Are you driving in a state where the number of uninsured drivers on roads is growing? A car wreck is never a happy event, but a collision involving a driver without auto insurance can make repairs and recovery significantly more difficult.
The General used Insurance Research Council data to visualize and describe how the rates of uninsured drivers changed in each state over time.
The 2019 data—the most recent available, released in 2021—is based on data from 11 insurers representing 60% of the private passenger auto insurance market. It represents the most thorough and up-to-date picture we have of uninsured drivers across the country.
Almost every state requires drivers to purchase an insurance policy and carry proof in their vehicles at all times. New Hampshire is the only state without a law specifically requiring auto insurance on the books but does require drivers to have enough money to cover the state's minimum liability requirements in the event of a crash. Virginia drivers are generally required to have insurance but can pay a $500 annual fee to the state for permission not to have insurance—which makes them personally liable for any costs an insurance plan might cover.
Still, there will always be a proportion of drivers who elect to hit the road without the proper liability insurance. They typically do so to avoid the annual premium cost, which can increase based on a driver's safety record. But driving without insurance is a gamble with the potential for financial disaster.
Insurance firms caution that for a driver, the annual premium can pale in comparison to the costs of being sued while uninsured for the full damages following an accident they caused. An insured driver will often need to pay for uninsured motorist insurance on top of their typical coverage, or else resort to recouping the damages in court, in case they are hit by an uninsured driver.
The good news is fewer drivers are making that gamble these days, according to the latest data. The Insurance Research Council estimated the countrywide uninsured motorist rate was 12.6% in 2019, down from an estimated 13.8% in 2009 and 14.3% in 2008.
Still, there are disparities among states and certain parts of the country have seen the rate of uninsured motorists tick up.
States in the Great Lakes and the Pacific Northwest regions have seen the largest growth in uninsured drivers on the road while Oklahoma, Texas, and South Carolina have seen their rates decrease. Mississippi, which boasts the highest rate of uninsured drivers in the country, saw its rate grow over the 10 years measured.
Oklahoma, which has been more successful in reducing the number of uninsured drivers on roads than any other state, began a program called the Uninsured Vehicle Enforcement Diversion Program in 2018. It's run by the administrative agency that oversees the state's local prosecutors.
Cameras positioned around the state photograph license plates and match them against a database of registered insurance policies, kicking a notice out to any driver without one. The driver is then able to avoid going to court for criminal charges if they agree to pay a $190 diversion fee and enroll in insurance for at least two years. The aim of the program was to divert uninsured motorist cases away from courts while helping drivers avoid a criminal conviction.
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 13%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 24%
- Percentage point change: -11 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 3%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: -8 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 7%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 14%
- Percentage point change: -7 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 8%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: -7 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 6%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: -5 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 22%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 26%
- Percentage point change: -4 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 12%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 16%
- Percentage point change: -4 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 6%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 10%
- Percentage point change: -4 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 6%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 10%
- Percentage point change: -4 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 20%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 24%
- Percentage point change: -4 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 14%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 18%
- Percentage point change: -4 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 13%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 16%
- Percentage point change: -3 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 12%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: -3 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 10%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 13%
- Percentage point change: -3 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 10%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 13%
- Percentage point change: -3 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 9%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 9%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 9%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 9%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 20%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 22%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 13%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 7%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 9%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 12%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 13%
- Percentage point change: -1 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 6%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 7%
- Percentage point change: -1 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 4%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 5%
- Percentage point change: -1 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 7%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 8%
- Percentage point change: -1 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 17%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 18%
- Percentage point change: -1 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 14%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: -1 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 24%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 24%
- Percentage point change: No change
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 16%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 16%
- Percentage point change: No change
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 12%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 12%
- Percentage point change: No change
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 11%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: No change
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 11%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: No change
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 11%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: No change
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 4%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 4%
- Percentage point change: No change
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 29%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 28%
- Percentage point change: +1 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 11%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 10%
- Percentage point change: +1 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 11%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 10%
- Percentage point change: +1 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 9%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 8%
- Percentage point change: +1 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 5%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 4%
- Percentage point change: +1 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 16%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: +1 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 16%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 14%
- Percentage point change: +2 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 9%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 7%
- Percentage point change: +2 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 17%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: +2 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 19%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 16%
- Percentage point change: +3 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 16%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 13%
- Percentage point change: +3 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 19%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: +4 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 13%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 9%
- Percentage point change: +4 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 13%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 8%
- Percentage point change: +5 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 22%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 16%
- Percentage point change: +6 percentage points
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 26%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 19%
- Percentage point change: +7 percentage points
This story originally appeared on The General and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
