Montana Will Finally Use New Car Insurance Verification Database

Montana is a state that is moving forward with trying to deal with drivers who do not have valid car insurance coverage. The state has finally completed its verification system. The system will allow police officers to have access to a database that will generate Internet listings showing if a driver is properly insured or not. All of the information is available to officers in real time so that the likelihood of wrongly ticketing someone is minimal.
Montana requires that each driver maintain minimum liability insurance coverage. A basic policy has $10,000 worth of coverage for any property damage that is done and $50,000 for the bodily injuries in an automobile accident. The state was forced to create the system because so many drivers were not complying with the standards that have been mandated.
The way that the verification system works is that during a traffic stop, an officer can ask a driver to produce their proof of insurance card. Then, the officer will use the driver’s legal name or license plate number to find out whether or not they are insured. It takes just a few minutes to do this and it helps officers find those drivers who are knowingly breaking the law.
By the end of 2013, the courts and all law enforcement agencies will be able to use the verification system. This will make it much harder for drivers to break the law. For example, if someone goes to renew their driver’s license at their local DMV then their license plate number or name might be run to see if they have insurance coverage. If they do not, then their license might not be renewed or they might have to pay a fine.
Some drivers have complained about this type of system because they feel like it puts them at a disadvantage. Politicians have stated that this is a great safeguard to have in place because it protects insured drivers from those that are not. Drivers need to understand that they are being taken advantage of by drivers who have chosen not to follow the law.
Being involved in an accident with someone who does not have insurance can lead to drivers not getting their insurance claims paid for. With the state’s economy being in a bad place, the verification system needed to be implemented in order to help make the roads a safer place. Drivers can fight their tickets if they can prove that they were insured at the time of their traffic stop so everyone wins in the end.