Aug. 15, 2014—The percentage of uninsured motorists across the U.S. has decreased for the third straight year, according to a recently released study from the Insurance Research Council (IRC).
The study, Uninsured Motorists, 2014 Edition, estimated the percentage of uninsured drivers, both nationally as well as in individual states, using a ratio of insurance claims made by people who were injured by uninsured drivers versus claims by those who were injured by insured drivers.
The study’s findings show that the ratio of uninsured drivers fell to 12.6 percent, marking a drop of nearly 2.5 percent in the past 10 years.
This Uninsured Motorists study also estimated the total claim payments to uninsured individuals. The IRC estimated that in the U.S., $2.6 billion was paid on 2012 uninsured motorists claims, even after discounting fatalities and total permanent disability claims.
This total claim payment amount has increased by 75 percent over the last 10 years.
“Responsible drivers who pay for insurance end up also paying for injuries caused by uninsured drivers,” said Elizabeth Sprinkel, CPCU, senior vice president of the IRC. “The declining trend in the percentage of uninsured motorists is a positive development for consumers; however, the heightened levels of uninsured motorists and the rising claim payments involved still remain a concern for insured drivers, insurers and policymakers.”
In addition to analyzing national averages, the study also researched individual state rates for uninsured drivers. As of 2012, the IRC estimated that the top three states for uninsured motorists were:
- California at 4.1 million
- Florida at 3.2 million
- Texas at 1.6 million
Click here to read the full report from the IRC.
