Many Oklahomans drive without liability insurance

Nov. 30--It's estimated that about a fourth of Oklahomans are uninsured drivers, despite laws that require, as a minimum, liability coverage.

Oklahoma requires drivers to carry a certain amount of insurance coverage to be legal. To meet Oklahoma's car insurance laws, a policy must include liability insurance to help cover the cost of damage caused in a crash. A liability policy must include certain minimum coverage per accident, as well.

A policy must cover $25,000 for injury or death per person; $50,000 total for injury or death if several people are hurt in the crash; and $25,000 for property damage. Those caught driving without insurance face a fine of up to $250, 30 days in jail, suspension of a driver's license and suspension of a vehicle's registration.

Although liability is all that's required by law, additional coverage for a vehicle is available, including collision, comprehensive, medical payments and uninsured motorist coverage.

Freddie Ferrell, an agent at Insurance Professionals of Oklahoma, said most people are unaware that uninsured driver coverage exists, and he believes it's a good idea to look into additional coverage when insuring a vehicle.

"Uninsured motorist coverage is one thing that is an option that you can get with or without full coverage," Ferrell said. "What it does is, it pays for any medical-related claim you might have as a result of someone hitting you without insurance. So if someone hits you and messes you up really bad, and they don't have insurance, they probably don't have any money, either -- so who's going to pay the claim? Unless you've got great health insurance and everybody in your car has health insurance, it's not a good situation."

Ferrell recommends uninsured motorist coverage for everyone. Insurance companies require agents to get a signed notice that the additional coverage has been offered, regardless whether the customer wants it.

Collision helps pay for damages to a car involved in a crash, and comprehensive coverage helps pay for non-accident related damages to a vehicle, such as fire, water and theft. Medical payment coverage helps pay for medical costs from being injured in an accident.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, although collision and comprehensive coverage isn't required by law, they are often required as part of a car loan or lease agreement.

Ferrell said all insurance policies vary on price, which is heavily dependent on the person who is wanting to purchase coverage.

"It depends on your age, your credit, your insurance score -- which means how long you've been with an insurance company -- and whether you've been insured for very long, your personal driving record. All those things come into play to determine a rate," Ferrell said. "Saying that, if an individual is looking at full coverage versus liability, it's probably almost double."

Donald Brown, an agent at Farmers Insurance, said a driver who wants to cover the cost of damage to his own vehicle might look into a full coverage plan. He said an insurance agent is a good source of information and can help choose which coverage is best.

"Your full coverage will cover your auto if you were to hit a stationary object or get into an accident with an uninsured person. Then you could file it on your comp and collision and have your auto covered," Brown said. "Find time to review your policies; come in, sit down. We go over your policy and we can explain each step of your policy and what it covers. But mostly, you need to let your agent know what your needs are so they know what they need to cover, and we suggest you do a review at least once a year. Maybe nothing has changed, but you still want to keep in contact with your agent, because what if something has changed? Each person has a different scenario, so you don't know unless you talk about what has happened throughout the year to see if their needs have changed."

Motorcyclists in Oklahoma must also carry liability insurance to be legal motorists and the policy requirements are the same as automobile minimum coverage. According to the DMV, most boats used as a means of transportation in Oklahoma must be registered, but are not required to be insured.

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