Tennessee has more than the average number of uninsured drivers

The number of uninsured drivers in Tennessee isn’t the highest in the country, but it’s in the top five states and certainly above the national average.

That average, in 2015, was just 13 percent. It’s remained relatively stagnant over the past few decades, though 1993 saw a high of 16 percent. The lowest rate in that time was 12.3 percent, which was noted in both 2010 and 2011.

The estimated total in Tennessee specifically is 20 percent, which is at least seven percent higher than the national average. That means that one out of every five drivers in the state does not carry proper insurance, even though it is mandated by law. This statistic makes it very clear that the risk of being hit by an uninsured driver is higher than many people realize.

The state with the highest total was Florida, at 26.7 percent. It was followed by Mississippi (23.7 percent), New Mexico (20.8 percent) and Michigan (20.3 percent). The state with the lowest total was Maine, with just 4.5 percent of drivers uninsured. Next came New York (6.1 percent), Massachusetts (6.2 percent), North Carolina (6.5 percent) and Vermont (6.8 percent).

Even the national average means that about one out of every eight drivers will not have the right coverage while on the road. When you think about the sheer amount of cars you pass on one trip to work or the grocery store, you can see exactly how significant this risk is.

If you are hit and injured in an accident, it is very important to know all of the legal options you have to seek out financial compensation.

Source: Insurance Information Institute, “Facts Statistics: Uninsured motorists,” accessed Jan. 24, 2018