1 in 4 New Mexicans are driving without insurance (2024)

SEVEN NEWS. NEW MEXICO HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF UNINSURED DRIVERS IN THE COUNTRY. TONIGHT, IN A TARGET 7 INVESTIGATION, WE FIND OUT THERE ARE FEW CONSEQUENCES FOR THOSE WHO DRIVE WITHOUT COVERAGE. JOHN CARDINALE. IF YOU’RE IN A CRASH IN NEW MEXICO, THERE’S A 25% CHANCE THAT THE DRIVER DOESN’T HAVE INSURANCE. THAT MEANS YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY IS ON THE HOOK AND YOUR RATES COULD GO UP. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT FOR DECADES, AND WE’RE LEARNING LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE TO PROTECT IT. WHEN YOU DRIVE, THESE ARE PHOTOS OF A CRASH THAT OCCURRED LAST MONTH IN ALBUQUERQUE. THE CAR WAS UNINSURED WHEN IT BACKED OUT OF A DRIVEWAY TOTALING. THIS VEHICLE. AND THE DRIVER DIDN’T HAVE INSURANCE. IT’S VERY SAD. IT’S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT THE CRASH ITSELF IS PRETTY ROUGH ON PEOPLE. AND THEN IF YOU ADD THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ON TOP OF IT, FOR DECADES, NEW MEXICO HAS HAD THE HIGHEST RATE OF UNINSURED DRIVERS IN THE COUNTRY. AND MOST RECENTLY, WE RANKED SECOND ONLY BEHIND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN NEW MEXICO. THAT’S ITS 24.9%, WHICH WAS AMONG THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF UNINSURED MOTORISTS IN, YOU KNOW, IN 2022. AND WE’RE SEEING THAT AGAIN IN 2023. LORETTA WATERS IS FROM THE INSURANCE INFORMATION INSTITUTE, WHICH TRACKS UNINSURED DRIVERS. ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES IS INFLATION, RIGHT? IT’S IT’S A BIG DRIVER THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. BUT YOU KNOW, SAME SAME WITH NEW MEXICO, WHICH IS PROMPTED SOME VEHICLE OWNERS TO JUST SUSPEND THE PURCHASE OF MANDATORY AUTO AND LIABILITY INSURANCE. THE PROBLEM IS SO BAD THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IN BERNALILLO COUNTY ALONE CATCH PEOPLE DRIVING WITHOUT INSURANCE ABOUT 80 TIMES A WEEK. IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE RUN INTO DAILY. UNFORTUNATELY, CONNOR OTERO IS A BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERIFF TRAFFIC DEPUTY. IT’S A HUGE ISSUE. WE RUN INTO IT CONSTANTLY AFTER TRAFFIC STOPS OR CRASHES, OR WE FIND OUT PEOPLE DON’T HAVE INSURANCE. UM, OR THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE THE PROOF ON THEM AT THAT POINT IN TIME. THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES IN NEW MEXICO, AT LEAST UNDER THE LAW. IF CONVICTED OF DRIVING WITHOUT INSURANCE, YOU CAN BE FINED UP TO $300. HAVE YOUR LICENSE AND REGISTRATION SUSPENDED, AND GO TO JAIL FOR 90 DAYS. THERE ARE PENALTIES THERE ARE SOME TEETH TO THESE LAWS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE AUTO INSURANCE. AND IF YOU GET CAUGHT WITHOUT IT, UM, YOU COULD BE DOING TIME IN A COUNTY JAIL AND PAYING A HEFTY FINE. KOAT LEGAL EXPERT JOHN DA SAYS THE STATE DOES HAVE SOME GOOD LAWS. LOOK AT THIS MAP. NEW MEXICO IS ONE OF 14 STATES THAT ALLOWS JUDGES TO SENTENCE PEOPLE TO JAIL. NEW MEXICO LAWS TEND TO BE FALSE SOMEWHERE IN THE UPPER MIDDLE RANGE OF THE PENALTIES. I MEAN, THERE ARE A LOT OF STATES THAT DON’T EVEN PROVIDE FOR AS MANY, UH, PENALTIES AND PUNISHMENT AS NEW MEXICO DOES. I THINK THE ISSUE IS, YOU KNOW, THE ENFORCEMENT OF IT. THE STATE’S MOTOR VEHICLE DEPARTMENT HAS A SYSTEM TO KEEP TRACK OF MOTORISTS WHOSE INSURANCE EXPIRES. THEY THEN SUSPEND THE REGISTRATION. THEN LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN RUN LICENSE PLATES TO FIND OUT IF MVD TOOK ACTION. IT IS A MANDATORY COURT SITE. TARGET 7 LOOKED AT A HANDFUL OF CITATIONS DRIVERS RECEIVED FOR NOT HAVING PROOF OF INSURANCE. MOST OF THE TIME, THE CITATIONS ARE GETTING TOSSED WHEN THE DRIVER COMES IN AND PROVES THEY HAVE INSURANCE. IS THERE ENFORCEMENT OF OF THE LAW? IS IT SIMPLY, UH, SOMETHING THAT’S IGNORED? OR ARE JUDGES ENFORCING THE LAW AND, UH, PUNISHING PEOPLE WHO DON’T FOLLOW THE LAW BY HAVING SUFFICIENT INSURANCE? THE PROBLEM IS, THE INDIVIDUAL BUYS A 30 DAY POLICY SO HE CAN GO TO COURT. AS SOON AS HE WALKS OUT OF THE COURTROOM, HE CALLS THE INSURANCE COMPANY, CANCEL IT, AND GETS A REFUND. STATE REPRESENTATIVE BILL RHEEM HAS BEEN TRYING TO PASS LEGISLATION TO STIFFEN THE PENALTIES. ONE OF HIS BILLS, WHICH FAILED, WOULD HAVE GIVEN LAW ENFORCEMENT THE ABILITY TO TAKE LICENSE PLATES AWAY FROM PEOPLE WITHOUT INSURANCE AND REPLACE IT WITH A SPECIAL STICKER. YOU LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL BILLS WHO ARE OUT ON THE ROAD, WHO ARE, IF YOU WILL, THE VICTIMS OF A CAR CRASH AND THE OTHER DRIVER IS UNINSURED. AND I MEAN, THEY’RE INJURED AND THEY HAVE NO REMEDY. BASICALLY TO MAKE THEM WHOLE AGAIN. NOW, WE ALSO LOOKED AT INSURANCE RATES IN NEW MEXICO. WE CURRENTLY RANKED 22ND IN THE NATION FOR THE AVERAGE AUTO INSURANCE POLICY. IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT ALL THE DATA WE OBTAINED IN OUR INVESTIGATION, YOU CAN GO TO KOAT.COM. YOU’LL FIND AN INTERACTIVE MAP OF ALL THE LAWS AND RATES IN THE COUNTRY FOR TARGET 7. I’M JOHN CARDINALE. IF YOU HAVE TIPS FOR TARGET 7, CALL THE TARGET 7 TIP LINE (505) 884-6347 OR