At a time when so many working families are struggling to make ends meet, the skyrocketing cost of auto insurance is a real problem across the United States. Across the country, drivers are paying hundreds more each year just to stay on the road – with rates up nearly 50% in the past five years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

According to a new report in the Washington Post, these increases aren’t hitting everyone equally: 

It’s a question many consumers might face as auto insurance costs swell year after year. Rates have surged 4.7 percent for U.S. drivers in the last year and 50 percent over the past five, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But increases can play out very differently from one state to the next.

New Yorkers now pay more than $4,000 a year for auto insurance – the most expensive in the country. The Washington Post noted that “the average driver pays $4,031 a year for full coverage,” in part due to state mandates for no-fault coverage. 

One key driver of this troubling trend is the growing cost  of lawsuit abuse across the country and the laws that encourage it:

Lawsuits over who is at fault in a car crash, and whose insurance should pay, are handled differently state to state. Insurers may be more likely to have to pay at least part of the cost of a crash in the few states where the tort law follows a standard called “pure comparative negligence,” which means even someone at fault for the accident can claim some payment.

Thankfully, states like Florida are taking action to combat lawsuit abuse. In 2023, Florida passed landmark lawsuit abuse reforms. And now, Floridians are seeing the positive results. This year, Florida’s auto insurance rates are dropping, putting real savings into the pockets of consumers across the state:

 Drivers in Florida could see a change in their car insurance rates. The Florida Insurance Commissioner said rates among the state’s top five insurers dropped an average of 6.5% this year…

“I think most Floridians on average might save $60 to $100 a year,” Former State Deputy Insurance Commissioner Lisa Miller said.

According to State Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworksy, the cost savings for Florida families is directly attributable to lawsuit abuse reforms passed in Florida. 

Florida’s success is proof that reform works. Lawmakers everywhere should follow Florida’s lead and adopt meaningful lawsuit abuse reforms. It is a proven way to help families afford the everyday cost of driving.