What constitutes a “high-risk driver” in the context of auto insurance?

A "high-risk driver" in the context of auto insurance generally refers to individuals who have a higher likelihood of causing an accident or filing a claim based on their driving history and behavior. A driver with multiple traffic violations falls into this category because these infractions indicate a pattern of unsafe driving habits. Insurance companies assess risk based on past behaviors, and frequent violations signal to insurers that the driver may be more likely to engage in risky behavior in the future, which justifies labeling them as high-risk.

Other characteristics, such as having excellent credit, a clean driving record, or driving a new vehicle, do not suggest high risk. In fact, a clean driving record would usually be associated with lower insurance premiums, while new vehicles may have higher value but are not indicative of driver behavior.