Drivers Passing On Car Insurance

KIMA

Story Published: Aug 5, 2008 at 5:41 PM PST

By Steve Wellman

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Here in Yakima...there's evidence of a disturbing nationwide trend. Some drivers who are overwhelmed by gas prices are deciding to take a pass on car insurance.

"Oh I'm sure it's not just here. It's across the board," says Helen Whitehead-Teske, a car insurance agent.

The Whitehead insurance agency has over fifty years in Yakima...now operated by the daughters of the founder. Helen says numbers of uninsured drivers are up sharply. "It's definitely everywhere and we're hearing from our marketing reps that other areas of Washington state have had this same drop."

Just how big is this number? Possibly as many as a third of previously insured drivers. Says Stella E. Whitehead-Hubbard, "Our new applications have gone down by about thirty percent."

It seems some people are making a dangerous choice...when there's just not enough money to buy a policy...and gas.

Steve Wellman says "So when you're out here driving around with all these other cars around you, you've got to start wondering: just how many of these people don't have insurance anymore?"

With these numbers rising...it might be a good idea to consider the consequences. Police warn that if you're tagged without coverage, it's going to hurt. "If you get caught driving without insurance the fee for that infraction is $555.00," says Captain Greg Coleman of the Yakima Police Department.

And if you're thinking to skip just a month or two then get insured again...keep in mind...there's a penalty for doing that as well.
"If you let your policy cancel or cancel it you will lose all your policy discounts," Stella Whitehead-Hubbard explains. "And to start over, it's going to be far more expensive."

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