Times are tight for many Americans—so tight, in fact, that many are admitting to skimping on their auto insurance ... or driving without it altogether.
According to a recent online study conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of
However, 2% of drivers surveyed took this even further, noting that they're currently driving without auto insurance.
Looking at the demographics, 28% of American males aged 18 to 34 and 45 to 54 led the list in terms of driving without insurance. According to the survey data, percentage of women who drove without insurance is about half that of men, as just 15% of women aged 18 to 34 said they have driven without insurance—the highest of any of the age ranges.
Overall, men and women combined, drivers aged 45 to 54 were the most likely to have ever driven without insurance (22%), pacing just ahead of the 18 to 34 range (21%). Just 8% of drivers aged 55 and older admitted to having driven without insurance.
Regionally, 20% of drivers in the West region said they'd driven without insurance, followed by the Northeast (16%), South (15%) and Midwest (13%).
The survey revealed that 24% of the drivers who have gone without insurance said the reason for their lapse was that their policy had expired before they had a chance to renew them. Nineteen percent said that a gap in their coverage occurred when switching from one insurer to another, and another 12% said that their insurance company had canceled their policy.
The study, conducted in late February 2011, polled 2,366 drivers aged 18 and older.
