Focus on Uninsured Drivers

Have you ever been through the experience of an auto accident? The personal stakes increase when you jump out of the car to exchange auto insurance information with the other driver and they either try to drive away before this can happen; or, they want to handle it privately without going through the insurance agency or law enforcement. If this type of situation smells to you, your nose isn’t off, because the situation is definitely foul. The other driver may not be insured and maybe avoiding the tip-off to local authorities.

For almost 40 years, California law has made it illegal to drive without auto insurance. Yet, today, 15% of auto accidents in our state involve uninsured vehicles. Not only is it not legal to drive without this insurance, it’s not fair to other working families who are working hard to comply with the law and pay their monthly insurance bill. Some individuals have even gone as far as signing up for insurance, and then canceling it, once their car is registered. I’m sure there are some folks who wouldn’t mind skipping payments on bills here and there, but not paying this bill is down-right illegal if you drive that vehicle in California.

Thanks to legislation passed by the Legislature in 2004, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) was recently empowered with the information and authority to address the issue of uninsured drivers in California. In November, the DMV began notifying uninsured car owners that their auto registrations will be suspended if they don’t get auto insurance. The statistics are staggering. The Department of Insurance recently estimated that there are 3.5 million vehicles without insurance in California. These law breaking motorists need to either pay up for insurance or hang up their keys.

The reality is that each person who drives a vehicle has responsibilities as the car owner. Not only do you have to pay your lender for the actual vehicle, you have monthly fees for gas, maintenance and insurance. It’s the law. And if you decide not to follow the law, and get caught, you may pay hefty fines for both the lack of auto insurance and a suspended vehicle registration.

Insurance helps prevent future financial strain on your pocketbook should an accident occur and it keeps you in line with California law. I encourage you today to get the facts. If you or someone you know doesn’t have auto insurance, now is the time to respond. Take the time to shop around and find the best price and coverage for you and your family. It simply is not worth taking this short cut and risking the potential downfalls from breaking the law.