'No Pay, No Play' and Auto Insurance Verification Proposals Highlight Uninsured Problem

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- This year has seen the introduction and debate of a number of legislative proposals aimed at penalizing uninsured drivers. Whether it be the 'no pay, no play' laws passed in Oklahoma and Kansas, the insurance-verification systems proposed in Mississippi and Alabama, or the increased penalties currently being debated in Tennessee, legislators are clearly trying to find more ways to discourage motorists from driving without car insurance.  

OnlineAutoInsurance.com encourages motorists in any state who are or are considering going uninsured to get free auto insurance quotes without personal information required online in order to evaluate their options and stay in compliance with state mandatory-coverage laws for their sake and the sake of other drivers.

The uninsured-motorist bills debated this year highlight a national transportation problem: as recently as 2009, approximately 1 in 7 drivers on the nation's roads were uninsured, according to the Insurance Research Council (IRC).That's despite the fact that the vast majority of states require motorists to be covered by a policy.

The numbers are manageable in some states but are out of control in others. According to the IRC's latest report, a mere 4 percent of drivers in Maine and Massachusetts lacked coverage in 2009. But in states like Oklahoma, Mississippi and Tennessee, the estimated proportions of drivers who drive without policies are around 25 percent.

Although states have penalties for driving uninsured that are generally pretty strict and are in some places getting stricter, there's plenty of reason to get covered beyond the fact that one could face hundreds of dollars in fines and a license suspension. If a person gets behind the wheel without financial protection and causes an accident, he or she could have to pay out of pocket for all of the damages caused.

A consumer guide from Ohio regulators explains the situation in no unclear terms: "To pay for damages, your home, car and other assets could be taken away from you. Your present and future wages could be garnished," the guide states. "You and your family could end up paying for one accident for the rest of your life!"  

Source: http://www.insurance.ohio.gov/Consumer/OCS/CompleteGuides/CompleteAutoGuide.pdf

To learn more about ways to efficiently comparison-shop and get protected by a policy, readers can go to http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/quotes/no-personal-information.htm where visitors will have access to informative resource pages as well as a rate-comparison generator.  

SOURCE Online Auto Insurance, LLC