Coalition Asks for Tougher Laws for Uninsured Drivers

The Coalition Against Uninsured Drivers and state insurance department said Tuesday there needs to be more support for tougher laws against uninsured drivers.  A new bill is on the table that would raise the fines for driving without insurance and allow law enforcement to confiscate license plates of those drivers.

In Oklahoma, one in four drivers are uninsured.  New numbers from the Oklahoma Insurance Department estimate costs associated with these drivers adds up to a loss of $8.8 million for the state every year.

"When you equate this back to the money that the general fund is losing and the areas that that could impact, its significant over time," Insurance Commissioner John Doak said.

He's asking for support of House Bill 1792 this session.  The bill is authored by State Rep. Mike Christian, R-Oklahoma City.  The bill would let law enforcement officers who stop cars with no insurance, confiscate the license plate.  Drivers would have ten days to reclaim their tags after paying fines, court costs and showing proof of insurance.  This bill would also create a temporary state insurance plan that would temporarily cover those drivers at a cost of about ten dollars a day.  A fine if $125 would cover costs of administering the plan.

Rep. Christian said the bill would also raise the fine for driving without insurance, but that fine has not yet been determined.  Currently uninsured drivers are fined $250.

"This law will go a long way with minimal impact on the offender, huge impact on the state, at low expense to the state," Chuck Mai, AAA Oklahoma's vice president, said.

A similar bill has been passed in Louisiana.  Doak said the law helped to reduce the number of uninsured motorists in that state from 25 percent to 12.5 percent.

The Coalition Against Uninsured Drivers includes the AAA Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Trucking Association, Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agent and the Oklahoma Safety Council.

Posted: Monday, February 18 2013, 09:46 PM CST