Driving on the roads today can be dangerous as it is. So many large trucks out there that take up a lot of the highways, a growing number of cars and trucks with careless and reckless drivers in the cities, and tons of motorcycles and bicycles on city streets.
With than many obstacles and distractions out there, the fear of getting into an accident is large enough. However, what is an awful situation can always turn worse should you come into contact with an uninsured driver.
Driving Without Insurance is Getting More & More Expensive in the Long Run
In most states it is illegal to own and operate a vehicle without being insured. Since accidents are common and unexpected it is not possible for everyone to always pay for damages and compensations of injuries after one, so insurance companies absorb a part of liability.
The amount of ticketed uninsured motorists in 2015 was 2.6 billion dollars and by 2019 could be as high as 3.4 billion. This cost is passed to the consumer through higher premiums.
Unfortunately when accidents with uninsured drivers occur you could be at a loss for compensation due to their lack of representation. The Insurance Information Institute has found that there is a 14% chance that an accident you get into will be with an uninsured driver.
At least 25 Percent of Drivers are Not Insured in Some States
States like Mississippi and Alabama have reported that they anticipate at least 25% of their drivers are uninsured. Most states have even higher rates of people with minimal or under minimum insurance. This can be a problem in the event of an accident because in an insurance claim their representing company could delay payments, deny claims, and overall complicate the process.
States with the Highest Uninsured Drivers
| Rank | State | Uninsured Motorist Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma | 25.9% |
| 2 | Florida | 23.8% |
| 3 | Mississippi | 22.9% |
| 4 | New Mexico | 21.6% |
| 5 | Michigan | 21.0 % |
| 6 | Tennessee | 20.1% |
| 7 | Alabama | 19.6% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 17.0% |
| 9 | Colorado | 16.2% |
| 10 | Washington | 16.1% |
Note: Statistics Provide by Insurance Information Institute.
States with the Lowest Uninsured Drivers
| Rank | State | Uninsured Motorist Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 3.9% |
| 2 | Maine | 4.7 |
| 3 | New York | 5.3 |
| 4 | Utah | 5.8 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 5.9 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 6.5 |
| 7 | Nebraska | 6.7 |
| 8 | Idaho | 6.7 |
| 9 | South Carolina | 7.7 |
| 10 | South Dakota | 7.8 |
Note: Statistics Provide by Insurance Information Institute.
Mountains of Debt Waiting to Happen & Higher Insurance Premiums
One of the biggest issues with uninsured drivers is that they can cause a victim to rack up serious debt in repairs and medical bill due to uncompensated wages. It is all too common that when there is a victim in a car accident they have to be taken to the hospital for care, sometimes even serious treatment or emergency surgery.
Graph – Effect of Insurance Fraud & Uninsured Motorists to Consumers
Note: The additional costs & debts to car insurance policy holders will increase by 50 percent or more by year 2020. Insurance companies do this by adding it to your premium. As illustrated by the graph, approximately 195 dollars is added to a premium in 2012. By 2020, it could be as much as 365 dollars.
Medical Costs & Insurance on the Rise
After being taken care of there will obviously be accumulating medical costs that the hospital needs paid and will be looking for their released patient. Unfortunately it the patient’s situation, the person who caused their injuries is uninsured so they cannot afford to pay for the medical expenses which leaves the debt in the hands of the victim. Sad stories like this happen all too often.
And just like medical costs, repairs to a vehicle or property can stack just as high. In the event of an accident your car can be in bad shape and sometimes totaled. If the driver of the other vehicle doesn’t have insurance than you have nowhere to turn to cover repair costs or get a new vehicle.
This could leave you out of luck for a ride, which can make getting to work difficult which would be needed to carry on receiving a wage to compensate yourself for issues from the accident.
Chart – How Uninsured Motorists Increase Your Auto Insurance Rates
Note: If the accident is not your fault the insurance companies are not suppose to increase your rate. Since uninsured drivers usually don’t pay the additional expense from an auto accident (unless court ordered), the increase can be passed to you, the consumer.
An All Too-Popular Crime
Uninsured motorists do not always get away with doing the crime. It is reported that over $860 million dollars are collected annually from ticketed uninsured drivers. This occurs when someone is pulled over for a moving violation in their vehicle and upon identification inspection it is uncovered that they are uninsured.
Although it is reported that over half of the uninsured drivers on the road are male and 35% percent of all uninsured drivers are Hispanic or African American, anyone is capable of driving without insurance and runs the risk of causing an accident without coverage.
The Increase in Debt for Uninsured Motorist is Pass to the Consumer
However whenever someone is cited for having no insurance it usually just adds to a debt at which they cannot or will not pay, which is why they did not pay for insurance in the first place.
Note: The amount of uninsured drivers is in billions of dollars. In 2016 the approximate amount was 2.9 billion and by 2019 could be as high as 3.4 billion dollars annually.
As a result of their increased debt, such as in the event of being ticketed in an accident for hitting someone and not having insurance, it just decreases the likelihood that they will cover the compensation and expenses they have caused the other person because they have added to their own debt as well.
Conclusion
Drivers without insurance are becoming all too popular in the united states. Whether they barely use the car or the car is in rough condition it is still still illegal to known insure a vehicle.
Although it is unfortunate that sometimes premiums are too high and coverage, even at the minimum level, can be just out of someone’s price range, this does not change that driving without insurance is illegal and other lives can be ruined if in an accident.
Personal Injury and Auto Accident law firms are ready to help make the claim if you have been the victim of debt caused by an uninsured motorist.
