Utah Auto Insurance Laws in Comparision With Other States
In Utah and the rest of the United States, car owners are required to continuously have their cars insured. Although the amount of coverage greatly differs, the normal amount required by Utah auto insurnace laws is $25,000/$50,000 (meaning up to $25,000 per victim with a cap of $50,000 for the entire accident) and $10,000 for property damages. Although these minimums are predominately universal, the DMV from each state sets their own standards.
As long as your insurance policy is current, your insurance company assumes responsibility for expenses up to the amount on your policy if you get in an accident. However, if you do not have current insurance, or if you have cancelled it, your insurance company will not pay a dime, you will be forced to pay it all.
Because it is a large potential problem to be in an accident with an uninsured motorist, the government has gone to great lengths to make sure that drivers get insured and stay insured. In most cases a car cannot be bought without proof of insurance and if caught, fines large fines or punishments can be placed on the driver.
If you are from Utah and get in an accident while uninsured, you are responsible for 100% of the expenses. You are forced to pay this and your license is revoked until you do you. According to current laws, they can take away your license for upwards of six years. If you are insured and live in Michigan, you can only be liable for $500 in an accident, but if uninsured, you must pay all of it.
Perhaps the stiffest punishments are in Texas. In order to get a driver’s license in Texas, proof of insurance is required. If you are caught at any time uninsured you are hit with an initial fine of $350. On only the second offense you can be fined upwards of $1000 and your vehicle can be impounded for up to six months.
In California the liability limits are much lower than most other states, yet they treat driving without insurance very harshly. If you are caught without current insurance, your driver’s license will likely be taken away for up to a year. You car can be impounded and your registration will be suspended until you have proof of current insurance. Like other states, without insurance you are fully responsible for all damages in a wreck.
It is crucial that you have enough insurance, and that you don’t let it lapse. It is too much of a gamble to go without insurance, because sooner or later you will end up paying for it much more than the cost of coverage. Call your Insurance Agent to make sure your insurance is current and valid. Before buying a car, check with them to make sure that you have adequate insurance that you will be able to afford the monthly payments.
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