Uninsured Drivers Soar in Florida as Insurance Crisis Deepens

The number of uninsured drivers in Florida is rising as the cost of coverage has become unaffordable for many, according to recent data from the New York-based Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I).

The Triple-I website estimates that, as per year-end 2022 data, some 15.9 percent of Florida drivers do not have insurance on their vehicles, higher than the national average of 14 percent. According to the Insurance Research Council (IRC), this number could be even higher, at 20.4 percent of all the Sunshine State's drivers.

This might be because car insurance in Florida is among the most expensive in the country, up to an average monthly cost of $115 for minimum-liability coverage and $270 for full coverage. The national average for minimum coverage is $52 per month or $627 per year—much lower than Florida's annual average of $1,385.

At a national level, American drivers pay $167 per month or $2,008 per year for full coverage, according to MarketWatch—much less than Floridians, with an average cost of $3,244 per year.

A 2021 study by IRC found that in 2019 Florida was among the states with the highest number of uninsured drivers, "both a symptom and a cause of affordability challenges." The state with the highest percentage of uninsured drivers was Mississippi with 29.4 percent, followed by Michigan (25.5), Tennessee (23.7), New Mexico (21.8), Washington (21.7) and Florida (20.4 percent). The national average in 2019 was 12.6 percent.

The situation has likely gotten worse as the cost of car insurance started rising after the pandemic. Compared to 2019, the rate of uninsured drivers in the U.S. went up by 2 percentage points. According to IRC, Florida drivers were hit by a 15 percent jump in quoted insurance rates over 2023, the largest price hike in the nation.

Newsweek contacted IRC for comment by email on Thursday.

Florida is a no-fault state, which means that regardless of who causes an incident, every driver's insurance covers medical expenses for them and their passengers. The state only requires drivers to carry at least $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability insurance, but does not require bodily injury liability coverage.

Mark Friedlander of Triple-I told Newsweek that uninsured motorists in Florida are weighing down on other drivers as well, and they're the reason why rates are so high in the state.

"Florida has always ranked amongst the most expensive states for auto insurance, which has led to more drivers forgoing coverage, despite it being a violation of state law," he said. "All consumers pay more for their car insurance because of the high volume of uninsured drivers. Uninsured motorists are more reckless behind the wheel and make the roads less safe for everyone. Florida had the third-highest vehicle accident fatality rate in the U.S. in 2023: 3,278 deaths."

"Other factors driving the high cost of car insurance in Florida include more expensive repairs (escalating costs of parts and labor), rising medical costs for treating accident victims, an excessive level of litigated claims (nearly 30,000 accident-related claim lawsuits a month filed in 2023—highest volume of auto lawsuits in the U.S.), a high volume of vehicle theft (22,393 thefts during the first six months of 2023—third highest in U.S.) and rampant claim fraud schemes, including staged accidents."

Are you a Florida driver who has given up on insurance coverage or is struggling with rising costs? Contact g.carbonaro@newsweek.com to share your experience with us.

Update 2/29/24, 8:10 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include a comment from Mark Friedlander.