Sure, drivers in San Diego need auto insurance because it’s the law.  After all, California state law requires all of its drivers to have minimum liability coverage of $15,000 per person, with a maximum of $30,000 per accident.  The state also requires all drivers to have $15,000 of Uninsured Motorist coverage and $30,000 of Underinsured coverage.  That means, if you’re in an accident with a driver who either doesn’t have insurance or doesn’t have enough coverage, you won’t be left out to dry.

But aside from following the law, in San Diego, auto insurance is a must-have.  Consider these three reasons why:

1.  San Diego is one of the top cities in the country for stolen cars.  Because it’s so close to Mexico, cars are stolen every day to smuggle weapons, money, and drugs across the border.  Roughly 750 out of every 100,000 cars in San Diego are stolen.  If you don’t have insurance, you’re out of luck if your car gets stolen.  In San Diego, auto insurance is necessary to protect yourself if thieves victimize you.

2. In San Diego, auto insurance requirements are ignored by a vast number of drivers.  Many of them simply disregard the law and get behind the wheel without insurance.   If you get into an accident, there’s a good chance the other driver won’t have any insurance.  Even if they’re at fault, if they don’t have any money to pay for your damages, you’ll have to pay for it yourself.  That’s why you need a good insurance policy to keep you (and your bank account!) safe.

3. Staged accidents are a big problem in San Diego.  There are tons of people who go out, look for cars that they think will have a lot of insurance (like luxury cars, commercial vehicles, and cars owned by the city or county), and intentionally hit them.  Usually, these ‘stagers’ will get in front of you, then slam on the brakes for no reason.  Suddenly, you’ve rear-ended them, and they’re trying to collect money off of your insurance policy!

Staging accidents is against the law, but many stagers get away with their crimes.  That’s why drivers in San Diego need good auto insurance that can protect them from criminals looking to make a quick buck out on the roads.