No insurance...police will impound your car.

[FRISKY]

Great idea! There are way too many people driving without insurance...................
__________________________________________________ ___________________________
TULSA - The law took effect just four days ago, and already some drivers have lost their cars.

Officials are making it very clear that they won't hesitate to tow a vehicle if it means making the roads safer for everyone else.

"If you're out here driving without insurance you better think again, we're towing vehicles," says Trooper George Brown.

OHP towed its first car in the Tulsa area on Thursday. Trooper Brown says he thinks they'll be towing many more.

"This is proof that people are driving around out there without insurance," Brown said.

Since Monday, Tulsa Police say they've towed six vehicles for not having insurance. Storey Wrecker says they've been pretty busy. The law is also creating a buzz among customers of A-Affordable Insurance.

"Some of them are making sure their verification is up to date and we've had lines of people coming in making their payments on their insurance, I think it's just making people aware to keep it up to date," says owner Less Lieurance.

It's also bringing in new clients. Lieurance says the company has filled out a lot more applications for car insurance this week as people realize how much extra trouble it will be if they are caught without it.

"You really can't afford not to have it. I mean what will it cost to have your car impounded? What would it really have to cost you to go to court because you didn't have insurance on your vehicle," he said.

While towing may be a harsh punishment, Lieurance says anything that helps motivate people to have insurance is a good idea.

If your car is towed you'll need to show proof of insurance before you can get it back. Drivers have 45 days to pick up their vehicle before it is sold at auction.

http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/local_n...hout-insurance

[MustangGT]

It long past overdue for this to happen. My sisters Jeep was totalled by an uninsured driver and she was told by the officer that it was not the first crash he had worked on the guy. Hookem and Bookem!!!

[metro]

Great to hear, hope they do the same in OKC.

[Prunepicker]

Hooray!

[kevinpate]

many moons back, my lovely was in an accident where the other driver was 'in between' coverages. Driver's coverage had expired slightly before the accident and the driver went and got coverage again afterward, but none at the time of the incident.

She is not the only person amongst my kin who have endured such nonsense.

It is because many such folk exist that I have long carried both med-pay and uninsured motorist coverages on my vehicles. Well worth the premiums, notwithstanding the many years where no claims are made.

[OKCisOK4me]

Great to hear, hope they do the same in OKC.

Wait, this is only Tulsa County law?? I thought this was a state law that has gone into effect?

[BBatesokc]

It's in effect here too. I really don't get all the hype though, they've been arresting people for no insurance in OKC for years. The newsworthy part is that now you can't use a fake insurance card to fool the police.

[PennyQuilts]

I knew a woman who was at fault in an accident with injury. She stumbled out of her car to check on the other driver, apologizing although she knew her insurance company wouldn't be happy with her. The guy just looked at her without a word, then sped off with a car that had a crumpled bumper in the front and a passenger door that didn't look like it would open. The police arrived and speculated that it was someone without insurance or a license or papers.

[old okie]

It's in effect here too. I really don't get all the hype though, they've been arresting people for no insurance in OKC for years. The newsworthy part is that now you can't use a fake insurance card to fool the police.

The law is now in effect here, but too late to help my neighbor whose car was totalled and who was severely injured by an uninsured motorist who was driving his mother's car [no insurance on her car either] and he had no driver's license [was old enough, but don't know if he'd even gotten one]. The cops just let him go on the spot. Didn't even bother with taking him away for nearly killing my neighbor! The witnesses to the accident were appalled at the cops' behavior, but the cops said there wasn't anything they could do about it. Glad we have the new law!

[Easy180]

I can't believe they are already impounding cars for not having health insurance...thought that wasn't going into effect until 2014...

[kevinpate]

It's in effect here too. I really don't get all the hype though, they've been arresting people for no insurance in OKC for years. The newsworthy part is that now you can't use a fake insurance card to fool the police.

Arresting for years, or simply giving a citation and sending them on their way?

[kevinpate]

I can't believe they are already impounding cars for not having health insurance...thought that wasn't going into effect until 2014...

nah, auto insurance is the topic de jour.

[blangtang]

How's it work, the car is insured or the person driving is insured or are they one in the same? I never understood that...

[kevinpate]

How's it work, the car is insured or the person driving is insured or are they one in the same? I never understood that...

Depends on the company and the policy (contract) that exists between the insured and the carrier. In my instance, my cars are insured with named and rated drivers we've made known to our carrier. My policies also have coverage for certain peeps who operate with permission (kin or friend, etc.) My coverage automatically applies to any car I acquire for the first X days to give me protection between acquisition time and make it around to see my carrier time.

[BBatesokc]

Arresting for years, or simply giving a citation and sending them on their way?

I've been archiving the jail blotter since 2002 and there are routinely people on there for no insurance. It was always the officers descretion though. The problem however was people carrying a real insurance card that was 'valid' for a year but they had only made one payment, thus the insurance had long been cancelled by the carrier. At least now with the new system they can detect that.

[BBatesokc]

How's it work, the car is insured or the person driving is insured or are they one in the same? I never understood that...

Virtually all major carriers cover your car regardless who is driving as long as you properly disclosed if there were teen drivers in the household. If you have full coverage it usually also extends coverage to any rent car you are driving. I've inquired with Geico & State Farm in the past both said if I loaned my car to someone to drive they'd be covered. However, I wasn't real happy knowing I couldn't take out teen off our policy unless I could prove he was carrying his own separate policy.

Personally, I think people who don't have insurance are scum bags, but I also think people who live in Oklahoma and don't carry uninsured coverage are not too smart. Cover your own ass and you don't have to worry too much about everyone else.

[MustangGT]

The problem however was people carrying a real insurance card that was 'valid' for a year but they had only made one payment, thus the insurance had long been cancelled by the carrier. At least now with the new system they can detect that.

As long as the operator had a valid card that appeared valid on its face the officer was not allowed to question it. They were actively discouraged from calling the number on the card to confirm. If the card said good that was it, no questions asked. Frankly a large number of people would get insurance for the minimum time frame possible or like you said Brian get a card for six months and only pay for one month.

With the updated computer system it is much better, not perfect, but better. And to the possible naysayers it is NOT about revenue generation for the municipalities but protecting those of us who dothe right thing and buy insurance and keep it current.

[oneforone]

Driving a car is a privelage it is not a right. Part of having access to that privelage is maintaining insurance on your car. If your a good driver, you can carry liablity only for less then a basic cell phone plan. However, I think anyone carrying liabilty is just foolish. You maybe the safest driver in the world and have never had a wreck however, you never know when mother nature or some careless driver is going to destroy your car. It can happen anytime even when it is sitting still in a parking lot or in your garage. It always best to be covered in the event the unthinkable happens. The May Hailstorm is living proof of this. Many people were left sweating bullets because they had no immediate cash to go purchase another car or make a down payment for another one.

[bradzilla]

:thumbs up:

Long story short - many years ago I was with my mother when she was broad sided by a car that fled the scene of the accident. Cops never bothered looking for it and she had the pleasure of paying for the repairs even though she had insurance but did not have the additional uninsured motorist insurance. It never made sense to me that hardworking people who pay their insurance not only have to get full coverage if their is a lien on the vehicle but must ALSO pay for people who refuse to get insurance on their vehicles in case one of the uninsured motorist hits you.

Like illegal aliens, if someone is breaking the law and a officer spots them actually punish them instead of letting the criminal continue to screw over the people around them.

[MustangGT]

Like illegal aliens, if someone is breaking the law and a officer spots them actually punish them instead of letting the criminal continue to screw over the people around them.

Absolutely. Punish the scoflaw POS's.

[kevinpate]

... It never made sense to me that hardworking people who pay their insurance not only have to get full coverage if their is a lien on the vehicle but must ALSO pay for people who refuse to get insurance on their vehicles in case one of the uninsured motorist hits you. ...

Actually, it's not real different than when you select life insurance. You can choose to have very low coverage that will only get you laid to rest on the cheap, or you can choose a coverage level adequate to cover your open debts, put you to rest and provide for your loved ones after you are gone. Neither choice keeps you from harm, but your family will dang sure appreciate the extra effort should the insurance need to come into play.

One car is an older car. I no longer carry collision on it, as it doesn't make sense to do so. I do choose to carry UM, medical payments and roadside assistance for the vehicle, as these are useful to my loved ones.

[metro]

So Bates, can you verify if OKC cops are impounding like Tulsa though, that was the basis of my comment. I know the law is statewide, but seems like Tulsa is making an effort to crack down on the impounds to get people to take it more serious. I'm sure their side purpose is a new revenue stream in a down economy. Sounds good to me.

[BBatesokc]

I haven't seen a noticeable increase in the number of arrests/impounds ~ but, I hear that will change in the coming weeks.