SB 837 would increase insurance rates on good drivers and allow bad drivers to stay behind the wheel
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, April 09, 2018
Marquette, Mi.– The Insurance Alliance of Michigan is urging the Senate Transportation Committee to pump the brakes on legislation that would allow drivers to take a driver improvement course every year – instead of once in their lifetimes – to avoid having points added to their license. The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Tom Casperson (R-Escanaba).
“This bill would penalize good drivers by raising their auto insurance rates and it would keep poor drivers on the road longer,” said Pete Kuhnmuench, executive director of the Insurance Alliance of Michigan. “Michigan’s point system serves as a deterrent to unsafe driving and encourages drivers to obey the rules of the road and not break traffic laws.”
Data recently released by the Michigan Secretary of State shows that of the drivers who took a driver improvement course in 2016, only five percent were less likely to have another traffic violation. Even worse, SOS data shows accident rates for those who took a driver safety course increased.
The cost of auto insurance is determined by the risk each driver brings to the system. Accurate driving records are used to assess risk. Drivers with worse driving records have higher auto insurance premiums because they bring more risk to the system.
“If drivers need to take a safety class each year to erase a traffic violation, we question if this program of waiving points in exchange for taking a driver improvement course should even be continued, much less expanded,” Kuhnmuench said.
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