I have a car and a driver's license, so as is the case in most (if not all) states, I'm required to have proof of insurance. It can be very expensive, especially when my children who are on the same policy have had several accidents. As a result, I'm realizing that cost is just one of the problems associated with car insurance.

Another problem is that of privacy. Once you give your insurer your name and personal information, they often turn around and sell it to others. You probably get telemarketers calling repeatedly and your mailbox is full of junk mail and special offers.

If you're a very careful driver and have never filed a claim, it doesn't matter. Everyone has to pay for car insurance even if it's never used. It's just another trap with car insurance; a driver may pay for decades but never see the benefit because he has been a good driver.

The profits reported by insurance companies are sometimes overwhelming. Yes, they do have to pay for the drivers who are more accident-prone, but is this cost really the responsibility of the safe drivers? It seems to be another problem the premiums of those of us who are safe drivers are paying for the accidents of the careless and unsafe drivers.

Yet another issue with the industry is the label of "guilty" or "not guilty". It's sometimes impossible for the police or the insurance adjusters to determine what happened ??" only those involved truly know. If you're mislabeled as "guilty", it could cost you for many years to come.

One other small pitfall is dealing with the agent. They will be calling you to solicit more insurance, better coverage, other policies. Some of them will even offer money for names of your friends and family, so they can solicit them into new policies as well.

If you're unfortunate enough to be in an accident (or perhaps you're just pulled over for speeding or rolling through a stop sign), you're always asked for the insurance card. If you're like most of us, you're digging through the piles of paper and junk that's stuffed in your glove compartment just to find it. If you happen to have an impatient officer, the delay may result in a ticket rather than a warning. What's meant to be a good thing (the insurance card) can often become yet another problem of insurance.

The biggest downside of all has to be the uninsured driver. Even if he sticks around after an accident, it probably won't be of much benefit. If he couldn't afford the insurance he probably can't afford to pay your deductible not to mention the costs of the accident if the car was damaged. It's an unfair result of illegal, uninsured motorists.