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Uninsured Motorists A Statewide Burden

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By ELECTRA THEODORIDES-BUSTLE

Special to the Tribune

Published: February 19, 2009

I would like to take this opportunity to clarify Florida's motor vehicle insurance requirements and distinguish the Insurance Research Council report identified in Russell Ray's article (Business, Jan. 23).

The Insurance Research Council found that approximately 23 percent of Florida's motorists do not carry liability insurance, but this does not accurately reflect the status of Florida's uninsured rate.

Liability insurance (as used in the article) includes both bodily injury liability and property damage liability. In any liability coverage, liability has to be proven by the victim. In contrast to the article, Florida law requires motorists to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and property damage liability coverage in order to register and drive a motor vehicle.

Under Personal Injury Protection, it is No-Fault, meaning nothing has to be proven since each insurer provides coverage for one's own insured, regardless of fault. Florida's property damage requirement only covers the victim who has proven liability on an at-fault driver.

Since Florida's mandatory insurance model is different than the liability insurance reported by the council, the statistic is not relevant to Florida's uninsured rate. The state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is tasked with tracking and enforcing compliance with Florida's vehicle insurance laws. The good news is that in Florida, on average, less than six percent of drivers do not carry the minimum mandatory insurance.

Given the significant financial risks that uninsured motorists pose, the agency makes education and enforcement of mandatory insurance a priority. We partner with the insurance industry to educate and insure drivers as well as leverage the ability to restrict driving privileges and deny motor vehicle registrations when proof of insurance is absent. These efforts along with the diligent work of our statewide law enforcement partners have made Florida's roadways safer than they were 20 years ago. We know efforts have been successful and that Florida's fatality rate has decreased by nearly one-half since 1988, from three deaths per 100 million miles of travel to the current rate of 1.57.

For more information on Florida's automobile insurance requirements (including the ability to update your insurance information online), we encourage motorists to visit our Web site at www.flhsmv.gov. Additional information, to include an "Auto Insurance Consumer Guide," is available on the Department of Financial Services' Web site at www.fldfs.com.
Uninsured motorists create a burden for all motorists, and we will continue our efforts to minimize their presence on our roadways and lead the way to "A Safer Florida."

The writer is executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

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