Monday, July 16, 2007

Big smash-up

If you live in East Boston or any other urban area in Massachusetts prepare for your car insurance to skyrocket in the near future. Nonnie S. Burnes, the state insurance commissioner, announced today that she plans to partially deregulate the auto insurance industry.

As the story at Boston.com says, "Drivers aren't clamoring for change," but Deval Patrick has indicated he'd like to see some competition among insurers. Massachusetts is the only state in the country where all of the auto insurance rates are set by regulators, and as a result many companies bypass the state rather than have their profits limited by the system here.

The rates for urban drivers will rise because there are more accidents in densely-populated areas with narrow, crooked streets. Residents of Eastie pay among the highest rates in the state already. Burnes said she'll have at least one public hearing on the new "managed competition" plan. Gee thanks. How about some hearings before you reached a decision?

3 comments:

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Unknown said...

My insurance went up about 15% when I moved from Dorchester to Eastie. The worst part is that I have a private driveway in Eastie compared to a neighborhood where my car would easily be stolen in Dorchester.

eeka said...

Mine doubled when I moved from Chestnut Hill Ave and Comm Ave in Brighton (where my car got vandalized by drunk kids all the time) to Fort Hill in Roxbury (where I own a driveway and mostly young professionals and families are walking by my car and no one touches it). My old ZIP code included Oak Square and other quiet places that brought the averages down. My new one includes sections of 93 and areas with vacant lots where people joyride. We pay for other stuff in our ZIP code rather than what goes on in our own immediate neighborhood.