In 2007, 23% of all Florida drivers were uninsured. Add that to the 3,006 suspicious automobile insurance claims in Florida from 2007 to 2009, and we find Florida topping the charts for three years in number of complaints about insurance fraud related to staged accidents. These claims doubled from 2007 to 2009.

So the bandwagon approach beckons: if plenty of Florida homeowners are skating by without proper Florida auto insurance coverage, what's the average driver's incentive to drive by the letter of the law?

Allstate Insurance Company offers the following list of benefits of standard insurance coverage for your automobile:

•  Safeguard the investment you've made in your car
•  Pay for medical bills after an accident
•  Shield you from the costly damages of an accident-related lawsuit
•  Guard the valuable assets you've worked hard to collect (such as your home, retirement funds, stock or bond investments, etc.)
•  Protect you from uninsured or under-insured motorists
•  Pay for damage repairs due to theft, vandalism, or natural disasters; and, of course,
•  Strengthen your peace of mind, every time you take to the road.

So that's the list of perks, but what of the penalties? The ABA Family Legal Guide sums it best:
"Some states have minimum fines that judges must assess, and you'll have to pay court costs, too. The court will then mandate that you get the insurance you should have had in the first place. If you're a repeat offender, the fine will be higher and you may face the loss of your car and a long suspension of your driver's license.

But the worst consequence, by far, is that you'll have no coverage if you're in an accident and cause damages. You could lose everything you've worked for, including your house."