How do you figure you could drive without responsibility? YOU were responsible... YOU could choose how you accepted that responsibility. Insure yourself, or pay yourself.
My car insurance on MY decision was $98/yr. and reduced each year with a clean driving record. The year car insurance became mandatory, my premium increased to over $500 per year and increased each year after... clean driving record or not.
Please, you don't REALLY think mandatory insurance is a good thing? Unless of course, you own an insurance brokerage.
You might have been able to self insure, but a sizable segment of the population could not. When they hit someone, there was no way to collect the funds.
I agree that auto insurance companies are in bed with law enforcement and its a racket, but the requirement for automobile insurance is not a bad concept.
Auto insurance is currently a scam just as much as health insurance companies are running a scam. However, if you ram into me and you have no insurance then I am screwed. Which is always a possibility in Cali with all the uninsured illegal immigrants driving around.