There are plenty of reasons to drive safely and within the law. One of them is to keep your car insurance rates as low as possible.

Insurance.com has published a breakdown of how the most common violations may affect your insurance premiums.

Leading all infractions is reckless driving. Along with the possibility of a fine, imprisonment and loss of license, this moving violation raises insurance premiums by an average of 22%. If you pay annual premiums of $1,800, that one ticket will cost you close to $400 extra per year.

Along with many other penalties, a DUI conviction can increase your insurance rates by 19%, while driving without a license or permit may jack up your premium by 18%.

The surcharge you pay - and how long you pay it - varies by state and insurance company. Pennsylvania does not allow insurers to penalize drivers for minor violations, but when charges do apply, you'll typically pay them for three years. 

Here are a few other violations and how much they raise the average driver's insurance costs:

• Careless driving: 16%
• Speeding (30 mph over the limit): 15%
• Failure to stop: 15%
• Improper turn: 14%
• Tailgating: 13%
• Speeding (15 to 29 mph over limit): 12%
• Speeding (1 to 14 mph over limit): 11%
• No car insurance: 6%
• Seat belt infractions: 3%

The Insurance.com survey involved 500 licensed drivers age 18 and over. It was conducted in February 2013.

Summer will be here before you know it. But it doesn't take the 90-degree temperatures of August for your car to overheat. Your engine can run hot any time of year for a number of reasons, including:

• A damaged or leaking radiator hose
• A malfunctioning water pump
• A broken or loose fan belt
• A stuck thermostat
• A leaking cylinder head gasket
• A clogged cooling system

Low coolant level or a faulty radiator cap can also lead to overheating. Whatever the cause, you should never drive a vehicle that's overheating. Pull off the road to a safe spot as soon as possible, and let the engine cool. Never twist or remove a radiator cap that's hot to the touch. The escaping coolant can cause severe burns. And never add water or coolant to a hot radiator. It can cause irreparable damage.

One way to prevent overheating is to have your radiator flushed and re-filled at least every two years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. We power flush radiators in order to remove more of the sediment and scale that can build up and cause trouble. Make an online appointment now.

May, June and July are the rainiest months in and around Pittsburgh, so it's a good time to review the basics of driving safely on wet roads.

1) How to recover from a skid. It can be very scary to lose control of your vehicle, but try to keep cool. If you start to skid on a wet road, don't slam on the brakes. And if your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS) don't pump them. Instead, apply firm pressure to the brake pedal and steer the car in the direction of the skid.

2) How to recover from hydroplaning. When the water on the road is relatively deep or the tread on your tires is shallow, your vehicle may actually lose contact with the pavement. When you're riding on the water - or hydroplaning - you won't have control of your car. Again, don't be quick to brake. Instead, pull your foot off the gas and steer the car where you want it to go, while gently applying the brakes. If you have a manual transmission, you can also push in the clutch to slow down the car.

3) Slow down. Driving at highway speeds is dangerous enough in dry weather. When you add rainwater to the oil and grime already on the road, you get a slippery combination. Reducing your speed keeps more of each tire on the road, which improves traction.

4) Keep a safe distance. On a wet road, you need about three times the distance to come to a complete stop. So keep at least two-and-a-half car lengths between you and the next guy.

5) Take care of your tires. Keep them properly inflated, and check the tread depth at least once a month. Inspect your tires for damage and signs of uneven or premature wear, and have them rotated every 5,000 to 6,000 miles. (Make an online appointment here.)

Well, to start with, it's about 2% more than last year.

According to "Your Driving Costs," AAA's annual study, the average American will spend $9,122 to own and operate a vehicle in 2013. That's 60.8 cents per mile. The study assumes the average vehicle is a sedan that's driven 15,000 miles per year.

While maintenance costs were up, tire costs stayed the same. Higher fuel and insurance costs also added to the overall increase.

AAA has been calculating the costs of vehicle ownership since 1950. Back then, gasoline was 27 cents per gallon, and the annual cost to drive a car 10,000 miles was about $900.