Wyoming Car Insurance 101 (Compare Costs & Companies)

Wyoming auto insurance laws require drivers to carry at least the bare minimum liability insurance, but carrying just what’s required by the state will leave you financially vulnerable if you cause an accident.  Our Wyoming car insurance 101 guide will go over what coverages you should carry beyond the state minimums, as well as how to still find affordable car insurance when purchasing higher amounts of coverage, so read on.

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Wyoming Car Insurance Coverage and Rates

One of the best things about insurance in Wyoming is that the state’s average premium of $847.44 is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the national average premium of $1,009.38.

Wyoming Minimum Coverage

Like most states in the nation, Wyoming is an at-fault state. This means that the person at fault in an accident is responsible for the financial costs associated with the accident.

Wyoming requires drivers to carry minimum levels of liability coverage. Your required minimum coverage amounts are as follows:

Property Damage — $20,000 per accident
Bodily Injury — $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident

When you have purchased a liability policy, the company is required to provide proof of coverage. Sometimes this takes the form of an ID card; other times, you may be able to access your policy electronically, but no matter what proof of coverage they provide, it must contain the effective dates of the policy and the vehicle information.

Remember, these are minimum levels of coverage, not maximum. The cost of most new vehicles is more than $20,000, so you should strongly consider having higher levels of coverage in place to protect yourself financially.

Forms of Financial Responsibility

The state of Wyoming requires all drivers to carry proof of financial responsibility. While you can choose to have a bond or other form of financial responsibility, the vast majority of drivers choose to carry insurance instead. Driving uninsured could cost you:

• Fines of up to $1,500
• Up to six months in jail
• Suspension of your license

The state uses a Financial Responsibility Verification Program (FRVP) to confirm all drivers are insured. Insurance cards are accepted as proof of coverage, but a law enforcement officer can and will run your license plate to confirm your coverage is valid and registered with the state.

Premiums as a Percentage of Income

Your insurance premiums are affected by a wide variety of factors. Everything from your credit score to your age and gender can affect your rates, sometimes in a positive way and sometimes in a negative way. This can make determining what percentage of your income you spend on insurance difficult.

Teens and adults with poor driving records could be spending 20-30 percent or more of their income on their insurance, whereas someone in their late 30s or early 40s with a clean driving record might spend less than five percent of their income on car insurance premiums.

To determine what percentage of your income is spent on your car insurance, take the amount of your premium divided by your income (either gross or net) then multiply by 100.

For example, if a person is earning $40,000 and paying $2,000 for insurance each year, they spend five percent of their gross income on their car insurance each year.

As people get older, their insurance rates tend to go down, but other factors such as their zip code and credit history will also impact their rates. This means they may not be able to predict whether their rates will increase or decrease over time.

You can use our calculator below to determine the percentage of income you are spending on your car insurance.

Core Coverage

Please note, the above data from the NAIC is based on the state minimums. Your choices regarding coverage levels will impact your premiums.

While liability coverage is required by law in the state of Wyoming, there is a lot more to insuring your vehicle than just liability. Insurance is about protecting your financial interests in the event of an accident, so you may want to consider any or all of these types of coverage:

Liability — Liability insurance protects your financial welfare by paying for damages to another person’s vehicle if you are at fault in an accident. It also covers medical bills in the event of bodily injury of someone else in an accident where you were at fault.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage — Uninsured motorist coverage, often referred to as UM, covers you at the same levels as your liability coverage if you are in an accident where an uninsured driver was at fault.
Collision — Collision insurance protects you by paying for damages to your vehicle if you are at fault in an accident, whether you hit another vehicle or a stationary object such as a tree or a fence post. If you are responsible for a loan on your car, you may be required by the lender to have active collision insurance on your policy.
Comprehensive — Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your car that isn’t caused during an accident. Some examples of what might be covered under a comprehensive policy are hail damage, theft, and vandalism.

Every insurance company has its own guidelines as to what is and is not covered under your comprehensive policy, so make sure you do your research before buying.

Additional Liability

When it comes to additional coverage, you are not required by the state of Wyoming to carry any, but it is still something you may want to consider.

Uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist coverage, often referred to as UM, takes the place of the liability insurance the other person should have (or doesn’t have enough of, depending on the situation) to protect you in the event that an uninsured person hits your car.

Just under eight percent of Wyoming residents are illegally driving without insurance, so they may not be able to pay your claims even if they are required to by law.

Personal Injury Protection, otherwise known as PIP, applies no matter who was at fault in the accident. PIP is usually a smaller amount, sometimes just a few thousand dollars worth of coverage, designed to cover your most basic needs if you require medical care due to an accident.

But PIP is about your medical needs. What about the needs of the other person if you are at fault in an accident?

While the state minimum might be $25,000/$50,000 for bodily injury and $20,000 for property damage, that doesn’t mean it should be the maximum amount of liability coverage. You can always increase your levels of liability coverage, and most people should seriously consider carrying more than the state minimum.

You can always choose to purchase more than the legal minimum of insurance. Many companies offer higher coverage levels, typically $50,000 to $100,000 in property damage and $250,000 per person/$500,000 per accident bodily injury, for which you will pay a higher monthly premium.

Why would you need that much coverage? Because you never know what the details of an accident will be. Hopefully, in an at-fault accident, you will cause minimal property damage and nobody will get hurt. But what if you aren’t so lucky?

You could hit someone in a brand new Mercedes. They might have three or four people in the car, all of whom need medical care. A mother of two could easily have both of her children in the car, so keep that in mind when looking at that $50,000 bodily injury cap.

If your insurance only covers $20,000 for property damage and $25,000/$50,000 for bodily injury, you will still be required to pay out-of-pocket for any damages beyond what your insurance policy covers. Keep this in mind when choosing your coverage amounts.

When you are choosing coverage, you may wish to consider the loss ratio of the company as well, so you can reference the chart below to find that information. The loss ratio is the amount paid out in claims by a company versus the amount of premium taken in by the company.

According to the NAIC, a loss ratio in the 60s or 70s is a good one — it means they aren’t charging too much premium and they are regularly paying out claims to their customers.

Add-ons, Endorsements, and Riders

Even if you have all of the core coverage types mentioned above and higher-than-average levels of liability insurance, it doesn’t mean you are fully protected. There are several other types of coverage available that may help you stay on solid financial ground.

Umbrella Policy — If you don’t think that $250,000/$500,000 in bodily injury and $100,0000 in property damage would be enough to protect your assets in a serious accident, you might need an umbrella policy. Umbrella policies provide a minimum of $1,000,000 in liability coverage and cover you for things beyond typical liability, such as libel and slander.
Rental Reimbursement — Rental reimbursement covers the cost of your rental car while the vehicle you own is being repaired because of an insured loss. For example, if your car suffered hail damage, comprehensive insurance would cover that cost, but rental reimbursement coverage would cover the cost of a rental car during repairs.
Roadside Assistance — When it comes to tow trucks or basic repairs on the side of the road, roadside assistance coverage would help cover the cost of those services.
GAP Insurance — GAP insurance typically covers the difference between what your insurance policy pays and the amount you still owe for your car. GAP insurance helps prevent you from being forced to make payments on a totaled vehicle in the event of an accident, but the type of GAP coverage available varies widely from company to company and state to state, so research carefully before buying.
Non-Owner Insurance — If you don’t own a car but you still drive semi-regularly, you might need a non-owner insurance plan to provide you with third party liability coverage to protect you financially.
Classic Car Insurance — The financial value of your classic or vintage car is often worth more than the normal depreciation. If you have a classic car you will need classic car insurance to make sure your vehicle is protected at its full financial value.
Usage-Based/Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance — A device can be installed in your car (or an app installed on your phone) to record your driving information (speed, mileage, etc.) and report it to your insurance company who then offer you discounts on your coverage for being a better driver. This can have unintended consequences, however, so consider carefully before buying.

Male vs. Female Rates

There are some states that make it illegal to rate people by gender, but Wyoming is not one of them. Insurance companies in the state still use your gender when determining your rates.

Even within that system, however, insurance premiums still vary widely by company, so comparison shopping for a policy can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars per year on car insurance, as evidenced by the chart below.

Please note: the rates above are determined by purchased coverage by drivers in Wyoming. It also includes rates for high-risk drivers and drivers who choose to carry higher-than-minimum levels of coverage, so these numbers may be higher than normal in your situation.

Cheapest Rates by ZIP Code

Your ZIP code plays an important role in determining your insurance rates. Everything from the number of accidents annually to the amount of street parking available in a ZIP code goes into determining what the rate for that area will be, which means that moving a block or two could change your annual premiums significantly if it puts you in a new ZIP code.

Cheapest Rates by County

Much like your ZIP code, the city you live in can have a dramatic impact on your insurance premiums. The rates for your city can be impacted by traffic patterns, crime levels and a wide variety of other factors.

It is important to remember that even within the city boundaries, changing your ZIP code still affects your rates. This means you need to verify the rates based on both your city and your ZIP code when choosing an insurance policy.

Please note: the rates in the chart above are based on actual, purchased coverage, including things like Med Pay and other coverages you might not choose to elect for yourself. Your rates may be different based on your personal information and the coverages you choose.

Wyoming’s Car Culture

Wyoming has been home to a significant amount of travelers, even before it was declared a state. In fact, so many travelers along the Oregon Trail passed through Wyoming that there are still places in the state where you can see wagon wheel ruts that were created in the 19th century.

Because the population of Wyoming is so low, (there are more people living in the city of Milwaukee than in the entire state of Wyoming) public transportation options are few and far between. This means state residents here are dependent on their cars and trucks to get them where they need to go.

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Best Wyoming Car Insurance Companies

Choosing the right car insurance company for your needs can be difficult. Some insurance companies might offer a wider variety of options, while others may provide more thorough coverage. Other companies might be the most affordable choice, but how do their policies compare to the pricier plans? How do you decide which plan is the right one for you?

It can be useful to have additional information when choosing which insurance company best meets your needs. Below are a few of the points you might want to consider when making your choice.

The Largest Companies Financial Rating

One of the best ways to determine the stability level of an insurance company is by its financial rating. A.M. Best is just one of the companies that rates each insurance company based on their financial stability—whether they have the financial assets necessary to pay out claims over the course of the year.

A company’s financial rating shouldn’t be your only determining factor. Just because a company has a good financial rating doesn’t mean their customers are happy with their service or that their rates are low.

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Companies with Best Ratings

Companies with an A rating or higher are typically very financially stable. Since all of the biggest companies in Wyoming have an A rating or above, you could choose any one of them and feel secure that they will be stable.

A company’s financial rating is just one of the many pieces of information you should think about when choosing an insurance provider, but this information, combined with other statistics, can help you make the best choice.

Companies with Most Complaints in Wyoming

When they have a problem with a business operating in their state, consumers are encouraged to report complaints regarding their insurance companies to the Attorney General’s office or another government office. But how do you know if your problem is bad enough that you should file an official claim?

The NAIC can help you figure out the answers to your questions. They have apps for both Android and iPhone that can walk you through the steps to take after an accident, including reporting an issue to the state if necessary.

When in doubt, you can always contact the consumer protection line with the Attorney General’s office at 1-800-438-5799.

When it comes to customer satisfaction, J.D. Power and Associates rates companies based on five factors–interactions, policy offerings, price, billing process/policy information, and claims.

According to their study, PEMCO ranked highest in customer satisfaction in the Northwest Region, followed by The Hartford and American Family. Nationwide and Liberty Mutual came in last in their rankings. USAA also had high rankings, but because they are not available to the general public, they were separated from the rest of the list.

Cheapest Companies in Wyoming

The chart above includes the largest companies in Wyoming along with their average rates. Cost is important, of course, but it is just one of the many factors you should consider when choosing a plan. Any policy you choose must have the benefits you need, so review each policy carefully before you accept it.

Also, remember that not every policy is available to every person. USAA, for example, is an insurance company only available to members of the U.S. military and their families. This means not everyone can sign up through USAA, even though they have very reasonable prices.

Commute Rates by Companies

Your insurance rates are determined, in part, by your daily commute. Companies typically break up their commute rates into categories, such as 10-mile commute/6,000 annual mileage or 25-mile commute/12,000 annual mileage.

The more time spent driving on the road each day, the more likely you are to file a claim. Because of this, if you have a long commute, you will likely pay a higher premium for your policy.

Whether your potential claim is as big as a totaled vehicle or something smaller, such as a windshield replacement, a longer drive time exposes you to more situations that might damage your vehicle.

Coverage Level Rates by Companies

There are insurance plans designed for every possible level of coverage. As such, the price of your insurance can vary significantly depending on which coverage you choose.

Your individual situation also has a big impact on your insurance prices. Driving an old Mazda? Your comprehensive and collision coverage will probably be much cheaper than if you were driving a brand new Lexus.

Take a look at the chart below to see how your choice of coverage can impact your rates with each insurance company.

Credit History Rates by Companies

Though most people wouldn’t necessarily think they would be connected, one of the big things that can impact your rates is your credit history.

Statistics indicate that people with lower credit scores tend to file more claims, which means a low credit score can raise your rates or possibly even cause you to be denied coverage, depending on the circumstances.

If your credit rating is low, that can impact your rates, but it doesn’t mean you have no options. You can still comparison shop between companies, potentially saving yourself hundreds of dollars a year.

You can also work to improve your credit rating to help lower your insurance costs, which means that paying off your credit card debt and bringing up your credit score is good for your finances in multiple ways.

Driving Record Rates by Companies

When it comes to your insurance premiums, your driving record has a tremendous impact on the amount you pay each year. This means that someone with a poor driving record can dramatically reduce their insurance rates over time by changing their behavior on the road.

While a speeding ticket may only cost you a few dollars initially, it will be reported to your insurance company and will probably cause a rate increase, so keep that in mind when you are speeding through that school zone.

Largest Car Insurance Companies in Wyoming

While size isn’t necessarily an important factor, choosing a larger, well-known company with offices all over your state can be a good way to know you’ll be able to find someone who can help you, should you need to file a claim someday.

Recommendations from other customers are easier to find with larger companies. After all, the larger a company’s customer base, the more people there are who can make a recommendation. Check out the largest insurers in Wyoming in the chart below:

Number of Insurers in Wyoming

Wyoming only has two insurance companies domiciled in the state, but this doesn’t mean that these are your only options. There are 693 foreign companies doing business in Wyoming, giving everyone in the state an abundance of choices when it comes to their insurance provider.

Keep in mind that foreign doesn’t mean from another country. In this sense, foreign simply means that the company is headquartered in another state.

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Wyoming Laws

Insurance laws and regulations differ from state to state, which means that what is perfectly acceptable in one state might be illegal in another. On the other hand, something against the law in Wyoming could be completely legal somewhere else, so don’t assume that just because you know the law in Texas, you won’t break the law in Wyoming.

Car Insurance Laws

Car insurance laws are changed and updated all the time, much like all the other laws across the country. It is vital to keep yourself up-to-date on the changes to traffic and insurance laws so you don’t find yourself accidentally breaking the law.

For example, senior drivers in Wyoming can have restrictions put on their driving privileges, including being required to drive an automatic vehicle as opposed to a manual transmission.

Paying attention to local laws is an important part of keeping yourself safe and preventing traffic citations.

How Wyoming Laws for Insurance are Determined

Laws in Wyoming are determined by a part-time citizen legislature, which means that the laws in Wyoming are typically created by people who are not professional politicians. This applies to insurance laws as well as all other laws created by the state.

Windshield Coverage

Wyoming has no laws in place regarding windshield replacement. There are also no regulations as to whether or not aftermarket parts can be used in a windshield replacement, and additionally, there are no laws regarding whether or not an insurance company can require you to use a specific shop for repairs.

High-Risk Insurance

If you have enough tickets, accidents, or DUI convictions, insurance companies may consider you uninsurable. But Wyoming requires all drivers to carry insurance, so how can you obey the law?

If you need a policy but cannot find a company to insure you, you can reach out to the Automobile Insurance Plan of Wyoming at (800) 227-4659 for assistance. They will assign you to an insurance company that is required to provide you a policy, though there is no guarantee what the rates will be for the plan.

If you need to provide proof of liability coverage because your license was suspended, you will need an SR-22. This is the form that proves to the state you have active insurance coverage. If you need an SR-22 for proof of liability, you will need to contact your insurance agent or the DMV.

Low-Cost Insurance

At this time, there are no discounts available in Wyoming specifically for people on Medicaid or other government assistance programs, which means all drivers must pay full price for their auto insurance. Luckily, there are many other discounts available with almost every insurance company, making it easier for drivers to find affordable insurance.

There are basic discounts, such as discounts for people who have multiple lines of insurance through the company or good driving discounts, but there are so many other types of discounts available.

Many insurance companies also give discounts to teachers, nurses, and active military, along with other occupational discounts.

Some insurers also give discounts to high school students with a high GPA. Some even offer discounts through certain employer groups, so check with your HR department to see if they offer car insurance discounts as an employee benefit.

Automobile Insurance Fraud in Wyoming

Wyoming takes insurance fraud very seriously. The Wyoming Insurance Department is the agency responsible for addressing insurance fraud in the state.

Insurance fraud isn’t limited to filing a false claim. There are multiple types of insurance fraud, such as:

False Insurance Companies — Sometimes con artists set up companies that sell fake insurance policies. A good sign that a company isn’t legitimate is if it is selling policies that are significantly lower priced than any of its competitors.
Agent/Broker Fraud — Agents and brokers are capable of defrauding customers for personal gain, especially if they aren’t properly licensed. If you are sold a policy and you don’t receive an ID card or a copy of your policy relatively quickly, you might be a victim of insurance fraud.
Consumer Fraud — Filing false claims, exaggerating a claim, or making statements to support a claim you know is fraudulent are all forms of consumer insurance fraud.

If you need to report suspected insurance fraud you can contact the NAIC online or reach out to the Department of Insurance directly at:

Wyoming Insurance Department
106 E. 6th Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82001
(307) 777-7401
(800) 438-5768

Statute of Limitations

The law in Wyoming states that you have four years to file a lawsuit over personal injuries, a wrongful death lawsuit, or a lawsuit for property damage, otherwise you are beyond the statute of limitations.

The statute of limitations typically begins from the cause of action (i.e., your accident), so if you believe you’ve been in an accident or filed a claim that needs to go through the court system, make sure you file right away to avoid running into the statute of limitations and having your case denied.

Wyoming Specific Laws

While there are some laws that are basically the same from state to state, each state also has laws that are unique within its borders as well.

For example, according to the law in Wyoming, it is illegal to pass through a gate over a river, stream, or ditch without closing it behind you. Leaving it open can earn you a fine of up to $750.

It is important to know all the local laws so you can make sure you are in compliance and avoid a ticket.

Vehicle Licensing Laws

Every state has slightly different requirements for earning your driver’s license. Those rules are often different from situation to situation, with individual standards for new drivers, experienced drivers who are new state residents, and senior citizens.

If you need to get your license for the first time, or even just update or renew your license, you’ll need to follow all of Wyoming’s laws and regulations.

Real ID

The REAL ID Act is a federal law designed to be an anti-terrorism measure. REAL IDs are much more secure than the previous types of ID, increasing the likelihood that someone’s ID matches their identity and decreasing the ease with which people have been able to get a fake ID in the past. Your ID must be compliant by October 2020, so don’t wait to update your ID.

Penalties for Driving Without Insurance

There are consequences for driving without insurance in Wyoming, such as:

Fines — Fines for driving uninsured can go up to $750, depending on how and why you were fined
Jail Time – Driving without a license can earn you up to six months in jail

Teen Driver Laws

Like most states, Wyoming has graduated driving laws for teens. This means that teens in Wyoming start out with a learner’s permit and work up to a full driver’s license over time, though Wyoming’s mandatory holding period is significantly shorter than most other states.

Teens are required to log a minimum of 50 hours of driving time, at least ten of which must be at night, along with driving restrictions for up to six months.

Older Driver License Renewal Procedures

Wyoming claims they don’t impose age-based restrictions on senior citizens, and for the most part, that is true. The only time they become concerned with issues related to age is when a doctor, law enforcement officer, therapist, or family member reports someone to the state as potentially being unsafe on the roads.

Essentially, this means that if your vision or your reaction time has deteriorated, you can be reported to the state. They will then ask you to take additional testing to determine if you are able to safely operate a vehicle with or without restrictions.

New Residents

While most states require new citizens to apply for their license within 30 days of residence, Wyoming actually allows citizens to wait up to a year after declaring residency to update their licenses.

When applying for a Wyoming license, you will need to apply in person at your local DMV. You will be required to surrender your out-of-state license and present two forms of ID, along with proof of your social security number.

License renewal procedures

In Wyoming, residents may renew their driver’s licenses for up to 120 days before the expiration date. All drivers are required to take a vision test every ten years, and the state is prohibited from issuing a license to anyone who has been deemed unable to safely operate a vehicle by a physician or optometrist.

Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS)

Wyoming does not have a typical point system for tracking violations. The state does track violations and citations with four moving violations in 12 months earning you a license suspension for up to 90 days. Each additional violation in the same 12 month period earns you an additional 90-day suspension.

With your first suspension, you will be charged a $200 fine. For a second suspension, the fine can be as much as $300, along with 30 days in jail. A third suspension brings your fine up to $500 along with six months in jail.

Rules of the Road

When it comes to the laws and regulations regarding driving and insurance, almost all of them are determined at the state level. Everything in the state, from minimum insurance requirements to school zone speed limits, is specific to Wyoming.

This means following the law from one state doesn’t guarantee you will be following the law in another. To keep yourself safe and prevent citations, make sure you know the traffic laws in Wyoming.

Fault vs. No-Fault

Like most of the country, Wyoming is an at-fault state. This means the driver who is responsible for an accident is responsible for paying the costs associated with the accident.

If you are hit by another driver, an at-fault state allows you to file a claim with their insurance company or take them to court to cover any damages you’ve suffered.

Alternatively, if you hit someone else, they have all the same rights, so make sure you have sufficient liability coverage in place to protect your financial interests.

Seat Belt and Car Seat Laws

The law in Wyoming requires all passengers over the age of nine to be buckled in their seat belts, no matter which seat they are occupying. Children under the age of eight are required to use the appropriate child safety seat and to be located in the back seat of the vehicle if one is available.

Wyoming adheres to the NHTSA guidelines when it comes to children in car seats.

Keep Right and Move Over Laws

The law in Wyoming requires drivers to keep right if they are moving slower than the speed of traffic.

Going further still, the state passed a law in 2005 making it illegal to obstruct traffic by going the speed limit in the left lane for extended periods of time.

Drivers who are approaching emergency response vehicles (or other law enforcement officers rendering aid) are required to move over and reduce their speed, leaving a full lane of space if at all possible.

Speed Limits

While some states have both basic speeding laws and absolute limits, Wyoming only has maximum speed limits.  In fact, Wyoming has one of the highest maximum speed limits in the nation, matching Montana with the 80 m.p.h. speed limit on the highway.

Ridesharing

Ridesharing was made legal in Wyoming in 2017 with the passage of House Bill 80, better known as the “Uber Bill.”

Drivers with ridesharing companies have a few different options when it comes to insurance, but they must have special insurance designed for rideshare drivers. Traditional auto insurance will not cover any accidents that happened while transporting a passenger.

Automation on the Road

At the moment, Wyoming has no laws regarding the regulation of self-driving vehicles. As the technology continues to progress, laws will be put in place at the state level to protect the people of Wyoming, so the best place to stay up-to-date on automated vehicle information is the Wyoming Department of Transportation website.

Safety Laws

While Wyoming does tend to err on the side of less regulation, the state still passes laws to keep drivers safe while on the road. Whether someone is texting behind the wheel or driving under the influence, they are putting the lives of other people in danger.

The state has laws in place to address and prevent dangerous behaviors from negatively impacting the citizens of Wyoming.

While it is important to know and adhere to the laws of the state, you should also remember that laws can change over time; just because something was legal a few years ago doesn’t mean it is legal now.

Conversely, things that were illegal just a few years ago might be legal today, so make sure to do your research when it comes to driving safety laws.

DUI Laws

In Wyoming, the BAC limit is 0.08 and the high BAC limit is 0.15. The table below details the DUI offenses and penalties.

In Wyoming, there are several laws regarding driving under the influence, including:

• Blood Alcohol Concentration — The blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit in Wyoming is .08, with the number referring to grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood or grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath.
• A driver must show signs of actual impairment to be considered DUI.
• For commercial drivers, the legal BAC is .04.
• In Wyoming, drivers are considered to have given consent to blood or breath tests to determine the presence of alcohol or drugs.
• Everyone in the state convicted of a DUI must complete a substance abuse assessment, which could lead to a judge ordering treatment or sobriety monitoring.
• The penalties for your first DUI conviction can include up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $750.
• An ignition interlock device may be required on the second or subsequent DUI.

Marijuana-Impaired Driving Laws

Marijuana is considered an intoxicating substance and can earn you a DUI in Wyoming. This is considered the same as driving drunk or under the influence of any other mind-altering substance, so keep that in mind before driving after using marijuana.

In Wyoming, marijuana use is illegal except for use in the treatment of intractable epilepsy seizure disorder, which means getting caught driving while high can cost you more than a DUI.

Distracted Driving Laws

Texting, adjusting your GPS, eating, and talking on the phone are just a few of the distractions that drivers routinely face behind the wheel.

According to the CDC, there are three types of distracted driving:

Visual — taking your eyes off the road
Manual — taking your hands off the wheel
Cognitive — taking your mind off of driving

Texting is the most dangerous form of distracted driving because it combines all three types of distraction, which is why Wyoming has laws against it even when they allow other types of cell phone use.

Driving Safely in Wyoming

Driving can be dangerous, but it is a requirement for most people who need to travel or commute in any way. Nationally, there are more than 30,000 car accidents a year, causing almost 25,000 fatalities and more than two million injuries.

Keeping yourself and your loved ones safe is important, and the best way to do that is to be aware of the dangers that go along with driving. Knowing the most dangerous roads, commuting times, and weather conditions can help you prepare for and possibly even prevent an accident or even a tragic fatality.

Vehicle Theft in Wyoming

While comprehensive insurance will cover the cost of replacing a stolen vehicle, the possibility of replacing the car doesn’t stop a victim from feeling scared and violated.

Unfortunately, vehicle theft isn’t just a worry for people with new or expensive automobiles — the most commonly stolen vehicles are often older family sedans or minivans, making the people most likely to have their cars stolen the most likely to avoid comprehensive coverage in the first place.

While many people choose not to buy comprehensive coverage in an attempt to keep their insurance costs low, keep in mind that a liability-only policy won’t protect you in case of car theft. If your car is one of the ones on the table of most commonly stolen vehicles above, you may want to think carefully about buying comprehensive coverage.

Below is a chart of car thefts by city in Wyoming:

Road Fatalities in Wyoming

In 2011, there were 111 traffic fatalities in Wyoming. Of those, 34 were alcohol-related fatalities, and 38 were speeding-related fatalities.

Alcohol and speeding aren’t the only causes of traffic fatalities, however. Distracted driving and other issues also contribute to the number of traffic fatalities each year, so it is important to stay aware behind the wheel.

All the statistics reflected in the charts below are taken from the NHTSA.

Most Fatal Highway in Wyoming

I-80 follows part of the Oregon Trail through Wyoming,  but that isn’t the highway’s only claim to fame. With more than 17 fatal crashes per year, I-80 is the most fatal highway in Wyoming.

Fatal Crashes by Weather Condition and Light Condition

Weather and light conditions often have a significant impact on the number of accidents on the road, with slippery road surfaces or dark, poorly lit areas increasing the odds that you’ll be in an accident.

Weather can even increase the severity of an accident, taking what otherwise would have been a small fender bender and turning it into a situation where injuries or even fatalities occur.

Be cautious when driving in the dark, fog, or in inclement weather. Use your headlights, drive slowly, and leave yourself plenty of space to make sure you aren’t put in an unnecessarily dangerous situation.

Fatalities (All Crashes) by County

Freemont and Laramie counties saw the highest number of fatalities in 2018.

Traffic Fatalities

Both 2010 and 2014 saw a huge jump in the total number of fatalities, while 2018 saw a noticeable decrease in total fatalities.

Fatalities by Person Type

All categories of light trucks have seen a decrease in their fatalities since 2014.

Fatalities by Crash Type

Single vehicle crashes have decreased by a third since 2014.

Five-Year Trend For The Top 10 Counties

Laramie County came in second on this list, despite their noticeable decrease in the number of fatalities since 2014.

Fatalities Involving Speeding by County

All counties in Wyoming managed to keep their speeding-related fatalities in the single digits except for Carbon County, which saw 10 fatalities in 2017 due to speeding.

Fatalities in Crashes Involving an Alcohol-Impaired Driver by County

Freemont has the highest number of alcohol-related fatalities in the state.

Teen Drinking and Driving

In 2016, Wyoming saw only 26 DUI arrests for teens ages 18 and under. They had a total of 3,082 DUI arrests for the year, which means teens made up only a tiny fraction of DUIs in the state.

EMS Response Time

EMS response time is much faster in urban areas than it is in rural areas. Based on the number of total fatal crashes on the chart, it is clear that the faster EMS arrives on the scene, the more likely the people in the accident are to survive it.

Transportation in Wyoming

Because of the low population of the state and the huge amount of land the state covers, public transportation is not necessarily easy to find in Wyoming.

In fact, the number of people commuting by public transit in Wyoming has dropped in half since 2015, while the number of people commuting by taxi and rideshare services has increased tenfold.

Car Ownership

The average household in Wyoming has two vehicles, with 99,600 households (or 36 percent) of Wyoming residents having two vehicles in 2017. This is far more than the 75,000 households that have three cars and the 45,300 households that have only one vehicle.

There are 31,800 households that have four cars and 19,300 households with five or more, but the number of households that don’t have a vehicle at all is a modest 4,700, which means there are thousands of people who get by with only bikes, public transportation, and taxi services.

Commute Time

Just under 2 percent of commuters in Wyoming have what is referred to as a “super commute,” which means they commute 90 minutes or more each way, though the numbers don’t specify if that is a driving commute or if they are including options such as public transit in their calculations.

The average commute time in Wyoming is 16.7 minutes, which comes in well under the national average of 25.5 minutes.

At the other end of the spectrum, just over 9 percent of commuters in Wyoming have a commute of fewer than five minutes each way.

Commuter Transportation

In 2017, a whopping 77.9 percent of people in Wyoming commuted to work alone, which means the vast majority of cars on the road during rush hour only have one person in them.

Another 10 percent of commuters in Wyoming carpooled to work, while 5.29 percent of people are fortunate enough to work at home, which means their commute is completely virtual. A minuscule 0.5 percent of people in the state use public transportation to get to and from work, while 3.6 percent of people walk to and from work each day.

If you have a long commute, there are things you can do to change that. Leaving for work at a slightly different time is just one example of an effective way to reduce the time spent in congested traffic.

You can also make other changes, like taking public transit to work or arranging to work from home for part of the week, to reduce the time spent on the road to help keep your insurance premiums low.

Traffic Congestion

To read the table above, you need to understand the statistics they are using to come up with these numbers at Numbeo.

• Traffic Index is a composite of time spent in traffic due to job commute and overall inefficiencies in and dissatisfaction with the traffic system.
• Time Index is the average, in minutes, of time needed for transportation purposes.
• Time Exp. Index is an estimation of unhappiness due to a long commute, with the assumption that the dissatisfaction of commute times increases exponentially.
• Inefficiency Index is an estimation of inefficiencies in traffic on the road used to measure economies of scale.
• CO2 Emission Index is an estimation of CO2 consumption due to traffic time, measured in grams.

Because Wyoming is so large and has smaller cities than most other states, it is difficult to determine the effect of traffic congestion.

Because cities in Wyoming are generally on the smaller side, they tend to have less traffic. The weather has a serious impact on road conditions and the time it takes to get from place to place, so be wary of that and plan your trip accordingly.

Keep in mind that congestion contributes to your commute time and the number of accidents on the road, both of which impact your insurance premiums.

Choosing an insurance plan can be complicated, but with our help it doesn’t have to be so difficult. Now that you have all of the information you need to make an informed choice, it is time to take the next step. Is there cheaper car insurance available to you in Wyoming? Enter your ZIP code now to find out.

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