You probably know the cost of your car insurance down to the last penny. After all, you’re the one writing your checks every month! But do you know the cost of not having car insurance, leaving yourself wide open for whatever life wants to throw your way? Most people don’t, and the consequences can put the final nail in the coffin of your financial security-and the lifespan of your driver’s license.
Let’s start with the financial implications of driving without car insurance. Did you know that the DMV charges drivers an astronomical fee to renew their registration without present proof of insurance? And by astronomical we’re talking $400 or higher. Getting busted driving without insurance comes with its own set of fees and court costs, depending on what state you happen to live in. And there’s the loss in wages from having to take a day off work to appear in court. Any way you want to look at it, letting your insurance policy lapse is going to cost you a fortune.
Fees and extra costs aside, take a second to think about how much it’s going to cost you to pay for a car accident out of pocket. The cost of repairing your car and the cars of the other drivers involved in the accident is going to be bad enough, but you’re also going to be the one holding the bag for medical care and treatment, both short and long term, for anyone else involved in the accident. The cost of emergency care for four or five people would be enough to put a dent in your bank account, but when you start adding on the cost of extended stays in intensive care (which cost an average of $5,000 per day), follow up care and rehabilitative therapy, along with pharmaceuticals, and the costs can scream over $50,000 per accident.
It’s easy to see how Americans pay an average of $164.2 billion dollars a year for car accident related expenditures (according to a recent study done by AAA).
When you’re done paying the expenses of the accident you’re still not done paying the price of your car accident. Most states carry a minimum legal liability requirement for their drivers. If you’ve paid your tribute to the DMV to drive without car insurance you’re exempt, but most uninsured drivers don’t bother to let their local DMV know when their policy lapses.
At that point you’re breaking the law, and you can guarantee that local law enforcement isn’t going to let it slide. At best you’re going to be facing a fee for driving uninsured, at worst you can lose your license the first time you’re caught driving around without coverage. Not to mention the fun of having your car repossessed and impounded when your lienholder finds out you broke the insurance section of your loan agreement, assuming you still share custody of your car with your lender.
Any way you look at it you’re going to be paying a small fortune if you get caught driving without insurance. The best advice anyone can give you if you find your car insurance rates have exceeded the reach of your budget is to shop around for another policy. There are plenty of options out there that are a vast improvement over driving uninsured. It shouldn’t take you long to find an insurance company that’s willing to work with what you can afford.
Anthony M. Peck is the Senior Developer, Software Project Manager, and Director of Business Development for QuoteScout.com. To find a car insurance policy that fits your budget, visit them on the web at http://www.QuoteScout.com.