Sunday, July 28th, 2002 — A report, showing New Jersey‘s auto insurance policy costs have dropped somewhat, won‘t impact efforts to ease carrier restrictions, the head of an industry coalition said today.

There will be no effects "at all. New Jersey premiums are still high, and the principal question is still where will capital come from to support the auto insurance market in the future. It‘s still highly stressed and consumers don‘t have enough choices," said John T. Friedman.

Mr. Friedman, who heads the Coalition For Auto Insurance Competition, which is pushing a 39-page bill to revise rules requiring regulatory approval of insurer rate revisions, was reacting to the findings of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.