New Mexico’s Uninsured Motorist Rate Drops Below National Average

New Mexico’s rate of uninsured motorists has dropped below the national average.

Over the last two years, the state’s rate has gone from 33 percent to 13 percent, said Ken Ortiz, director of the state Motor Vehicle Division.

The national average is 14 percent, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

The Albuquerque Journal reported the decline Saturday in a copyright story.

Ortiz credits the state’s 2-year-old Drive Insured program for the drop.

The program requires insurance companies to transmit information electronically to MVD. That cuts down on someone registering a vehicle and then canceling the insurance to avoid paying premiums, he said.

“If someone cancels their insurance, we get notification,” he said.

Gov. Bill Richardson said the decline shows the state is making an effort “to implement measures to cover more drivers with insurance.”