Car insurance should be priced to reflect the risk of the driver getting into an accident. But in Maryland, insurance companies use non-driving related factors — including education, occupation, marital status, homeownership and credit — to set the rate that a driver pays for insurance. This allows them to determine who might be a more profitable customer in the long run, rather than someone's risk on the road, and it leads to some perverse outcomes.

This article originally appeared in the Baltimore Sun on March 16, 2016. To continue reading, please click here.