[Mpls] Unlicensed, uninsured drivers

[Tim Bonham]

>Two weeks ago an undocumented inebriated person with no license and no 
>insurance totaled my parked car, smashed two in front of mine and then 
>proceeded to hit an old woman head on 4 blocks away as she drove around 
>Lake Calhoun.  Who paid? You did, I did and everyone on this list and 
>beyond did.
>
>Please suggest to me how we could look out for myself here?
>. . .
>Barb Lickness
>Whittier

>Well, there is a system that would help us look out for ourselves in at 
>least part of this -- the "Who paid? You did, I did and everyone...".
         It's called "pay at the pump insurance" and it involves the state 
collecting x cents/gallon on all gasoline sales in the state, and using 
that money to provide a basic level of insurance for all vehicles in the 
state.  Then there would be no uninsured drivers; everybody would have 
bought basic insurance when they bought gas.  (Drivers who want more 
coverage could still buy an additional auto insurance policy from their 
agent.)  But every driver would have at least a basic level of insurance.

Under this system, there would at least be some insurance paid for by the 
unlicensed, uninsured, unplated, junker-driving people, who are some of the 
most accident-prone drivers on the road.

There are other advantages to this system, like those who drive more paying 
more, that it ought to be cheaper than current insurance (large volume, 
easy collection method, no need for uninsured coverage), etc.  The main 
disadvantage is that it would greatly cut into the profits of insurance 
companies, agents, etc.  Personally, I don't see that as so bad.  But it's 
likely to keep it from becoming law for a long time.  They'll fight this 
more than they did no-fault insurance.

Tim Bonham, Ward 12, Standish-Ericsson