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While a car accident is a serious enough headache even if everyone is insured, drivers who are in the country illegally could suffer much worse consequences when they are caught, according to a report in the New York Times.

As an example, the paper presents the case of Felipa Valencia, an unlicensed illegal immigrant who, though she had lived in Georgia for 17 years, faced deportation proceedings in the aftermath of a traffic accident.

Since only three states – Washington, New Mexico and Utah – provide licenses to drivers without proof of legal residence, the vast majority of illegal aliens in the country are unlicensed and, importantly, have not taken safety exams, says the Times. This can make some of them, like Celso Duartes, a serious hazard on the road. According to the paper, Duartes struck and killed an elderly retiree and attempted to flee the scene in October 2005.

One solution to the problem, car insurance experts told the Times, might be to remove residency requirements for driver's licenses. While there are concerns with providing such identification documents to illegal immigrants, the vice president of the American Insurance Association said it also had potential benefits.

"When you are licensed, you have proven you have some ability to drive and know the basic safety rules," David Snyder told the newspaper.

The Times also reports there are concerns over splitting up families when punishing illegal immigrant drivers. In Valencia's case, her 16-year-old daughter Crystal – an American citizen by virtue of having been born in the country – would be left in an intolerable situation by her mother's deportation.

In part because of the large number of illegal immigrant drivers in some areas, many states now require uninsured motorist coverage in addition to collision and comprehensive, experts say.