One continual frustration for Mississippi’s responsible motorists is the good chance that when they are in an accident, the persons behind the wheel in the other vehicle isn’t carrying insurance.
No one knows for certain, but the best guess is that some 25 to 30 percent of Mississippi motorists remain uninsured. That’s not much better than it was before the state finally — after much foot-dragging — enacted a compulsory insurance law in 2000. Even though the fine for not having liability insurance on a vehicle is $1,000 and a one year’s driver’s license suspension, still too many motorists take their chances that they won’t get caught.
Next year is expected to bring even more incentives to comply.
By next summer, the state Department of Public Safety is expected to have up and running a computerized insurance verification system that will allow state troopers — when investigating an accident, ticketing a driver for a moving violation or conducting a roadblock — to immediately check whether the vehicle is covered by liability insurance. Up to now, there wasn’t the technology in place to do these instantaneous checks.
In addition, Rep. Gary Chism, who chairs the House Insurance Committee, says he hopes to pass a law in the 2017 legislative session that would require tax collectors to verify a vehicle owner’s insurance coverage at the time the owner buys a tag. No insurance, no tag.
Although these tougher measures are worth implementing or enacting, don’t look for them to necessarily get a huge number of the uninsured to start complying.
When it comes to buying insurance — of whatever kind — the decision is driven largely by economics. People with more discretionary income see the value of making sure they and their family are protected against misfortune. Those who don’t have much money tend to take their chances. If you struggle just covering the necessities of life, insurance seems optional. Since Mississippi has the largest percentage of poor people in the nation, it’s predictable that it would also have the highest percentage of uninsured motorists.
So, no matter what transpires in 2017, don’t cancel your uninsured motorists coverage. Chances will still remain good that you may need it someday.
