License, vehicle registration and proof of insurance usually go hand in hand with car ownership and operation. However, despite majority of fifty states requiring auto insurance (New Hampshire doesn’t) it appears one in seven drivers overlook this added expense.
This shocking percentage has climbed significantly during the economic downturn as many financially-pressed Americans allowed their insurance to lapse. Apparently uninsured motorists and unemployment rates directly correlate. This pattern is not uncommon, economist and insurance providers have been tracking this for the last 20 years.
According to National Association of Insurance Commissioners insured drivers pay a hefty price for fellow motorists who have no policies; approximately $10.8 billion in 2007.
According to date from 2009 Insurance Research Council poll the Top 5 least insured states are:
1. Mississippi
2. New Mexico
3. Tennessee
4. Florida
5. Oklahoma
All of the top 5 states have about 25 percent uninsured drivers on their roads. The rate of uninsured motorists varies widely. The same poll shows that Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont have the most insured drivers, posting about 5-7 percent uninsured drivers.
