In every state the law requires drivers to have car insurance. Some of the states require more insurance than other states do, but Arizona has an insurance or financial responsibility law. One of the expenses of driving a vehicle is the expense of insurance.
If you are pulled over by the police and do not have car insurance in some states, the police can confiscate the license plates to your car and your registration can be canceled. You can be fined in other states and be required to show the court that you now have insurance. If you must have insurance after being stopped without insurance, it may cost you more.
Canceled registrations and fines are the least of your worries if you are involved in an accident without insurance. The cost is going to be much more.
If you are involved in an accident and do not have insurance, some states make you automatically the driver at fault. All repairs and medical expenses are your financial responsibility. Even if you are not in one of these states and have an accident, if you are at fault, the resulting expenses can be exorbitant.
First you could lose your own vehicle in the accident. Then you could have to pay for replacement of the other vehicle or vehicles involved in the accident. Since new vehicles can cost over twenty thousand dollars each, these expenses can quickly add up.
You also will be responsible for medical expenses resulting from the accident. If someone goes to the hospital, they will be taken to the emergency room for a minimal expense of about three thousand dollars. If someone is critically injured, they may be taken to intensive care where costs can easily reach two to three thousand dollars every day. After a week, those costs have added up to fourteen to twenty one thousand more dollars.
You may think that your are a safe driver and that you are not likely to get into an accident, but even the most defensive of drivers sometimes have accidents. Just a short distraction can cause accidents to happen. It can be a cell phone ringing or a child screaming that distracts you but you are distracted and traffic stops. You find yourself involved in an accident.
Driving without insurance is a penny wise but pound foolish philosophy. If you are a safe driver with not accidents or moving violations, you may be able to find insurance that is very inexpensive. The amount of money it saves you can be great.