April 25, 2011
By: Carrie Van Brunt-Wiley
According to a recent study conducted by the Insurance Research Council, 1 in 7 motorists, or 13.8 percent, were uninsured in 2009. This percentage had been in decline for four years, beginning 2004, before rising to 14.3 percent in 2008.
While this figure represents the national average, some states' statistics are higher. In Tennessee, Oklahoma and Florida, 24 percent of local motorists were without car insurance. Even worse, rates in Mississippi and New Mexico were higher at 28 and 26 percent, respectively. Conversely, the states with lowest uninsured rates were Massachusetts and Maine at 4.5 percent, New York at 5 percent and Pennsylvania and Vermont at 7 percent.
IRC officials point to the recent recession and economic downturn for the increased rate in 2008.
"The leveling trend in the percentage of uninsured motorists is an unfortunate consequence of the economic downturn and illustrates how virtually everyone is affected by recent economic developments," said IRC senior vice president Elizabeth Sprinkel. "Despite laws in many states requiring drivers to maintain insurance, about one in seven motorists remain uninsured. This forces responsible drivers who carry insurance to bear the burden of paying for injuries caused by drivers who carry no insurance at all."
IRC conducted its study by gathering information from nine different insurance companies that represent roughly 50 percent of the nation's insured drivers.
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