New Jersey’s Uninsured Motorist Rate Lowest in Nation

photo courtesy of Boyd Loving

the staff the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, According to a new report by the Insurance Research Council (IRC), only 3.1% of New Jersey motorists drove without insurance in 2019, the lowest in the nation. This
represents the lowest uninsured motorist rate in New Jersey in at least 20 years.

“New Jersey motorists are benefiting from robust competition within New Jersey’s automobile insurance market,” said Insurance Council President Christine O’Brien. “With 77 companies
currently selling automobile insurance in New Jersey, consumers have more options than ever when they shop for insurance.”

The uninsured rate in New Jersey has been under 4.5% since 2015. The Insurance Research Council calculates the uninsured motorist rate by comparing injuries in motor
vehicle accidents involving an uninsured motorist to the overall number of accidents with injuries. While properly insured drivers are protected when they are involved in an accident with
an uninsured driver, the long-term effect of these costs is borne by all drivers through higher premiums. Fewer uninsured motorists on the roads benefit all New Jersey motorists.

“In 2003, the New Jersey Legislature and then-Governor James McGreevey enacted major auto insurance reforms with the goal of increasing competition and driving down the cost of insurance in New
Jersey,” added O’Brien. “We continue to reap the benefits of that foresight and I encourage state policymakers to maintain the flexibility afforded to insurers so they can continue to offer all NJ
drivers adequate coverage at competitive prices.”

“When you consider this good news, and the fact that consumers in New Jersey are paying a smaller percentage of their annual income for auto insurance than they were in 2003, almost 20 years ago,
it is clear that auto reform continues to benefit all New Jersey drivers,” concluded O’Brien.