More Harris County drivers are going without auto insurance as prices spiral out of reach. As ABC13 reported, a new study by Texas Appleseed and United Way of Greater Houston found that auto insurance costs rose 23.8% in 2022 and 25.5% in 2023 — and today, 14.4% of Harris County drivers are uninsured. The average Texas driver now pays $2,856 a year just to stay legally on the road. 

One of the study authors, Ann Baddour, warned the cost of insurance:

“increased on average more than 50% in Texas, and with a lot of struggles affording housing and affording basic needs, these kinds of price increases can really make or break a family budget.”

The study calls for reforming how premiums are calculated, a step in the right direction. But it misses a critical piece of the puzzle: auto insurance premiums don’t rise in a vacuum. They rise when personal injury litigation is rampant, when staged accidents go unpunished, and when billboard attorneys inflate claim values through unnecessary medical treatments and inflated billing. 

Texas has a proven solution within reach: passing legislation that limits excessive litigation and enacts commonsense reforms. Florida passed similar measures in 2023, and GEICO, Progressive, State Farm, and many other insurers responded by filing for rate reductions of up to 10.5% — proving that these reforms lead to real results for consumers.

Harris County’s insurance price crisis will not be solved by pricing formula tweaks alone. It requires tackling the root issue of lawsuit abuse that is making coverage unaffordable in the first place. Texas families deserve affordable insurance rates, and there’s a proven solution. Texas lawmakers can finish the job and pass meaningful legal reform next session.