The Boston City Council is growing frustrated with the sky rocketing prices of car insurance rates in the city.
Council President Andrea Campbell is requesting a hearing regarding car insurance rates in Boston.
“It’s an issue for all of us,” she said. “Anyone that owns a car in the city of Boston knows how expensive insurance is.”
Automobile insurance rates in the city is among the highest in the country. According to Campbell, communities in Boston that are predominantly lower income and minority concentrated have the highest, most expensive rates in Boston.
“This is true even if the driver has a good record,” said Campbell.
“I want to create a space where residents can come forward and discuss the frustrations with the insurance rates,” Campbell added.
Campbell said the high insurance rates can cause serious economic hardships for families trying to get by. This is especially true for residents and families who rely on cars to get them to work or school since certain neighborhoods in the city are not close to MBTA stations.
According to Campbell, in California there are regulations so different neighborhoods aren’t forced to deal with higher rates than others. She would be interested in the Commonwealth creating regulations like that.
Councilor Tim McCarthy believes the disparity between communities in terms of rates is “ridiculous.”
For Roxbury, the average auto insurance liability premiums for experienced drivers is set 204 percent of the statewide average and Dorchester is 188 percent of the statewide average.
Another issue is car owners registering cars in different cities and towns when they live in Boston, according to councilor Matt O’Malley, in an effort to get cheaper rates.
“That is something we need to talk about as well,” he said.
O’Malley suggested that the council invites their colleagues from the State House for the hearing.
A hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
What drives the rates in Boston is theft and really poor drivers who ignore traffic rules. Boston drivers are the first thing people mention when they come to Boston.
The insurance spokesperson said on a news broadcast “The reason the rates have skyrocketed this year was because of the new recreational marijuana law. So there will be more impaired drivers on the road therefore more accidents”?
I think the poor drivers are from out of the city trying to read the poor or non existing signage.
Texting and driving is the issue….90% of people I see are holding their phones and/or texting while behind the wheel…not tough to figure out. Meanwhile, we keep electing the same legislators who ignore the public outcry to make hand held devices while driving illegal.
Could not agreee more. The hands free bill was passed bill was passed but for some unknown reason it was “buried” in the State house.I drove this AM and as you said 90 % of the people I encountered are texting or reading text messages or e mails almost every driver at a light has their head tilted downward it’s outrageous . That’s why almost daily someone is hit by a car or some fool drives into a store or house. Their was a 14 year old girl struck by a car in Revere while trick or treating on Halloween nite with a couple of friends She had life treating injuries,the driver had a suspended license and a judge set a $ 250 bail on him. Enforcement is a joke and the court system is a joke as well
Michael D, You are so right. People only get away with what you allow them to get away with. The City fines are
a joke & that is why you always see the same Trash Offenders, Absentee Landlord Buildings. If the fines were
much higher these Absentee Landlords would have lost their properties by now. Walsh picked up where Menino
left off. No Enforcement.
With all due respect, Boston drivers suck. I believe that having a Mass plate entities me to suck. We are known for it. Why complain about the rates? See adjoining articles about pedestrian slaughter.
Yes Boston drivers suck T, but so do the useless politicians we have in Boston.
Yeah agree. The whole process is like having a discussion about the weather. Lots of complaining, but no real result. You can’t argue with actuaries. Actually my rates went down significantly after they got rid of the one rate. People with moving violations will be the loudest complainers.