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Badar B.
Tallahassee, FL
Despite claims to the contrary, the world will not end tomorrow.
Well, OK - if it does, it won't be because Massachusetts has a new competitive auto insurance system in place.
Yes, beginning tomorrow Massachusetts drivers will finally enjoy the freedom to shop for a more competitive auto insurance rate - a milestone that many lawmakers and other hyperventilating critics think is a terrible, terrible thing.
So terrible that every single other state embraces it . . . but whatever!
For years now we have been urging reform of the auto insurance system, to release government's death grip on setting rates and stanch the steady flow of insurers from the commonwealth.
But in the end the reform came from an unexpected source - the Democratic administration of Gov. Deval Patrick - and it is not the wholehearted deregulation that many people sought.
But that's OK.
In fact, that's probably better.
By slowly introducing competition (what Insurance Commissioner Nonnie Burnes has dubbed "managed competition"), the administration can prove to the naysayers that all hell will not break loose if the state gets out of the business of price control.
It can erase the memory of the rate shock that followed wholesale deregulation 30 years ago, which convinced the "we-know-better" crowd (some of whom still roam the State House) that hey, maybe the Soviet Union had it right after all!
Will every driver experience a dramatic drop in rates? Nope.
And some critics scream that rates would have dropped more for all drivers under the old, regulated system.
But most responsible drivers will be able to find a deal that cuts their rate by 10 percent - perhaps even more. Those with bad driving records won't see rates grow by more than 10 percent.
And we have no fear that the watchdogs - self-appointed and otherwise - will be keeping tabs on any unanticipated slip-ups in the system.
Drivers will have to work for it - they'll have to shop and compare to find the best deal, not only on price but on coverage. But they say anything thing worth having is worth working for. Competition is worth it - and then some.
(c) 2008 Boston Herald. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Car Insurance News: Editorial ; Freedom to Shop a Deal for Drivers...Get an auto insurance quote!