Auto Insurance Laws and Trends in OH

In Ohio, all drivers are required to carry minimum limits of liability. These limits are: $12,500 per person and $25,000 per accident for bodily injury claims, and $7,500 for property damage claims. This will protect the driver if found at fault for an accident.

Being a tort insurance state, Ohio mandates that at fault parties must pay these expenses. If a driver fails to follow these regulations, he or she will face suspension of driving privileges, which is 90 days for the first offense and a year for the second offense. Penalties also include re-instatement fees from $75 to $500. Anyone caught driving without insurance is considered to be a high risk driver and must purchase "special FR coverage, " and must keep this coverage for 3 to 5 years.

Trends in Ohio auto insurance premiums

Ohio's auto insurance rates are steadily increasing due to the high cost of medical expenses, vehicle repairs, legal expenses, and auto theft claims. Some of the reasons for motor vehicle accidents in Ohio for 2008 are as follows:

In Ohio, driver distractions are quickly becoming one of the major causes for motor vehicle accidents. More and more drivers are talking or texting on cell phones; in fact every day, more than 800,000 people are estimated to be talking or texting while on the road. Because of this, they are not paying attention to the road or their surroundings. Often, a driver will veer into oncoming traffic, sideswipe a vehicle, hit a pedestrian, or drive through a stop sign or red light.

Like many other states, Ohio is implementing harsher laws to deal with cell phone usage while driving. Hopefully this will reduce the number of accidents as a result.

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