The estimated percentage of uninsured motorists trended down in 2010, 2011, and 2012, according to a new study from the Insurance Research Council (IRC). According to the study, titled Uninsured Motorists, 2014 Edition, 14.9% of drivers were uninsured in 2003. IRC's most recent findings show that number has fallen to 12.6%.

In the study, the IRC estimates the percentage of uninsured drivers nationally and in individual states, based on a ratio of insurance claims made by individuals who were injured by uninsured drivers to claims made by those who were injured by insured drivers.

Nationally, the number of uninsured drivers peaked at 29.9 million in 2009 and moderately declined to 29.7 million in 2012. Statewide, the numbers varied. The states with the highest total uninsured drivers were California with 4.1 million; Florida with 3.2 million; and Texas with 1.6 million. The states with the highest estimated percentages of uninsured motorists are Oklahoma (26%), Florida (24%), and Mississippi (23%).