Unvaccinated should pay higher driver insurance rates, says new study

A study published this month in the American Journal of Medicine claims COVID-19 vaccine refusal is associated with traffic accidents, which the researchers use to suggest higher driver insurance policies for the unvaccinated. 

The study involved over 11 million Canadians 16% of whom had not been injected. They accounted for 1,682 car crashes which the researchers say is 48% more than those who were vaccinated after adjusting for other factors. 

While the study’s authors admit that correlation does not imply causality, they grope for a rationale that would explain the association, such as “belief in freedom," “misconceptions” or “exposure to misinformation.” 

“One possibility relates to a distrust of government or belief in freedom that contributes to both vaccination preferences and increased traffic risks,” posit the researchers. “A different explanation might be misconceptions of everyday risks, faith in natural protection, antipathy toward regulation, chronic poverty, exposure to misinformation, insufficient resources, or other personal beliefs. 

“Alternative factors could include political identity, negative past experiences, limited health literacy, or social networks that lead to misgivings around public health guidelines.” 

The researchers compare refusal of the shots to having a personality disorder, which they said is also associated with increased traffic accidents. 

They also share their suggestions about how to practically apply their findings, which includes raising insurance rates for unvaccinated drivers. 

“The observed risks might also justify changes to driver insurance policies in the future. Together, the findings suggest that unvaccinated adults need to be careful indoors with other people and outside with surrounding traffic.” 

According to the study, those who refuse the COVID shots are “more likely to be younger, living in a rural area, and below the middle socioeconomic quintile. Those who had not received a vaccine also were more likely to have a diagnosis of alcohol misuse or depression and less likely to have a diagnosis of sleep apnea, diabetes, cancer, or dementia.” 

The impetus for the study was the authors’ theory that if the unvaccinated don’t listen to rules about COVID vaccines, they don’t listen to rules about other things, too. 

“[W]e theorized that individual adults who tend to resist public health recommendations might also neglect basic road safety guidelines.” 

The researchers have not yet examined if those who refused the COVID-19 vaccine also refused to comply with other public health suggestions and general health guidelines prior to the pandemic.