Uninsured Texas Drivers’ Cars To Be Towed?
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
Carla Castano from KXAN Austin recently reported on a new trend: police are pulling over drivers, and towing their cars if they lack Texas auto insurance. The ordinance came into effect last week in Dallas. Reportedly, Austin is planning to consider a similar ordinance. Texas’ Auto Insurance Verification Program, run by the state’s Department of Public Safety, is able to run a person’s license plate in order to tell if they have liability insurance.
These new laws may result in more defensive driving by the uninsured to avoid being pulled over in the first place, predicts Carla. Even though it already costs about $250 to pay a ticket for driving without insurance in Austin, almost a quarter of the population was still driving uninsured.
Insured drivers may need to have uninsured motorist coverage to protect themselves. The economy is making more drivers forgo car insurance in favor of other essential needs. Unfortunately, uninsured drivers often lead to higher auto insurance premiums for everyone; often, they also have to pay penalties once they reinstate their insurance.
(Photo credit: qthrul under CC 2.0)
