LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – One in eight drivers is uninsured nationwide, according to the Insurance Information Institute, which includes roughly 10% of Nevada drivers.
Experts said insurance and inflation are making it hard for many to buy coverage.
Janet Ruiz with the Insurance Information Institute said there are more cars on the road post-pandemic, meaning more car crashes. As a result, the Insurance Information Information Institute said it anticipates more uninsured drivers.
Ruiz also added that there are a few factors as to why drivers forego car insurance. Some of the factors include inflation, bad driving, accidents, and unemployment.
Coincidentally, those are also contributing factors to the increasing car insurance rates. Ruiz added that higher car repair costs and medical costs are also bumping up insurance rates.
Nationwide, car insurance increased nearly 20% from last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index report in August.
“My insurance rates are ridiculous,” Bettina Stanfield said. She said she was hit by an uninsured driver last January.
“They couldn’t go after the person because all of their information was bogus,” she added.
Her insurance kicked in, but she said she was penalized. She told 8 News Now that her premium went up. Stanfield said she pays $300 a month for two cars, on a fixed income.
Before drivers can legally hit the road; car insurance is required. The national average costs between $600 and $2,000 a year, according to BankRate.com. Drivers in Nevada pay between $900 and $2,800.
Catrina Mayers’s car insurance went up $400 in six months.
“I live five miles from work and I am paying a lot of money,” Mayers said. “Now it is $1,200 every six months.”
Shirley Webb said she bought uninsured motor insurance because of the number of uninsured drivers.
“That leaves the person that they run into to pay the bills and that’s not fair,” Webb said.
Drivers caught without insurance, face a fine of $250 to $1,000 along with a suspended license and reinstatement fees once they become insured, according to the DMV’s website.
Money-saving tips when shopping for car insurance
Those looking for money-saving tips are advised to shop around because rates can vary.
Other tips include asking insurance companies about safe car, safe driver, and loyalty discounts.
When shopping for car insurance another tip to consider is adding an insurance bundle, raising the deductible can also lower premiums, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
