How the rate of uninsured drivers has changed over time in every state
This story originally appeared on The General and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
How the rate of uninsured drivers has changed over time in every state
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.
Uninsured driver rates remained consistent across much of the US
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.
Oklahoma
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 13%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 24%
- Percentage point change: -11 percentage points
New Jersey
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 3%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: -8 percentage points
North Carolina
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 7%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 14%
- Percentage point change: -7 percentage points
Texas
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 8%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: -7 percentage points
New Hampshire
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 6%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: -5 percentage points
New Mexico
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 22%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 26%
- Percentage point change: -4 percentage points
Georgia
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 12%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 16%
- Percentage point change: -4 percentage points
Wyoming
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 6%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 10%
- Percentage point change: -4 percentage points
Connecticut
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 6%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 10%
- Percentage point change: -4 percentage points
Florida
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 20%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 24%
- Percentage point change: -4 percentage points
Kentucky
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 14%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 18%
- Percentage point change: -4 percentage points
Ohio
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 13%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 16%
- Percentage point change: -3 percentage points
Illinois
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 12%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: -3 percentage points
Nevada
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 10%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 13%
- Percentage point change: -3 percentage points
Minnesota
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 10%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 13%
- Percentage point change: -3 percentage points
Montana
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 9%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
Hawaii
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 9%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
West Virginia
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 9%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
Delaware
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 9%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
Alabama
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 20%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 22%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
Wisconsin
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 13%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
South Dakota
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 7%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 9%
- Percentage point change: -2 percentage points
Louisiana
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 12%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 13%
- Percentage point change: -1 percentage points
Pennsylvania
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 6%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 7%
- Percentage point change: -1 percentage points
New York
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 4%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 5%
- Percentage point change: -1 percentage points
Utah
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 7%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 8%
- Percentage point change: -1 percentage points
Rhode Island
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 17%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 18%
- Percentage point change: -1 percentage points
Maryland
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 14%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: -1 percentage points
Tennessee
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 24%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 24%
- Percentage point change: No change
Indiana
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 16%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 16%
- Percentage point change: No change
Arizona
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 12%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 12%
- Percentage point change: No change
Iowa
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 11%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: No change
Virginia
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 11%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: No change
South Carolina
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 11%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 11%
- Percentage point change: No change
Massachusetts
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 4%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 4%
- Percentage point change: No change
Mississippi
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 29%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 28%
- Percentage point change: +1 percentage points
Oregon
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 11%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 10%
- Percentage point change: +1 percentage points
Kansas
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 11%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 10%
- Percentage point change: +1 percentage points
Nebraska
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 9%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 8%
- Percentage point change: +1 percentage points
Maine
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 5%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 4%
- Percentage point change: +1 percentage points
Colorado
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 16%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: +1 percentage points
Missouri
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 16%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 14%
- Percentage point change: +2 percentage points
Vermont
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 9%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 7%
- Percentage point change: +2 percentage points
California
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 17%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: +2 percentage points
Arkansas
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 19%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 16%
- Percentage point change: +3 percentage points
Alaska
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 16%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 13%
- Percentage point change: +3 percentage points
Washington D.C.
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 19%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 15%
- Percentage point change: +4 percentage points
North Dakota
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 13%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 9%
- Percentage point change: +4 percentage points
Idaho
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 13%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 8%
- Percentage point change: +5 percentage points
Washington
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 22%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 16%
- Percentage point change: +6 percentage points
Michigan
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2019: 26%
- Share of drivers who were uninsured, 2009: 19%
- Percentage point change: +7 percentage points
