Beware of New Jersey!

The ad wars over Massachu-setts auto insurance reform have heated up and the loser appears to be New Jersey.

“If Massachusetts passes the auto insurance reform like they did in New Jersey, they’ll be sorry,” says Jennifer, one of several drivers from New Jersey out to warn Massachusetts drivers about pending reforms.

“I’m a police officer and I feel like I’m being robbed,” says another Garden State insured.

The Massachusetts Coalition for Affordable Auto Insurance for All, led by Commerce and Arbella Mutual, opposes the reform legislation outlined by Gov. Mitt Romney that would clear the way for an assigned risk plan and grant insurers more pricing freedom.

The coalition has a statewide advertising campaign that warns that Romney’s plan would turn the Massachusetts system into one like New Jersey’s– and consumers won’t like it.

The ads feature testimonials from individuals identified as New Jersey drivers who claim that changes in their state have hurt, not helped, them. Individuals claim their rates went up because of their credit score, occupation or education level.

Romney has said New Jersey, where reforms included an assigned risk plan, should be the model for Massachusetts. But his opponents’ ads say New Jersey has the nation’s highest premiums.

The advertising campaign can be viewed at www.autoinsurancetruth.com.

The New Jersey ads are intended to counter commercials by another insurance industry-backed group, Fairness for Good Drivers, that decry what the group says is a lack of fairness and choice in the current Massachusetts auto insurance system.

This group advocates changes to the process where the state annually sets the rates for all insurers and it supports implementation of an assigned risk plan.

These pro-legislation ads can be viewed at www.fairnessforgooddrivers.com.