Making your monthly insurance payment, along with having to pay your car payment, car maintenance costs, gas costs and more, can be quite difficult. It can be tempting to put off paying your insurance payment when you have a lot of other things going on, but this does not mean that you shouldn't make insurance your number one priority. In fact, driving without car insurance can actually cause a whole lot of problems. These are a few of them.

You Could Face Criminal Charges

For one thing, the last thing that you probably want is to face criminal charges just because you weren't able to pay a bill. However, if you drive your car without insurance, this is exactly what could happen. The seriousness of the charges depend on a few things, including where you live and whether or not you were involved in an accident. At the least, though, you could face getting a traffic citation. In many places, driving without insurance is actually a misdemeanor charge, which is more serious than a traffic ticket. This means that you could actually end up with a criminal record for driving without insurance, if you get caught by law enforcement.

You Could Have to Pay for Damages in an Accident

The most important part of having car insurance coverage is making sure that you are covered if you get into an accident. If you aren't, then you could be forced to pay out-of-pocket for damages to someone else's car, your own car and any property. If you don't have the money to pay, you could even face being sued.

Problems With Insurance in the Future

Driving without insurance now can cause you insurance-related problems in the future. It can sometimes be difficult to find an insurance company that will provide you with coverage if you have an insurance lapse. Also, if you get into legal trouble because of it, you might be forced to have an SR22 filing through your insurance company, which can cost you a lot more money.

As you can see, driving without car insurance just isn't worth it. Because of this, it's imperative to always make sure that you have insurance coverage on your vehicle when you get behind the wheel. If you are having a hard time staying on top of your insurance payments, consider shopping around to see if you can find a more affordable policy option.