The Insurance Council of Texas said that one out of every five drivers in Texas does not carry liability insurance—a problem that has put other drivers on the defensive to avoid paying out of their pockets.
With a fifth of the state’s motorists perilously driving without insurance, there is a good chance that they could be encountered almost anywhere in Texas.
"They're not going to have a little red flag on their windshield or on top of their car saying they're uninsured, you just have to drive defensively," warned Insurance Council of Texas spokesperson Mark Hanna.
In an interview with
Time Warner Cable News, local Keith Beasley highlighted the severity of the problem, sharing that he had been involved in three wrecks with uninsured motorists—the latest of which occurred just last Monday.
"I had my car parked on the side of the road in front of the house and some kid on a moped, an uninsured moped, ran into the back of my car," Beasley explained.
Although Beasley paid out of his pocket to fix the damage from the first two accidents, he was forced to file a claim on his most recent accident after he had paid thousands of dollars.
"My insurance will definitely go up," he suspected.
Beasley fortunately had uninsured motorist coverage, which could protect him from uninsured drivers.
The Insurance Council has urged all motorists to take uninsured motorist coverage.
"With one out of every five drivers on the road in Texas and certainly in Austin without mandatory liability insurance, you're taking a huge risk if you don't have uninsured motorist coverage," remarked Hanna.
Texan motorists without car insurance could be fined $175 if they are pulled over. They could also end up paying more to have their driver’s license renewed.
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