List Members,
While driving and living in Europe, I benefited from the system called
"no-fault" insurance. A proposal to establish such a system in California
failed after a very intensive and misleading (my opinion) campaign from
lawyers. Pity...
I pay more for my insurance here than I did in Europe, even though I am in
the right age bracket (read: old, but not too old!) and I have an excellent
driving record... I feel it is also too easy for people in the US to sue. My
wife was involved in an accident a few years ago- an uninsured motorcycle
rider tried to pass her on the right, as she was turning right- and yes, she
had the turn signal on. The motorcycle rider found a lawyer willing to sue
us, and our own insurance told us they may be forced to pay him off!... To
cut a long story short, we won that one, but it still leaves a bitter taste
in my mouth, even after 7 years!
I have declared my Ford Expedition as my "going to work", "main vehicle"...
I pay a lot less for my "toys" (Porsche Boxster S, SCCA Mazda RX 7
race/street car) as they are "pleasure" vehicles and I declare the yearly
mileage as less than 3,000 miles. I have not insured my racing Bugeye
Sprite, and it is not street legal- time to check those insurances for race
cars, I guess.
Jacques Le Clainche
VARA 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite #4, F Production
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