Being a prepared motorist does not mean that others on the open road are similarly protected. In 2007 for example, the Insurance Research Council found that roughly 15% of Colorado vehicle owners were driving uninsured and motorists may want to protect against such drivers and the costs that can be incurred following an accident. Another thing to worry about is underinsured motorists. The state’s minimum property damage liability limit is only $15,000. So, if a driver with the minimum level of coverage totals another car that is worth more than $15,000, he or she cannot cover the full amount of repairs and would be considered under-insured, which could leave the victim held footing the bill. To combat this and increase overall levels of protection, policyholders must take these figures into consideration.

By obtaining uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, a CO vehicle owner could be tremendously increasing their protection. For what amounts to only a relatively small raise in rates insureds may be able to prevent thousands of dollars worth of expenses that may result from a traffic accident with a driver that is not adequately covered. Although the state insurance minimums are in place in order to protect drivers, these limits, as stated above, are often not enough to supply enough coverage to protect against many different situations that might arise. A prepared driver would counter these potential risks by increasing these limits wherever possible. To further illustrate these points the Centennial State and the Department of Regulatory Agencies have released a consumers guide to help consumers better understand un-insured or under-insured motorist coverage in Colorado in order to keep residents aware of potential pitfalls in being unprepared for accidents involving uninsured motorists.