According to one research website, if you have to crash your car, you should consider crashing it in Maine.
On Sunday, the Sun Journal ran an article by Lindsay Tice, examining the perils of driving on Route 202. Meanwhile, freezing rain was creating the world’s largest bumper car arena of the state, sending cars into snowbanks, utility poles and each other.
However, according to a study by WalletHub, judging Maine’s financial risks to drivers by a few months of winter or a notorious stretch of road is shortsighted. The website recently rated Maine as the least-risky state for drivers’ wallets.
WalletHub, which touts itself as a personal finance social network, studied data from the 50 states and the District of Columbia for its 2015 list.
The study primarily focused on state insurance regulations such as minimum coverage and whether that coverage was mandatory.
Maine, with a mandatory $50,000/$100,000/$25,000 liability coverage, scored high with WalletHub’s methodologies. Maine also requires drivers to carry medical payment and uninsured motorist protection, scoring even more points for Vacationland.
From data gathered from 2012, Maine also had a relatively small number of uninsured motorists — only 4.7 percent. Compare that with Florida, where nearly one-quarter of all drivers are uninsured.
Massachusetts had the most law-abiding citizens in the insurance department, with only 3.9 percent of its drivers not carrying insurance. Oklahoma registered the lowest, with 25.9 percent of its drivers being uninsured.
Maine’s snowbirds take a big risk during their migration: Florida ranks last on the list, as the state with the greatest financial risk to drivers.
WalletHub’s report said that, surprisingly, there was no correlation between a state’s liability requirements and the percentage of drivers lacking insurance in that state.
Other states making the top of the low-risk list? North Dakota and New York took the next honors, followed by a tie for fourth between Maryland and New Hampshire.
Despite its fervor to get everyone insured, Massachusetts tied with Oregon for seventh place — losing points for its $20,000/$40,000/$5,000 liability requirement and personal injury payment requirement with no uninsured motorist or medical payment coverage.
Our neighbor, New Hampshire, offers the higher rates of liability coverage. But few drivers in that state opted for the higher coverage, according to WalletHub.
Virginia, which ranked 15th, allows drivers the option to not purchase insurance at all, offering an optional $500 annual uninsured motorist fee.
For those who slid off the road on Sunday, some comfort may be taken from these figures — at least they didn’t crash in Florida.
dmcintire@sunjournal.com
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