Skip to main content

US vehicle insurance problem

Reports suggest that up to 1 in 7 vehicles (14%) on US roads may be uninsured. Based on vehicle population figures this indicates that over 37 million vehicles are being used illegally.
March 22, 2012 Read time: 1 min
Reports suggest that up to 1 in 7 vehicles (14%) on US roads may be uninsured. Based on vehicle population figures this indicates that over 37 million vehicles are being used illegally. Although insurance is compulsory in 49 states and most states suspend vehicle registration when a policy lapses, there are loopholes in the system and current enforcement is not 100% effective. The safety risk of accidents posed by uninsured drivers is high, with additional legal complications for any innocent parties involved. Meanwhile there are also issues of congestion caused by illegal use of vehicles that need to be addressed.

Related Content

  • Venezuela has a high road fatality rate
    February 26, 2014
    New research identifies Venezuela as having the most dangerous roads in Latin America. This comes from a study by the University of Michigan (UM), which shows Venezuela to have the highest risk of car crash fatalities for a Latin American country, according to a report by Business News Americas. The study showed that Venezuela has 35 road deaths/100,000 population. The Dominican Republic has 32 road deaths/100,000 population, El Salvador has 29/100,000, Brazil has 22/100,000, Paraguay has 20/100,000, Ecuado
  • Eyes on the road – the distraction problem
    June 23, 2016
    The news that Europe’s road safety drive stalled in 2015 is a cause for concern. The actual causes of this stutter in the road with regard to boosting safety have yet to be identified. But it is highly likely that driver distraction plays a role, at least in part. There is plenty of research showing just how much of a risk the use of cellphones pose for drivers. And yet far too many drivers are blasé about the risks these pose for driver distraction. The sight of someone using a cellphone at the wheel i
  • FOI request reveals “shocking” amount of uninsured UK drivers
    July 30, 2013
    One in every 100 people in the UK with a full driving licence has points for driving uninsured, according to a “shocking” Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists). For all ages the request, directed to the DVLA, revealed that one in every 200 people with a full UK driving licence had been penalised for driving without insurance. A total of 226,803 drivers in the UK were said under FOI to have points on their licence for driving while uninsured.
  • Adopting driverless vehicles could boost road safety
    February 10, 2016
    A new report suggests that making all vehicles autonomous could prevent up to 95% of all traffic crashes. But the report also highlights how government and industry need to urgently address the barriers to adoption, regulatory and insurance issues. This new report has been produced by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the UK. It calls for urgent action by both government and industry to encourage the greater use of autonomous and driverless vehicles.