Maryland’s Answer to Drivers Who Can’t Afford Car Insurance

In the majority of the country’s states operating a motor vehicle without car insurance is illegal. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to pay for car insurance. Maryland car insurance rules are clear, all vehicles that are registered in the state must be insured by a licensed auto insurance company.

These policies must meet certain minimum requirements such as at least $30,000 per person in injury, $60,000 for two or more people in injury costs, and at least $15,000 in property damage. Anything less than those amounts makes it impossible to legally operate a car in the state of Maryland.

What is a person to do if they need to drive back and forth to work but cannot maintain the costs associated with car insurance? Many companies will also refuse to insure certain kinds of high risk drivers such as those with a history of car accidents or traffic violations. A recent trend is turning away potential customers if their credit score is bad because this is an indication of a person’s ability to pay their bills. Those who suffer with poor driving or credit history will find themselves rejected by local insurance companies or be offered premiums that are too high because of the risk associated with insuring that individual.

However, the state of Maryland has come up with an additional resource for residents having a difficult time locating the right auto insurance. The Maryland Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the legislation of the State of Maryland, have created a solution. The Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund (MAIF) provides liability insurance to drivers in Maryland who cannot locate car insurance elsewhere. MAIF is independent and reports to the state Governor but is funded by the money motorists put in to purchase the insurance policy. The State may have helped get the initiative started but in no way funds MAIF.

In an effort to spread the word about MAIF, the organization has its own community outreach program. The motto, “Keeping Drivers on the Road”, communicates to drivers in Maryland that the company wants to cooperate and compromise with drivers in the area. The MAIF website allows users to request an auto insurance quote right away so they may get closer to their hopes of being a legally insured driver in the State of Maryland.

It is one thing to require everyone in the state to have car insurance in order to drive. Implementing a program to help those at a disadvantage is an even better goal.