I think this is dangerous. Would you do this?

It's a bad idea in Dallas. If you get pulled over and have no proof of insurance, they'll tow your car and it will cost you a minimum of $175 to get it back. Not to mention the thousands it could cost if you actually had an accident!

With tight financial situation we are all in, I don't blame these people for dropping out on auto insurance, especially for the Own Damage(OD) which is expensive than the usual regular insurance. But I agree with you that this is a rather risky move since as long as we are driving in the roads, we are never safe. Even the most careful and defensive drivers still find themselves in accidents, which can happen anytime. Having that insurance is a guarantee and a protection for car owners. It's really a "damn if you do, damn if you don't" thing; people who are thinking of stripping off the insurance should think a hundred times before actually proceeding with the move. The OD insurance is really an added burden; in fact, we just paid ours earlier this month, and it's really painful, but it's a necessary evil and have to pay it whether we like it or not. I hope our friends will reconsider their decisions.... After all, it's part of being responsible car owners.

I think it is too risky to do. What if things go wrong? What if you end up doing damages to third parties that you cannot ever pay from your own pocket? I think cutting down on insurance is unwise and rather risky. I would prefer taking the public transport than driving without an insurance cover.

That is crazy. i live in Indiana and I would never drop my auto insurance for nothing. It is required by law anyway.

Surely it's illegal to do that. It is in California. Of course you can drop your insurance and until you register your car (assuming you're not pulled over), you could get away with it. But I can't see myself ever doing that unless I absolutely didn't have any way to get the money for the premium.

In NY that's illegal. We can't register our cars without insurance. The insurance companies and the DMV are in constant contact, so if we lose our insurance, the DMV will find out and we'll end up being fined or something. In order to register or renew a registration on a vehicle we have to have proof of insurance. We also have to provide proof of insurance anytime we're pulled over, even if it's for something totally unrelated, like if we're pulled over for speeding or not stopping at a stop sign or something.

If someone has insurance then no I don't think they should drop it. I know money is tight because I am in that situation myself. Only I don't own a car but if I did I wouldn't drop the insurance. Seems that is when most accidents happen, then they will be up the creek without a paddle and in worse shape then if they just paid their insurance.

i won't... i won't take the risk to drop my car insurance because i and my hubby use the car everyday to drive to and from our workplace and we just don't want to take the risk in case something happened... it will cost much more to repair the car if something happened rather than the money that i spend to pay for the insurance... take care and have a nice day...

In our state it is not allowed - they fine people who do not have insurance - they are notified the moment you miss a payment and a fine is issued.

i hope all of those that are deciding to do this have financial proof that they can cover any damages should they have a wreck. it's just slightly against the law to drive without insurance. pretty stupid in my book....but then again how could they live without 400 t.v. channels, or high speed internet, or that cell phone? it never ceases to amaze me how stupid people can be.

Considering the fact that it is a law that all vehicles on the road be insured, it is something that I won't live without. I have dropped the cell phone, the huge cable bills and more to keep my family living within a budget. One accident without insurance will easily take a family from living decently to living in poverty and without the person who was driving the car, as they will most likely land in jail. It is a sign of our times though, and a sad one at that. Costs continue to increase, and even though gas has dropped to lows that we haven't seen in years, that relief is going to be short lived, as our new president gets ready to raise the taxes on gasoline.

In our state, you will get fined for not having insurance on your car. It is against the law not to have it. But in turn when you get automobile insurance, you are covered for uninsured drivers. It is not a good idea to not have insurance coverage. It could cost them everything for many years if they ever have an accident and kill someone.

it is dangerous but hey but if people have to make the choice to feed their family or pay high price insurance in case of and accident i think most people would drop it. not everyone can afford insurance. they have to work to make ends meet as it is. i think auto insurance is a little high but law says we have to have it. so what would you do? would you starve to keep your car insurance?

That's very risky and you know the consequences. Just buy a cheap auto insurance instead of none. Accidents can happen anytime. It's a thief in the night, you don't know exactly when it will gonna strike you. It can be today, tonight, or tomorrow. There's a lot way to save money, but do not risk something that you know you gonna regret someday.

[i]Hi ersmommy, It is very risky since we just do not know what will happen. ON the other hand, due to crisis I guess people jus prioritize the most significant among the top list! [/i]

Well that is just stupid, not to mention illegal. A more logical solution would be to just drop back to the minimum requirements or something but to let it cancel completely is just dumb. I know times are hard but if you can't afford to insure it then park it! I don't want you hitting me and you have no insurance.

I agree with you. It is very dangerous,especially in winter, but I think maybe they have their own reasons: economic pressure, jobless condition, convenient public transportation. I just hope it won't affect their life a lot in 2009.

I completely agree to you in this respect! Dropping auto insurance is an extremely risky move to save some bucks. As even simple damages-accidents can cost a lot. I remember once our steering wheel got jammed and out car had to be towed to the nearest mechanic, even that cost us $200/- which was paid in whole by the insurance company which therefore was a great relief :) People should look at other less important things to save money like cutting down expenditure on phone, cancelling magazine-cable- other subscriptiosn they dont use, thinking twice before making a purchase, try and buy good quality gently used stuff rather than going for new stuff, renting DVDs rather than buying them, Buying store brands of groceries rather than the famous brands ( usually store brands are also made by the famous brands themselves except that the label is not put) eating more at home, making your morning joe at home , using public transport if possible and more economical..These are some of the things people can do without risking too much! :)

If you get caught in Oregon driving without insurance, not only do you have a terrific fine to pay but they immediately impound the car. You'll have the towing fees, daily impound fees, processing fees and you cannot get the car back until you provide proof of insurance. On top of that, your license can be suspended, for six months, a year, even permanently if you're a repeat violator. On top of that to get the insurance back, because you were driving without insurance you're placed in a higher risk category pool and it costs a lot more to get and keep your insurance. While dropping your insurance and taking your chances on having an accident may seem worth the risk to save some monthly cash, in the long run it really is a stupid thing to do.

Oh yeah, it is important to have auto insurance, do not ignore it. I definitely have to keep my auto insurance handy, because we can't predict when the accident would happen. Like last year, some Mexican driver hit my car, and their insurance won't pay for me, due to the weather condition as their reason. At the end, my own insurance pay for the lost after the deductible.