Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling skyrocketing car insurance premiums a crisis in New York.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, New York residents are paying, on average, $300 more this year for car insurance - some even higher. Hochul says a big factor driving up those rates is tens of thousands of cases statewide where drivers who cause crashes are filing claims and collecting payouts from insurance companies. This includes staged car crashes, or a negligent driver causing an accident, even a person convicted of a DWI crash, being able to collect insurance money The governor was on Long Island on Wednesday to announce her proposal to bring down costs. "Make it easier to prosecute these staged accidents," Hochul said. "Strengthen penalties for those who break the law. Fund a new cross-agency task force to catch these perpetrators." The governor plans to pump the brakes on fraud to lower insurance rates. Steve Stathis, of Apple Insurance in Brentwood, says he hopes the state can take action to help Long Island drivers struggling to pay their car insurance.

"The task force is going to help, but it's going to take some time," Stathis said. "They just let it get out of hand."