“Not to be overly dramatic about it, but I’ve been hit by an uninsured driver in the past. Fortunately, my insurance company covered it, but WHY should that guy be allowed to get away with not paying for damages that he caused?”
That is exactly the problem. Mandated insurance is corporate welfare for insurance companies. The real way to treat the problem is if you are uninsured AND have an accident, enforce the penalties (especially against illegals who walk).
In 35 years of driving, my insurance has paid $400 for a slight fender bender, I have never been paid by the people who nicked me. In real dollars, that means I’ve been forced to pay $35,000 for a $400 benefit. Does no one see a problem with that???
It does me no good to have some hit-and-runner have “penalties enforced.” His being in jail does not pay for my broken car.
The vast, vast amount of car insurance you’ve paid has been for covering your liability and collision of YOUR car. It has not been for uninsured motorists.
The point of your car insurance has been to cover your liability. Insurance is a perfectly legitimate capitalist business enterprise.
And there is nothing wrong with the government requiring everyone to be able to repay another person whom they have damaged. It is essentially taking a gazillion court cases sending them to debtor’s prison, realizing that doesn’t work, and requiring them, instead, to have posted a bond of payment. Pure business transaction from first to last.