How Many People Drive Without Insurance In America? Plus 17 Uninsured Motorist Statistics For Mar 2024!

Written By Licensed Agent Sa ElFebruary 4, 2023

When it comes to driving without insurance in America, the numbers are surprisingly high. In fact, an estimated one in eight drivers, or 13% go without car insurance coverage. This means there are some 32 million people driving on the roads today without insurance. And when you consider that over 1.6 Million crashes happen yearly because of cell phone use while driving, it don't seem that people realize the risks they're taking. If you are one of these drivers you need to drop everything and get some car insurance now. If not, let's take a closer look at the uninsured motorist trends in the U.S. today.

Top Uninsured Motorists Statistics:

  • 13% of all drivers in the U.S. don't have car insurance.
  • There are some 32 million uninsured drivers in America today.
  • Mississippi has the highest percentage of drivers without insurance in the country (29.4%)
  • New Jersey has the lowest rate of uninsured motorists in the country (3.1%)
  • Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverage costs insured drivers about $13 billion in the U.S. (IRC)

Percentage Of Uninsured Americans Driving (2022)

What Percentage Of Drivers Are Uninsured In The United States?  


In 2021, according to the Insurance Research Council (IRC), 13% of drivers, or about one in eight drivers, were uninsured. The rate was at a nine-year high of 13.1% in 2017 but declined to 12.6% in 2018 and 2019.

Which State Has The Highest Percentage Of Uninsured Americans? 


Mississippi has the highest rate of uninsured motorists in the country at a whopping 29.4%. The uninsured rate has been in double digits since 2012 and reached this new height in 2019. The uninsured rate was 28.9% in 2018 and 27.5% in 2017.

What State Has The Lowest Percent Of Uninsured Drivers In The U.S.? 


New Jersey has the lowest rate of uninsured motorists in the country at a low 3.1% uninsured rate. The uninsured rate was 3.2% in 2018 and 3.3% in 2017.

What States Require Uninsured Motorist Coverage? 


21 states and the District of Columbia require uninsured motorist coverage. This sort of insurance covers motorists if they get into a collision with an uninsured driver, but it also places a financial burden on policyholders. If you're in an accident with an uninsured motorist and the at-fault driver doesn't have insurance, your insurance policy will cover medical expenditures, repairs, expenses, and other charges.

Below is a list of the states that require this coverage:

  • Connecticut
  • District of Columbia
  • Illinois
  • Kansas
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota
  • Nebraska
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Oregon
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin

What Are The Top 10 Highest & Lowest Uninsured States? (By Percent)


Mississippi, Michigan, and Tennessee top the list of states with the highest uninsured drivers. New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New York all come in as the states with the lowest percentage of uninsured drivers.

Top 10 Highest States Of Uninsured Drivers

STATE

UNINSURED MOTORIST PERCENTAGE

Mississippi

29.4%

Michigan

25.5%

Tennessee

23.7%

New Mexico

21.8%

Washington

21.7%

Florida

20.4%

Alabama

19.5%

Arkansas

19.3%

District of Columbia

19.1%

California

16.6%

Top 10 Lowest States Of Uninsured Drivers

STATE

UNINSURED MOTORIST PERCENTAGE

New Jersey

3.1%

Massachusetts

3.5%

New York

4.1%

Maine

4.9%

Wyoming

5.8%

Pennsylvania

6.0%

New Hampshire

6.1%

Connecticut

6.3%

Utah

6.5%

South Dakota

7.4%

Percentage Of Uninsured Motorists By State (In The U.S.)

How Many People Drive Without Insurance In America?  


There are 32 million uninsured drivers in the United States, with one in eight drivers (12.6%) having no auto insurance. Due to population growth among licensed drivers, there were over 460,000 more uninsured drivers in 2019 than in 2015.

Uninsured Motorist Rates By State


STATE

PERCENTAGE OF UNINSURED MOTORISTS

Alabama

19.5%

Alaska

16.1%

Arizona

11.8%

Arkansas

19.3%

California

16.6%

Colorado

16.3%

Connecticut

6.3%

Delaware

8.5%

District Of Columbia

19.1%

Florida

20.4%

Georgia

12.4%

Hawaii

9.3%

Idaho

13.2%

Illinois

11.8%

Indiana

15.8%

Iowa

11.3%

Kansas

10.9%

Kentucky

13.9%

Louisiana

11.7%

Maine

4.9%

Maryland

14.1%

Massachusetts

3.5%

Michigan

25.5%

Minnesota

9.9%

Mississippi

29.4%

Missouri

16.4%

Montana

8.5%

Nebraska

9.3%

Nevada

10.4%

New Hampshire

6.1%

New Jersey

3.1%

New Mexico

21.8%

New York

4.1%

North Carolina

7.4%

North Dakota

13%

Ohio

13%

Oklahoma

13.4%

Oregon

10.7%

Pennsylvania

6%

Rhode Island

16.5%

South Carolina

10.9%

South Dakota

7.4%

Tennessee

23.7%

Texas

8.3%

Utah

6.5%

Vermont

8.8%

Virginia

10.5%

Washington

21.7%

West Virginia

9.2%

Wisconsin

13.3%

Wyoming

5.8%

Uninsured Motorist Percentages Nationwide By Year


YEAR

NATIONAL UNINSURED MOTORIST PERCENTAGE

1992

15.6%

1993

16.0%

1995

14.2%

2000

13.4%

2005

14.6%

2010

12.3%

2015

11.3%

2016

12.2%

2017

13.1%

2018

12.6%

2019

13.0%

Concluding Thoughts

Taking Action


Shockingly, some 32 million people are riding around without insurance. However, we can't stress enough how important it is to have uninsured motorist coverage.

In the event of a car accident, you will be able to recover from financial loss and make sure that your family's livelihood isn't put at risk because someone else was driving without insurance.

Now that we know about the different rates of uninsured motorists in each state, it's time to take action.

There is no time to waste if you don't have car insurance, and you can get an instant car insurance quote and get covered today!

Sources:


III | Wallet Hub | Money Geek | Bank Rate | Value Penguin |

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