Though auto insurance minimum coverage requirements are relatively low in Florida, it is inevitable that drivers may be left more vulnerable.
Since Florida has certain minimum requirements which should be maintained in all occasions, these minimum levels may not allow drivers to be fully covered once an accident occurs. Substantial losses resulting from a collision on the road can exhaust these limits very easily. Thus, drivers who avail of such policies will still be left with taking care of the expenses not covered by insurance limits.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has certain demands so that a valid state license place can be maintained: a car insurance policy (consisting of at least $10,000 for personal injury protection and the same amount for property damage liability).
Since medical-related expenditures are very expensive, minimum coverage provided by personal injury protection can easily be used up. In the event of a hospitalization, inclusive of life-threatening injuries, all costs exceeding $10,000 would be left for the policyholder to fulfill. In the same way, if a policyholder were to initiate a vehicular accident, damages exceeding $10,000 would have to be shouldered exclusively.
To be spared from future financial difficulties, consumers are urged to compare Florida auto insurance policies while looking intently on deals offered by programs which cover higher levels of protection. Through these comparisons, car owners would be able to decide which insurer is able to provide the most extensive coverage at the lowest price. Such an initiative will be helpful in the long-run, especially in the event of an untimely accident.
Meanwhile, Florida has been graded with a “mediocre” grade on highway safety by the Washington D.C. based Advocates for Highway and & Auto Safety (AHAS).
In terms of “adopting and maintaining model traffic safety laws,” the state ranked in the middle of all 50 U.S. states.
A “yellow grade” was assigned to Florida, which indicates that it has satisfactory road standards.
Last year, the state passed a law which enabled its law enforcement officers to “cite” any motorist for not using their seatbelt. This citation would be a primary offence.
However, AHAS, in a report, said that the state has some notable legal weaknesses since children who are 4 to 7 years of age are not required to be in booster seats. Moreover, there are no laws which ban the use of cell phones, including texting, while driving.
Also, motorcycle drivers are permitted to ride without a license. Instead, they are only required to present proof of having purchased proper insurance for their motorcycle.
