After working auto claims for a year, I think I have to agree with compulsory insurance laws. Someone brought up a point on the comments, "What if you don't have your insurance card yet?" In that case, make sure you carry your insurance carrier's # with you and have the fuzz speak with the insurance company to verify. I had to do that multiple times for customers. It's a bit of a hassle, but better than having your car impounded. Too many drivers running around without insurance and if you don't have UMPD, you could be screwed.

How will this reduce the number of uninsured drivers? They'll only be more careful. People drive uninsured because they have to, not because they want to.

Years ago when I was newly married and not making much money, I had to choose between paying cost of living expenses or getting car insurance. I chose to eat.

A little over a month later, I went to renew my policy an it went from $28 / month to over $100 / month.

As much as I wanted insurance, I couldnt afford it for quite some time after that.

After I was divorced, my finances were stretched way beyond the breaking point. I had to buy my insurance on a month-to-month basis. No way could I afford several months of coverage at a time.

There were times when I would have to be uninsured for two or three days, until the next payday, because the money simply wasn't there. I will never forget the gut-clenching terror of driving on those days without insurance.

I am so grateful that this isn't the case any more.

Itzpapalotl.

I have been dirt poor before, but I always had insurance.

I was in a wreck some years ago. A guy ran into the back of my old falling apart mini van (being a single mother) and pushed me into the truck in front of me. It totaled my mini van. The truck in front of me was a brand spanking new red Dodge Ram. The owner didn't have insurance. He got a ticket, too, and they wouldn't let him drive off in his pickup, but they would let me drive off in my smashed in from both ends mini van with the radiator leaking. The van I got to replace it was worse, but I couldn't afford a nicer car, but I had insurance.

My brother was hit by someone without insurance and basically lost his pickup. He had to replace his own vehicle.

If you can't afford insurance, you shouldn't have a car.

We were hit by an uninsured driver, a young guy who apologized about the fact he had no insurance. My husband, who had sold insurance at one time, told him, "that's OK, my insurance company will pay and come after you for their money." Our car was paid for, we kept the collision on and we were sure glad we did. We keep our vehicles fully covered because of that.

One guy told me that at any one time in Montana, 1/2 the vehicles on the road were uninsured. Pay for 6 months but still have a pink card good for the year.

RB

Most of our criminal invaders do not pay for anything ---- great law if it is enforced!

who were talking on their cell phones. I'm also of the belief that if you can afford a car, you can afford insurance. I went 5 years with only a motorcycle because I couldn't afford a car.

I think I land in the camp that doesn't agree with this law.

I have been written a citation for no insurance and that was because my policy couldn't be found on the state wide data base. I had the printed "proof of insurance" document but the Highway Patrolman told me I could have printed it myself or I may have not kept up on the payments so the computer data base took priority.
I had to provide the court with a "letterhead" document from the insurance company and the clerk also phoned to validate the letter.

If on top of all that I would have had my car impounded it would have been added injustice.

Make it easier for the officers to impound when appropriate, but don't tie their hands and remove the opportunity for them to cite and release when circumstances might land in the gray area.

Do I care? Does that put them above the law?
If they take the chances & get caught they will suffer consequences.

And they have to drive uninsured? How come I didn't do that even in my most peniless days?

for us non-americans - just for curiosity's sake - what is an average car insurance in the US.....say, for a new driver and also someone who's been driving 25 years.

In the UK, a new driver can easily pay between £800 ($1200) and £1600 ($2400) for a fairly average car

As an oldie, my insurance for comprehensive on a decent standard car was £350 and I've not had an accident for years

And I'll bet that the UK has annual or bi-annual road worthiness certifications for vehicles, on top of insurance.

In the UK,
annual MOT (road worthiness cert), compulsory for cars over 3 years old.

Annual road tax (It's a banded rate - £230 ($350) for mine, but some very low emission/electric cars are free and some high emission vehicles can be £500 ($700)

You cant get road tax without MOT and insurance... and your car can be seized and crushed if you dont have road tax

however, the people who dont have insurance just risk driving without tax or MOT.

Considering that driving a vehicle without being covered by liability insurance is not only illegal, but among the most stupid things a person can do, I would support this law or any other law that would make it mandatory to have insurance if a car is on the road. I've lived in a couple of different states where the car's registration is married to the car's liability policy; if a driver lets his policy lapse, the DMV receives immediate notification and the registration is suspended. That's a good move.

As a college kid, I worked hard to purchase an old, beat up clunker that ran pretty good. I had liability insurance on it in order to remain legal, but had no collision, comprehensive or uninsured motorist coverage, as I could not afford it.


I was hit from behind by an older guy who was driving a huge, expensive F100 pickup truck. The truck was much bigger and stouter than mine. He was having an argument with his wife at the time, and was too distracted by the fight to drive carefully.

He was faulted for the accident, but, of course, he didn't bother to carry any insurance.

After working so hard to get that car, and to pay for (at least) the legally required liability insurance, I lost that car because some other driver couldn't keep his eyes on the road, nor could he be bothered to carry the legally required liability insurance that would have protected the people he hit.

Nor did he ever approach me to try and make good for what he did. He never offered me a single dime to compensate for what he did to my car.

It took over a year to save up enough money to buy another clunker, and I have NEVER put a car on the road that didn't carry full coverage after that.


I am FULLY 100% in support of the idea of confiscating uninsured cars that are involved in accidents, as long as there is a way for people to prove they were covered but just do not have the card on them -- IF that is truly the case.

But the state should not keep the proceeds. They should sell the vehicle, and then pay off the party in the accident who was hurt by the uninsured motorist, then IF there is any money left over, maybe then the state should be able to keep it.

Wish they'd adopt that policy in my state.

sometimes I wonder what libertarians think about 'safety' laws, like taking advantage of children & elderly, car insurance, etc.

I'm betting they have a Stock Answer that makes sense... only to themselves tho.