The past week or so several of my colleagues and I have written about the perils posed by uninsured drivers. Many of the postings pointed out that uninsured drivers are more likely to be persons who’ve had their licenses revoked for various offenses such as DWI, careless and reckless, etc. In other words, uninsured drivers are often among the most dangerous on the road.
Most of our articles pointed out that the best way to protect yourself from financial loss at the hands of an uninsured driver is through the purchase of uninsured motorist coverage.
There is another deadly peril on the roads, however, that uninsured motorist insurance covers: the hit and run driver. Every year thousands of people are injured or killed in accidents caused by drivers who flee the scene. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, almost 4% of all deadly collisions in 2001 involved a hit and run driver. San Francisco Chronicle, 27 July 2003.
Unless the identity of the hit and run driver is subsequently discovered, the injured victims have no way of determining whether that driver has insurance. In effect then, the unidentified hit and run driver is also an uninsured driver.
You can insure yourself against hit and run drivers the same way you protect yourself from uninsured drivers — by adding uninsured motorist coverage to your auto policy. Check with your agent today!
Take a look at these postings which are part of the ongoing series on interstate and highway safety.
Are Double-Bottomed Semis More or Less Dangerous to You? – Devon Glass from Church Wyble, P.C.(Michigan), August 26, 2009
Who wins and loses when a Ford Focus and a fully-loaded semi-truck crash? – Steve Lombardi from The Lombardi Law Firm (Iowa), August 25, 2009
Hawaii Freeway Chronicles #1: What Are The Danger Points On H-1, H-2 and H-3?, by Wayne Parsons of Wayne Parsons Law Offices. (Hawaii), August 27, 2009
The Interstate Highway Graveyard, “Speed Kills”, Lombardi, August 28, 2009
Why Speeders on the Highway Cause More Serious Accidents, Glass, August 28, 2009
Death and Injury On Interstate Highways Increase With Higher Speed Limits, Wayne Parsons, August 29, 2009 2:31 AM
Drunk Drivers Caused 40% of Traffic Fatalities In Hawaii In 2006, Wayne Parsons, August 31, 2009 12:16 AM
Interstate Highways Are No Place For Drunk Drivers Over The Labor Day Weekend Wayne Parsons | September 01, 2009 4:36 PM
Uninsured Motorist Car Insurance: It’s Your Most Important Car Insurance and Here Is Why | Rick Shapiro, September 01, 2009 10:30 AM
Uninsured Drivers: Who Are These People?, Pierce Egerton | September 02, 2009 12:00 PM
Risky Drivers Don’t Just Drive Drunk and Speed – They Often Don’t have Insurance by Wayne Parsons | September 03, 2009 4:09 PM
Uninsured Drivers On The Highways: Cause of Higher Rates of Injuries & Deaths?
Rick Shapiro | September 07, 2009 1:15 PM
3 Comments
Mike Bryant
Hit and run investigations are so important and rely so much on early investigations. In Minnesota you actually have to prove you have done your best search and how you have tried to get information of it might not be covered by UM. This is a very important topic that people have to think about right after the collision.
Steve Lombardi
We've got a hit-n-run situation right here in Des Moines and the police are looking for the guy. They found the truck from photographs but can't seem to locate the driver or the owner, which may be the same. Unlicensed drivers are uninsured, but some people while having money for cigarettes, cable TV, drinking and riding around claim they just don't have money for insurance. Hmmmm....good post.
Wayne Parsons
Recent hit and run drivers have terrorized Oahu pedestrians with two deaths in the last month: Pelagia Igne's Family Calls for Fort Weaver Road Hit-and-Run Driver's Surrender - http://honolulu.injuryboard.com/automobile-accidents/pelagia-ignes-family-calls-for-fort-weaver-road-hitandrun-drivers-surrender.aspx?googleid=269946
I suspect that sometimes witnesses see the hit and run driver but do not report it or volunteer to police.
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