How Many People Are Driving Without Automobile Insurance?

Each month the Quincy Police Department provides the news media with a news release regarding their Monthly Traffic Enforcement Report.  That report lists the total amount of citations issued and breaks it down even more as to just how many people were speeding, driving under the influence, driving with a revoked license and so forth. In each report there is a significant amount of people cited for driving without insurance. It is not unusual to find a double-digit number next to the uninsured motorist category.

I know that money is tight and it is sure easy to just not carry insurance and still drive a vehicle.  Chances are you won't get into a wreck. But if and when you do, who ends up paying? The person with the insurance does. This, I am afraid, is becoming an epidemic in the Hannibal-Quincy area as well as across America. Insurance companies have been making uninsured motorist insurance available just for this reason. It's unfortunate that those who do the right thing have to pay for those who don't.

When you think about the report, remember the people who were found to have no insurance were initially stopped for another reason.  Sure makes you wonder just how many drivers are really out there driving without insurance doesn't it?

So how is this happening?  One way is to buy insurance and then cancel it after you get your license and hope you don't get caught or have an accident.

Most people get their new license plate every 3 or 4 years so the uninsured driver could cancel his/her insurance and then drive for 3 or 4 years without it. I would like to see proof of insurance when a driver renews his license plate sticker which occurs every 12 months. Even when you renew your yearly sticker by mail there is a place on the back of the form that asks for your insurance policy number.

Perhaps insurers need to report cancelled policies for automobile insurance to the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles so there is a record of uninsured motorist out there on our streets and highways.

A change to the 12 month system mentioned just might be in order.  At least every 12 months we will know who has and doesn't have insurance. No insurance, no license plate renewal sticker.

Oh, by the way, even as I was writing this I just got the Q.P.D.’s daily arrest report for yesterday showing 3 drivers stopped for moving violations with all having no automobile insurance.