Database Tells Officers if Stopped Vehicle is Insured (Austin, Rule: insurance, deductible)

[majormadmax]

Yes folks, it is coming...as early as March there may be a Texas-wide database that shows if drivers have insurance or not. It is about time...

Cheers! M2

Database tells officers if stopped vehicle is insured
By Brandi Grissom / Austin Bureau
Article Launched: 12/17/2007 12:00:00 AM MST

AUSTIN -- The chances getting busted for driving without insurance will increase dramatically starting next year.

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[firstclassflyer]

Well,alright now!!! Good deal.

[SnappyBob]

I remember a few years ago there was 4 car pile up somewhere around Military and Hwy 90. Guess what. Nobody had insurance.

[rd2007]

This needs to go nation wide.. I can't imagine how mad I would be if a car hit me and the driver got out and said they didn't have insurance. I think I would snap...

[did0c]

Good! But what happens when they catch someone w/o it?

About 3 years ago, we got hit from behind. The young lady tried to get us to go just down the road to her uncle's shop and not call the police. Yeah right. She didn't have insurance. We had uninsured motorist with a $500 deductible. The costs were more and USAA told us we could go after her in small claims court if we wanted to but they were giving up after a year of no success in her paying the claim. It makes me sick that we were out the $500 and this lady can go off scot free.

[RoaminRed]

On one hand, I look at this and say "Yes, this is a great idea!" On the other hand, it worries me because it's just one more thing that seems like it's taking away our privacy. I've had my problems with an uninsured driver hitting me and then having to deal with my insurance company to take care of it. It sucks, and uninsured motorists should be penalized. But it's a slippery slope, to start taking away yet more of our personal privacy. There's already a lot of things that the police can see when they run your tag -- things that don't necessarily have anything to do with whether or not you're a criminal.

I don't know, I'd almost rather have to deal with the uninsured motorists than to give anyone more of a look into my personal business.

[PopsGuysRule]

Originally Posted by did0c

Good! But what happens when they catch someone w/o it?

About 3 years ago, we got hit from behind. The young lady tried to get us to go just down the road to her uncle's shop and not call the police. Yeah right. She didn't have insurance. We had uninsured motorist with a $500 deductible. The costs were more and USAA told us we could go after her in small claims court if we wanted to but they were giving up after a year of no success in her paying the claim. It makes me sick that we were out the $500 and this lady can go off scot free.

Technically, there is no 'deductible' for uninsured motorists' coverage. In Texas, you are responsible for the first $250 of the damages. The reason it is not identified as a 'deductible' is because on coverages that have deductibles, you can choose the amount of the deductible, which will affect your premium. Not so with UM coverages; it's the first $250 - that amount can and does vary by state, BUT it is always the same, on everyone's policy, on every carrier's policy forms.....

It probably seems like a petty point to consumers, but you'd be surprised at how many people want to 'change their deductible' on UM coverages. If you read your policy, a section of it will explain that 'we' (the carrier) will pay for damages over and above the first $250.00' OR 'we will pay for damages to your vehicle caused by an unsinsured motorist or vehicle, less $250.00".... language varies by state and by carrier.....

[majormadmax]

Your Constitutional right to privacy does not apply to public places like roads. And there is no "right" to drive, only the state-granted privilege that comes with certain restrictions and responsibilities, one of which is to have insurance. There is no gray area of the law, you either have it or you don't.

You don't have to be paranoid if you abide by the law. It is the lawbreakers that have to worry...

Cheers! M2

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by PopsGuysRule

Technically, there is no 'deductible' for uninsured motorists' coverage. In Texas, you are responsible for the first $250 of the damages. The reason it is not identified as a 'deductible' is because on coverages that have deductibles, you can choose the amount of the deductible, which will affect your premium. Not so with UM coverages; it's the first $250 - that amount can and does vary by state, BUT it is always the same, on everyone's policy, on every carrier's policy forms.....

It probably seems like a petty point to consumers, but you'd be surprised at how many people want to 'change their deductible' on UM coverages. If you read your policy, a section of it will explain that 'we' (the carrier) will pay for damages over and above the first $250.00' OR 'we will pay for damages to your vehicle caused by an unsinsured motorist or vehicle, less $250.00".... language varies by state and by carrier.....

Great, but that still means that if you are hit by an UM, you have to 1) pay for the first $250 worth of damage to your car and 2) deal with the hassle of having to get your car repaired by yourself.

The UM coverage should go away and anyone caught driving without insuranc either pays a $1000 fine or spends 30 days in jail. Stiffer penalties will discourage people from driving without insurance, and if they can't afford it, there is always a public transportation system that a lot of lower-income peopel utilize. Again, there is no "right" to drive in this country or state!

Cheers! M2

[sapphire]

I think this is wonderful news. But aren't they already supposed to be able to tow vehicles that they stop or are in an accident if they have no POI? I remember there was a big stink when that was first passed because some felt it was not fair to low-income people. Hello???? They most definitely should not be driving then, if they are not going to be financially responsible when they hit me. It seems like we always try to eliminate any motivation to better yourself when we let stuff like liability insurance slide. Yes, it's expensive. But so are my car repairs when you fail to have insurance.