States Increasingly Cracking Down on Number of Uninsured Drivers
The number of uninsured motorists in the United States keeps increasing. The main issue here is the fact that the economy is not rebounding quickly enough and millions of people have been left without a job. Recent statistics have found that approximately 14% of the drivers that live in the United States are currently uninsured. The crisis has really started to get worse since 2009. Now states such as Tennessee and Oklahoma have more than a quarter of their drivers uninsured and this percentage is most likely going to increase in the next few years because of the high unemployment rate that is facing this country.
The United States is focusing its efforts more intensely on finding and punishing drivers who drive without auto insurance coverage. Some middle to poorer class people feel that they are unfairly being targeted by new pieces of legislation. It is not their fault that they are unemployed or are struggling just to make ends meet.
What can states really do to effectively tackle this issue? The only solution is one that states are already slowly implementing which is an electronic system which can help to notify them when a driver’s auto insurance coverage has lapsed or been cancelled. The old system is very outdated and many drivers have been able to elude authorities for years. They have done this by simply driving more carefully or carrying around auto insurance cards that have not expired but the premiums have lapsed. The policies are cancelled so the piece of paper is basically meaningless but the police do not know that when they pull the driver over and just let them go on their merry way.
Driving without car insurance coverage is like walking around with a loaded gun; one misstep could cause a huge problem that impacts not only your life but someone else’s. All of the fifty states have really tightened their grip on punishing uninsured drivers. Now a driver can be punished by having to pay fees and fines or have their driver’s license suspended for not being properly insured. People that have become involved in automobile accidents while uninsured have also had to face tough financial consequences for their actions. In some cases, drivers have lost their assets such as homes and cars due to having to pay for a judgment in court. Others have faced wage garnishments because they have been found guilty and need to pay restitution to the person that they hit while uninsured for their medical and vehicle repair expenses.
Drivers who are uninsured can get anonymous auto insurance quotes online in order to avoid being caught but get insured at the same time. Many websites offer this service because they want uninsured drivers to become insured and know that they will decide against taking such action if they have to reveal in the quotes process that they are currently without car insurance coverage. Price is often a factor for people who are uninsured so they need time in advance to find an affordable auto insurance policy that will meet their budgets.
States need to work with drivers to help them get insured. One idea might be an insurance exchange that is similar to the ones being created for people that need health insurance coverage. This would allow people to find cheaper ways to get auto insurance coverage. The government requires this type of insurance coverage but does virtually nothing to help people pay for it so having some assistance for those that cannot afford it would help drivers meet the mandatory insurance laws in their state.
Source: PR News Wire
