not assigned to a non-criminal minor motor vehicle traffic law violation if it is the first such violation or if it occurs in the sixth (oldest) year in the operator’s six year Policy Experience Period.

If you have further questions about the system of surcharges and credits that apply in the Massachusetts Safe Driver Insurance Plan, you can reach a Consumer Service Representative at the Merit Rating Board any weekday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM by calling 617-351-4400.


source[http://www.massautoquote.com/blog/?tag=ma-driving-record]