Drivers who canceled personal injury protection insurance will have to pay additional premiums on Jan. 1 and minimum-wage workers will get a raise under new laws taking effect Tuesday.

Swanny Note :Look Fellow Floridians, We are getting another GIFT  of being forced to pay more to insurance companies to be able to use our cars and drive defensively and safely.I can't even afford the insurance much less a price increase but then, I do not think that States should be forcing it's citizens to pay for any kind of insurance company.

The New Year will bring a few new changes affecting consumer pocketbooks. For one, it's a leap year, when terrestrial calendars are recalibrated with the sun, stretching the year by an additional day. If you love your job, it's an extra day at the office. If not, at least it's an extra day's wage.

With that in mind, 2008 may bring a double consolation for minimum-wage employees who will get a bump in their hourly pay.

On Tuesday, Florida's minimum wage rises to $6.79 per hour from the 2007 rate of $6.67. It's nearly a dollar more than the federal minimum wage.

LAW REINSTATED

Also taking effect New Year's Day: Florida's reinstatement of a law requiring motorists to carry personal injury protection insurance. It pays for certain medical expenses after an accident regardless of who is at fault. The $10,000 minimum coverage requirement comes three months after the old no-fault law expired in October.

Consumers who took advantage of the lapse and canceled their PIP coverage should check with their insurance provider to make sure it is placed back on their policy before or on Jan. 1. Premiums for the mandatory minimum coverage average roughly $200 a year, or just under $17 a month.

ONUS ON CONSUMERS

Edward Domansky, a spokesman from the state's Office of Insurance Regulation, said the onus was on the consumer to make sure they carried PIP. But at least State Farm said it would automatically roll the coverage back on to its customers policies automatically.

In other driving related matters, the Internal Revenue Service is upping the standard mileage reimbursement rate to 50.5 cents per mile.

In 2007 the rate was 48.5 cents per mile. If your employer reimburses you less than that, you can claim the difference as a deduction on your tax return.

  www.miamiherald.com/business/story/360459.html