Distracted Driving Raises Insurance Premiums in Idaho

See the person next to you at the stop light texting on their phone?

Like it or not, they're costing you money.

KTVB reports that insurance premiums are skyrocketing due to all the accidents and incidents caused by distracted drivers on Treasure Valley roads. Even worse, distracted driving is increasing according to Boise police Sgt. Erik Tiner:

Sometimes it's very simple. We can actually pull up next to them and we can actually see their bubble screens going up while they're texting. Add that to people that are just talking on their phones, talking to people in the car with them...

We recently wrote about Idaho's distracted driving laws and what they mean for you. Unfortunately, even if you're a fully focused driver, your wallet is going to feel the effects. Tiner says:

If you're these insurance companies and you're the ones having to pay the cost of all these accidents, you're going to pass that on to your customers - which is all of us.

Chris Mullen, director of Technology Research at State Farm spells it out for us:

We're talking about a generation that was texting first, driving second. When they get behind the wheel, it's going to be hard to break that habit and get them driving safely from the get go.

According to Mullen and State Farm, a massive 36 percent of all drivers in the U.S. are guilty of texting and driving.

If you're a perfect driver, but still feeling the heat in your premium, experts say taking a defensive driving class can help ease the pain on your monthly payment.