Road Risks Rise as More Drivers Drop Insurance
Road Risks Rise as More Drivers Drop Insurance.
The Wall Street Journal reports that more drivers are letting their car insurance lapse. This puts themselves and other drivers at risk.
“A good proportion of people on the road are either uninsured or underinsured, and so you have to protect yourself,” said Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute, a nonprofit group. “Your odds of being in an accident with an uninsured driver are substantial.”
It is important to make sure your insurance policy contains uninsured motorist or UM coverage. About 20 states require UM coverage, which compensates policy owners for injuries as pedestrians, in hit-and-run accidents and in wrecks caused by drivers without insurance.
Without UM coverage you may have to sue to recover costs for medical bills and damages and many uninsured drivers have few assets.
Uninsured Motorist coverage might make your insurance premium go up a small amount, but it is not worth the risk of a car or truck accident with a driver who carries no insurance. Drivers who are uninsured are more likely to get into accidents.