NEW AD: CAR LAUNCHES TESTIMONIAL TV CAMPAIGN AS 86% OF NEW YORKERS DEMAND RELIEF FROM SKY-HIGH INSURANCE RATES
New Spots Feature Real New Yorkers Urging Albany to Pass Gov. Hochul’s Plan to Lower Car Insurance Costs
NEW YORK – On the heels of a poll showing 86% of New Yorkers support Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to lower auto insurance, Citizens for Affordable Rates (CAR) today announced the launch of a new statewide television and digital advertising campaign highlighting the crushing cost of auto insurance in New York.
The ads feature real New Yorkers – from Buffalo to Long Island – sharing how dramatic premium increases are straining household budgets and forcing difficult financial tradeoffs. The centerpiece of the campaign is a 60-second spot built entirely around personal testimonials from working families and retirees across the state.
New York drivers pay more than $4,000 a year on average for car insurance – nearly double the national average – with some New Yorkers paying close to $7,000 annually just to stay insured. Experts agree those costs are being driven by insurance fraud, including staged car accidents and abuse of the legal system.
The ads put a human face on those numbers, featuring:
- A supermarket manager whose rates have jumped more than 70%;
- A widow living on one income whose monthly premium rose from $85 to $150;
- An HR manager and parent whose insurance has nearly doubled;
- A firefighter who stresses that cars are a necessity – not a luxury;
- A senior caregiver who says having a car and insurance is unavoidable;
- A father of three who questions why safe drivers continue to see rate hikes.
In one of the most powerful moments in the ad, a widow explains she was forced to choose between car insurance and health insurance – ultimately opting to go without health coverage because she needed her car to survive.
“These aren’t just numbers on a balance sheet – these are real New Yorkers being crushed by some of the highest auto insurance costs in the nation,” said James Freedland, a CAR spokesperson. “Families are forced to choose between health care and car insurance, and drivers with perfect records still see their rates skyrocket 70%. Firefighters, caregivers, parents – hardworking people doing everything right – are getting slammed and paying the price. Governor Hochul has a plan to fix this, an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers support it, and now Albany lawmakers must close the deal.”
The ads conclude by highlighting that 86% of New Yorkers support Governor Hochul’s plan to reduce car insurance costs and crack down on the fraud and litigation abuses driving premiums higher.
Beginning this week, the spots will air statewide across broadcast, cable, and digital platforms in every major market to ensure lawmakers hear directly from the communities most affected, including: New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, Binghamton, Utica, Elmira, and Watertown.
CAR is urging New Yorkers to contact their state legislators and demand passage of Governor Hochul’s auto insurance reform package to deliver meaningful relief for drivers across the state.
The 60 second version of the television spot is available here.
Ad Script: “TESTIMONIALS” (60 Seconds)
Vinny (Supermarket Manager): My insurance rate has gone up, somewhere upwards of 70%.
Joy (Widow): I went from $85 a month, I’m at $150 now. That’s a big burden when you’re on one income.
Andrea (HR Manager): My car insurance has pretty much doubled.
Brian (Firefighter): It just keeps going up and up and up.
Kimberly Jo (Senior Caregiver): Living in my area, you have to have a car. Which means I have to have insurance.
Brian (Firefighter): I’m a firefighter. Cars are not a luxury, they’re a necessity. I don’t think it’s fair that New Yorkers pay twice as much as other places in the country.
Kimberly Jo (Senior Caregiver): It’s crazy!
Joy (Widow): I had to make a decision between car insurance or health insurance. I opted to not have health insurance.
Vinny (Supermarket Manager): I take the safe driving course. I do the program where they monitor your driving.
Joe (Father of 3): In what world do you do everything by the book, and then your rates still increase?
Kimberly Jo (Senior Caregiver): I have a little bit of money. What about the people that have no money?
Andrea (HR Manager): Could you give us a break on something?
VO: Governor Hochul has a new plan to lower car insurance in New York.
Brian (Firefighter): Hey, Governor – awesome.
Joe (Father of 3): I’m all for it.
VO: 86% of New Yorkers support it. Tell Albany: Pass the plan. Lower our rates.
