Los Angeles Uninsured Motorist Attorney Barry P. Goldberg is urging the California Legislature and California Consumers to support licensing, training and liability insurance for all drivers in California. Mr. Goldberg believes that it is not really a political issue—it is a common sense issue.
The recent report from the Department of Motor Vehicles found that unlicensed illegal aliens were three times more likely to cause a fatal collision than properly trained and licensed drivers. This is consistent with the reported estimates of uninsured drivers in the state to an estimated 14% to as much as 20%. In some areas of the state that estimate is above 50%!
The reasons for these findings are varied. Certainly, a moderate level of basic driving safety and a vision test is required just to obtain a license. But, it goes much deeper than that. Without proper licensing, an illegal driver is less likely to stop for authorities and dangerous chases ensue.
An illegal driver has little or no incentive to register a vehicle and keep it in the minimum proper repair. From an economic standpoint, an illegal driver is more likely to defer maintenance which could include proper lighting and proper tire tread condition. An illegal driver may also be faced with undesirable job commutes in the late nights and early mornings. Without a valid California Driver’s License, liability insurance is not a possibility. From a purely cost standpoint, it would be better for all drivers to be licensed and insured. California premiums would go down dramatically.
Barry P. Goldberg believes there are steps California drivers can take right now to protect themselves while the politicians sort this out; “Always buy enough uninsured motorist coverage to protect you and your family as if you were essentially buying liability insurance for that unknown illegal driver.” As detailed in his website www.BarryPGoldberg.Com, in the section“How Much Uninsured Motorist Coverage Should I Buy?” it is recommended that your Uninsured Motorist Coverage match the amount of your own liability coverage.
Recent “real time” quotes from various California insurers demonstrate that Uninsured Motorist Coverage is a relative bargain costing only cents per day for excellent protection. Although a fatal accident is an extreme situation, every California family must consider what would happen to them if the primary family wage earner was seriously injured or killed by an illegal uninsured driver. “Like everything these days, we must look out for ourselves and not assume that others have sufficient insurance or that the politicians will fix this problem” says Goldberg. “You can be against illegal immigration and for licenses, training and insurance for all California drivers.”
