One of the most common concerns I hear from southwest Michigan families and job providers is the high cost of auto insurance in our state.

According to a new report from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Michigan drivers pay the third highest auto insurance premiums in the nation.

The report measured the combined average premium costs for liability, collision and comprehensive coverage in 2014, the most recent year for which complete data is available.

Michigan’s average premium was $1,351, which was roughly $370 more than the national average of $982 and nearly double the premiums paid by drivers in our neighboring states of Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Even worse, while the national average premium increased by about 8 percent from 2010 to 2014, premiums in Michigan increased by more than 24 percent.

Michigan’s high auto insurance rates are unaffordable to many drivers, and the alarming increase in these rates is a threat to our economy.

We must act now to make the long-overdue changes to our auto insurance system and give much-needed relief to Michigan drivers.

These reforms should protect consumers from fraud, strengthen transparency for citizens coping with insurance claims and ensure those covered under the previous system continue to receive their same benefits.

One problem we currently face is that auto insurance companies in Michigan can pay up to three or four times more for the same medical treatment as other types of insurance.

I fully support the idea of creating a statewide fraud authority to decrease fraud in the system, which would help save money for Michigan consumers. We could also help drive down premiums by ensuring that auto insurance companies reimburse health care providers at a level just above other types of insurance.

Michigan drivers need auto insurance reform. We owe it to all Michigan residents to enact reasonable reforms that reduce costs and continue to provide drivers with the best medical benefits in the country.

Sen. John Proos, R-St. Joseph, represents southwest Michigan.