Will Mississippi Finally Have An Online Auto Insurance Verification System

The state of Mississippi has decided yet again to tackle the issue of being able to check drivers’ auto insurance coverage online. The governor of the state who was named Haley Barbour has been adamantly opposed to allowing online computer checks to be conducted. He voted the bill that would have allowed this about one year ago. The bill which is House Bill 480 might actually be able to be passed soon.
 
The premise behind this move is that so many drivers break the law when they go uninsured. Many drivers in the state were just buying an auto insurance policy then canceling it after a few weeks.
 
The reason behind this is to just be able to have possession of insurance cards. When a person gets pulled over by a police officer, they are asked for their driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance. If you do not have your proof of auto insurance coverage then you get into legal trouble.
 
Many drivers just pay their premiums once and then cancel the policy. They do not care about the fact that they are going uninsured and pose a hazard to others who are on the road.
 
Under this new law, online computer checks could be done so that police officers can know instantly if a person has up to date coverage. The fine for being uninsured is $500. If a driver gets auto insurance coverage before their court date then the fine gets reduced to $100.
 
Now, the fine would be $300 for first time offenders, $400 for second time offenders, and $500 for the third and any subsequent offenses. The hope is that the fines and the fact that the system would be automated and online would deter people from breaking the law.
 
This year, many people have expressed that they feel that the law is a good one but that many people are choosing to go uninsured due to financial issues. While times are tough for people, being uninsured and getting into an automobile accident can cause huge financial problems. Drivers can be sued for damages and medical bills from people who were effected by the accident.
 
The state hopes that the online verification system would be handled by a private company. This would help to reduce costs and make sure that things are as efficient as possible.
 
It would take a while for the state to be able to sift through the number of proposed bids by private companies and compare the services that each one has to offer. Hopefully, it would take 12 months or less to have a system fully operating at 100% capacity.
 
If the system is implemented and is shown to make a real impact in terms of reducing the number of drivers who are uninsured then other states might take up the cause as well. The United States currently has more than 10 million instance of automobile accidents each year. If the number of drivers who are uninsured can drop then consumers may see some financial relief when it comes to their auto insurance premiums.
 
It is probably 50/50 in terms of whether or not this bill will continue to go further and be passed. Hopefully, politicians and members of the Insurance Commission can work together on this effort because it can help everyone.