We support Governor Hochul’s Proposals to Decrease Auto Insurance Rates

New York drivers pay some of the highest car insurance rates in the nation, shelling out an average of over $4,000 per year in premiums. Whether it's small businesses delivering goods, family vehicles, volunteers providing services, or municipal governments and community-based organizations using private vehicles to deliver community-based services, runaway insurance costs are making getting around and getting services more expensive for every New Yorker, drivers and non-drivers alike. Insurance rates have skyrocketed by nearly 50% over the past decade and are now $1,500 per year higher than the national average.

Governor Hochul is seeking common-sense reforms that will align New York with other states, preserve the ability of victims to get the justice they deserve, and crack down on the major drivers of auto insurance costs:

• Taking on fraud in the system by creating new legal liability for criminals orchestrating staged accidents and supporting police and prosecutors in building cases.
• Preventing people committing crimes or driving uninsured from landing jackpot payments beyond routine reimbursement for medical care or lost wages.
• Ensuring those found at fault for an accident can’t sue their victims for compensation.
• Better defining what actually constitutes a ‘serious injury’ so that compensation is reserved for the individuals genuinely suffering from a significant medical issue.
• Ensuring those minimally responsible for an accident aren’t the ones left unfairly holding the entire bag if delinquent parties fail to pay up.
• Preventing insurance companies from pocketing savings achieved by reforms by requiring excess profits above a reasonable threshold get sent back to policy-holders and that insurers justify every rate increase directly to consumers and state regulators.
• Requiring insurers to offer mandatory technology discounts that incentivize safe driving

We urge you to support Governor Hochul’s common sense proposals to make auto insurance more affordable in New York State