25 Uninsured Motorist Statistics Every Driver Should Know
How many U.S. drivers are uninsured or underinsured, the states where the risk is highest, what uninsured motorist claims cost, state coverage laws, and hit-and-run trends, in 25 cited statistics.
Every state but one requires drivers to carry liability insurance, yet a large and growing share of the cars around you could not pay for the damage they cause. When an at-fault driver has no policy, or a policy too small to cover your injuries, the bill falls back on you unless your own auto insurance includes uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. This report collects 25 cited statistics on how many drivers are uninsured or underinsured, where the problem is worst, what those claims cost, how state laws handle it, and how often drivers flee the scene. Every figure comes from a regulator, a research council, or a traffic safety body.
Key Takeaways
- One in three drivers falls short - 33.4% of drivers were uninsured or underinsured in 2023, up 10 percentage points since 2017.
- Underinsurance is now the bigger gap - 18.0% of drivers were underinsured in 2023, compared with 15.4% who carried no insurance at all.
- Geography drives the risk - uninsured rates ranged from 5.7% in Maine to 28.2% in Mississippi in 2023.
- These claims are expensive - the average uninsured or underinsured motorist injury claim cost $37,630 in 2022, outside Texas and Massachusetts.
- Most states make the coverage optional - only 20 states and D.C. require uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
- Hit-and-run deaths hit a record share - 2,872 people died in hit-and-run crashes in 2023, 7% of all traffic deaths and the highest share ever recorded.
How many drivers are uninsured or underinsured
1. One in seven drivers was uninsured in 2023
In 2023, 15.4% of drivers nationwide had no liability insurance, according to the Insurance Research Council. That is more than one in seven cars on the road. The council estimates the rate by comparing the frequency of uninsured motorist claims with the frequency of bodily injury liability claims, so the figure reflects real crash experience rather than registration records. For an insured driver, it means a meaningful share of potential at-fault drivers could not pay a single dollar toward your injuries.
2. One in six drivers was underinsured
Carrying insurance is not the same as carrying enough. In 2023, 18.0% of drivers were underinsured, meaning they caused injuries that cost more than their liability limits. The council notes that underinsurance is driven by both the limits drivers choose and the rising cost of injury claims. As medical and settlement costs climb, a policy written at the state minimum covers less of a serious crash each year.
3. One in three drivers is uninsured or underinsured
Put the two groups together and the exposure is striking. One in three drivers, or 33.4%, was either uninsured or underinsured in 2023, a 10 percentage point increase in the combined rate since 2017. In practical terms, a large share of the drivers who could injure you may not be able to pay the full cost. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is the backstop for that gap.
- Uninsured 15%
- Underinsured 18%
- Neither 67%
4. The uninsured rate jumped in 2020 and kept climbing
The trend line shows a clear break. The national uninsured rate fell from 12.4% in 2017 to 11.6% in 2019, then jumped to 14.3% in 2020 and rose every year after, reaching 15.4% in 2023. Before the pandemic, rates were falling in most places, and only 11 jurisdictions saw an increase from 2017 to 2019. The council expected the rate to improve as unemployment fell, but it did not. Its president said deteriorating insurance affordability appears to be more than offsetting economic gains.
Data
| 2017 | 12.4% |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 12.1% |
| 2019 | 11.6% |
| 2020 | 14.3% |
| 2021 | 14.6% |
| 2022 | 15.2% |
| 2023 | 15.4% |
5. Uninsured motorist claims are growing faster than injury claims
Claim data confirms the trend. Since 2020, uninsured motorist claim frequency has grown 39%, compared with 29% growth in bodily injury liability claim frequency. When claims against your own policy for uninsured drivers grow faster than claims against at-fault drivers’ policies, the uninsured share of crashes is rising. The estimate draws on data from 17 insurers covering roughly 55% of the private passenger auto market.
6. Nearly one in five injury crashes exceeds the at-fault driver’s limits
Underinsurance is not an edge case. Nearly one in five accidents with injuries involved losses greater than the at-fault driver’s coverage limits. Underinsured motorist claim frequency reached 0.17 claims per 100 insured vehicles in 2023, and since 2020 it has grown at double the pace of bodily injury claim frequency. Higher injury costs are pushing more ordinary crashes past low policy limits.
Where uninsured drivers are most common
7. Mississippi has the highest uninsured rate at 28.2%
Mississippi led the nation with 28.2% of drivers uninsured in 2023, more than one in four. That rate is nearly five times Maine’s. Mississippi drivers have an unusually high chance of being hit by someone with no coverage at all, which makes uninsured motorist protection especially valuable there. See local requirements on our Mississippi auto insurance page.
8. New Mexico and Washington, D.C. follow close behind
New Mexico ranked second at 24.1% uninsured, and the District of Columbia ranked third at 23.1%. Both sit well above the national rate of 15.4%. In both markets, nearly one driver in four on the road carries no liability coverage. Compare local rules on our New Mexico and District of Columbia pages.
9. Eight jurisdictions had uninsured rates above 20%
The high-rate group is larger than many drivers assume. Eight states, counting D.C., had uninsured rates above 20% in 2023. Beyond the top three, the state rankings were:
- Michigan: 22.3%
- Tennessee: 21.3%
- Missouri: 20.7%
- Florida: 20.6%
- California: 20.4%
Colorado (19.7%) and Washington (19.1%) round out the top 10. Overall, 15 states and D.C. had rates above the national figure, so the problem is concentrated in a minority of states.
10. Maine has the lowest uninsured rate at 5.7%
At the other end, Maine posted 5.7%, the lowest rate in the country in 2023. The rest of the five lowest were:
- Utah: 6.2%
- Idaho: 6.4%
- Wyoming: 6.7%
- Montana: 7.2%
Eleven states had rates below 10%. The council found lower rates tend to occur in states with higher incomes, lower unemployment, and lower insurance expenditures.
11. D.C., New Jersey, and Missouri saw the biggest increases since 2017
Some markets worsened much faster than others. The largest increases in uninsured rates from 2017 to 2023 were in the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and Missouri. Over the shorter 2020 to 2023 period, Michigan saw the largest decline and Washington saw the largest rise. A state’s rate can move several points in a few years, so last decade’s reputation is a poor guide to today’s risk.
12. Underinsured rates range from 4.6% to 49.7%
Underinsurance varies even more than uninsurance. The underinsured rate ran from 4.6% in D.C. to 49.7% in Colorado in 2023. Put another way, Colorado’s underinsured motorist claims were nearly half as frequent as its bodily injury liability claims. Colorado’s rate rose 24.4 percentage points over the study period, the largest increase in the country. Only New York and D.C. saw their underinsured rates fall. The two problems often overlap: Florida, Colorado, and Michigan rank relatively high on both measures, while Nevada and Louisiana pair below-average uninsured rates with high underinsured rates.
What uninsured drivers cost insured drivers
13. The average uninsured motorist injury claim was $37,630
These are not small claims. The average uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury claim cost $37,630 in 2022 across states reporting claim counts (excluding Texas and Massachusetts), up from $33,267 in 2020. Insurers recorded about 380,000 of these injury claims in 2022, not counting Texas, and the average property damage claim under the coverage was $3,150. Because these payments come from the victim’s own policy, every insured driver helps fund them through premiums.
14. Drivers paid $18.9 billion for the coverage in 2022
Regulator data puts a price on the problem. Insurers earned $18.9 billion in uninsured and underinsured motorist premiums countrywide in 2022 and incurred $16.1 billion in bodily injury losses under the coverage. That is the cost insured drivers carry to protect themselves from drivers who skipped or skimped on liability coverage. The council expects rising underinsured rates to point toward higher premiums for that coverage.
15. Florida’s uninsured motorist claims averaged $41,227
Florida shows how quickly the costs can outrun premiums. The average uninsured motorist injury claim in Florida was $41,227 in 2022, and the coverage’s loss ratio was 100.6, meaning insurers paid more in losses than they collected in premium before expenses. Florida also has a 20.6% uninsured rate, and its compulsory insurance law does not require bodily injury liability coverage.
What uninsured and underinsured coverage pays for
16. California caps uninsured motorist property damage at $3,500
Uninsured motorist coverage has two parts, and they work differently. In California, the bodily injury portion pays for injuries to you and your passengers with limits matching your liability limits, while the property damage portion is capped at $3,500 and pays only if the uninsured driver is identified. Insurers must offer the coverage, and declining it requires a signed waiver. The coverage also responds to hit-and-run drivers, not only identified uninsured ones.
17. 28 states allow some form of coverage stacking
Stacking can multiply what is available after a serious crash. In the 28 states that allow some form of stacking, uninsured motorist limits can be multiplied by the number of insured vehicles. A three-car household with $20,000 limits could have $60,000 available. Because stacking raises costs, about half of states prohibit it, so check your state’s rules before assuming more coverage is available.
State laws and minimum limits
18. 49 states and D.C. require liability insurance
Liability coverage is almost universally mandatory. Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia legally require drivers to buy it. New Hampshire is the only state without a compulsory insurance law, though drivers there must still demonstrate financial responsibility. Massachusetts became the first state to require auto liability insurance in 1927. Nearly a century later, the gap between near-universal mandates and a 15.4% uninsured rate shows how hard these laws are to enforce.
19. Only 20 states and D.C. require uninsured or underinsured coverage
The protection for victims is far less universal than the mandate for drivers. Just 20 states and D.C. require uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. In other states, insurers must offer the coverage but drivers do not have to buy it. The council found uninsured rates were higher in states that do not require underinsured coverage. Drivers in optional states should not assume they have it without checking their declarations page.
20. Minimum limits are as low as $15,000 per person
State minimums often fall far short of a serious injury. Pennsylvania requires just $15,000/$30,000 in bodily injury liability and $5,000 in property damage liability. Florida’s compulsory law applies to personal injury protection and property damage, not bodily injury liability. Compare those limits with the $37,630 average uninsured motorist injury claim, and it is clear why so many crashes leave victims underpaid.
21. Three states raised their minimums in 2025
Several states are closing the gap. California raised its minimums to 30/60/15 starting January 1, 2025, and Virginia moved to 50/100/25 for policies effective on or after the same date. North Carolina raised its limits to 50/100/50 on July 1, 2025, and began including underinsured motorist coverage in all new or renewed policies. Higher minimums reduce underinsurance but raise premiums for drivers who carried the old minimum.
22. Virginia ended its pay-to-drive-uninsured option in 2024
Until mid-2024, Virginia let owners pay a fee instead of buying insurance. Effective July 1, 2024, that option was eliminated and every registered vehicle must carry a policy meeting state limits. Uninsured owners now face a $600 non-compliance fee plus suspension. Enforcement is also going digital: more than half of states have passed laws to build online insurance verification systems that flag uninsured vehicles. In some states, fines for driving uninsured can reach $5,000 for a repeat offense, along with license suspension or vehicle impoundment.
23. 77% of California’s low-cost program applicants were uninsured
Affordability programs reach drivers who would otherwise go without. 77% of applicants to California’s Low Cost Auto program in 2025 were uninsured when they applied, and the program had 66,998 active policies at the end of 2025. Since 2000 it has covered 364,851 drivers. The state’s own report cites California’s 20.4% uninsured rate as the problem the program exists to address.
Hit-and-run crashes and uninsured motorist coverage
24. More than 900,000 hit-and-run crashes happened in 2023
When the other driver flees, your own coverage is often the only source of payment. Over 900,000 police-reported crashes in 2023, 15% of the total, involved a driver who left the scene, causing more than 240,000 injuries and 2,872 deaths. Hit-and-run deaths reached a record 2,972 in 2022. NHTSA reports they fell 5.3% in 2024, but the 2023 toll compares with just 2,010 deaths in 2017.
25. More than 70% of hit-and-run deaths are pedestrians and cyclists
The people hurt most by fleeing drivers are often outside a car. More than 70% of people killed in hit-and-run crashes were pedestrians and bicyclists, and nearly 80% of the deaths happened in darkness. Slightly less than half of hit-and-run drivers in fatal crashes were eventually caught, and two in five of those lacked a valid license. One in four pedestrian injuries in 2023 also happened in a hit-and-run crash.
How to protect yourself from uninsured and underinsured drivers
The numbers point to a short checklist. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is the main protection against these drivers, but the details vary by state and by policy:
- Match your coverage to your liability limits. With 18.0% of drivers underinsured, carrying uninsured and underinsured limits equal to your own liability limits protects you from the same size of loss you insure others against.
- Do not sign the waiver by default. Where the coverage is optional, insurers must still offer it. In California, for example, declining requires a signed waiver, so read it before you sign.
- Check your state’s minimums and rules. Limits, stacking, and mandates differ by state, so review the rules for your area on our auto insurance hub.
- Compare how insurers price the coverage. Uninsured motorist pricing varies by carrier, so review our carrier comparison and then compare quotes with matching limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of drivers are uninsured?
The latest national estimate found 15.4% of drivers were uninsured in 2023, or more than one in seven. Counting drivers whose limits were too low, 33.4% were uninsured or underinsured.
Which state has the most uninsured drivers?
Mississippi had the highest rate at 28.2% in 2023, followed by New Mexico at 24.1% and the District of Columbia at 23.1%. Maine had the lowest at 5.7%. You can review state requirements on our Mississippi auto insurance page and other state pages.
Is uninsured motorist coverage required?
It depends on your state. 20 states and D.C. require uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. In most other states, insurers must offer it, and you can decline it. North Carolina began including underinsured coverage in all new or renewed policies on July 1, 2025.
Does uninsured motorist coverage pay for hit-and-run accidents?
Generally yes. Uninsured motorist coverage compensates accident victims for injuries caused by a driver without liability insurance or a hit-and-run driver. That matters because over 900,000 crashes in 2023 involved a driver who left the scene. Property damage rules vary; in California, that portion pays only when the driver is identified.
How much does an uninsured motorist claim cost?
The average uninsured and underinsured motorist injury claim was $37,630 in 2022, outside Texas and Massachusetts, and topped $41,000 in Florida. That is more than double Pennsylvania’s $15,000 per-person minimum, which is why limits matter.