Minnesota
The Duluth News Tribune reported a decrease in the number of uninsured drivers in Minnesota. State records show the number of people charged with not carrying auto insurance has dropped by one-third in the past five years. In St. Louis County alone, cases of no insurance have been reduced by 28 percent since 2013.
The decrease in numbers could be directly related to a new law passed in 2016 that reportedly requires drivers to show proof of insurance when they register or reregister a vehicle. However, Mark Kulda, vice president of public affairs for the Insurance Federation of Minnesota, stated, “When the economy is good, we see more people buying insurance. It’s a direct factor in how many people buy insurance.”
Minnesota’s Division of Driver and Vehicle Services does not verify the insurance information on registration forms; the 11.5 percent uninsured rate is the most recent statistic available from the Insurance Research Council. The state has yet to develop its own tracking system, a goal that the Motor Vehicle Insurance Coverage Verification Task Force has identified.