Oklahoma Statewide Camera Network to catch Uninsured Drivers

[Canoe]

This program seems like it will add extra debt to the people least likely to be able to afford the debt. It uses state power to provide private profits. While I wish Uninsured Drivers didn't exist, I do not think this is the best way to handle the problem.

https://oklahoman.com/article/567610...ed-drivers/amp

[Plutonic Panda]

I’m just expecting breaking news any day now that someone smacks into the back of one of these jeeps were Ford cars that they use and park on the shoulder and the result is a fatality. I don’t understand how they are allowed to just park on the shoulder of the highway like that

[Bill Robertson]

That article has nothing to do with the vehicle mounted cameras.

[Midtowner]

If you can't afford insurance, then you shouldn't be on the road. If I had my way, there'd be mandatory jail time for driving without insurance.

[catch22]

If you can't afford insurance, then you shouldn't be on the road. If I had my way, there'd be mandatory jail time for driving without insurance.

What that position doesn't take into account is our society forces people to break the law to survive. Some cities, especially those in Oklahoma, car ownership is nearly mandatory as public transit isn't readily available to those who may need it most. Sidewalks don't exist in many parts of the city. The people who are barely making it aren't getting rich off of skirting their insurance requirements. Unfortunately some people are forced to cut corners and break the law to afford to exist in our society. It's sad. Doesn't make it right... but, who's in the wrong? Decades of public policy ignoring the needs of the working lower class, or the person who who after decades of being ignored does what he has to do to survive?

Some people are just assholes and choose not to do it despite being able to afford it - sure throw the book at them.

[Jersey Boss]

The problem gets worse though when the non insured do not lose their license or possibly vehicle.
Oklahoma has some of the highest automobile premiums in the country due to the high rate of uninsured drivers.

[kevin lee]

If you can't afford insurance, then you shouldn't be on the road. If I had my way, there'd be mandatory jail time for driving without insurance.

Mandatory jail time? That's insane, especially for a sprawling city with public transportation issues to begin with. You'd have more people in jail for no insurance than any other crime.

[Plutonic Panda]

That article has nothing to do with the vehicle mounted cameras.

Good point. I am against automated enforcement in general though I’m not sure how I feel about this.

[OKC_1990]

Can someone explain how this will work on the vehicles with expired paper tags that the OKCPD routinely ignores ?

[Bill Robertson]

Can someone explain how this will work on the vehicles with expired paper tags that the OKCPD routinely ignores ?

I would think that if the image can catch a readable number from the paper tag it would be followed up on just like an unregistered metal tag.

[Canoe]

If you can't afford insurance, then you shouldn't be on the road. If I had my way, there'd be mandatory jail time for driving without insurance.

In general I want less people in jail than more people in jail.

[RustytheBailiff]

^^^ lol I think I struck a nerve with Rusty and now he’s following me around like a lost puppy dog desperately seeking attention. It’s kind of amusing to be honest especially from someone who claims to have placed me “generally on ignore” which I wasn’t even aware was a thing. Well, trying to keep things exciting at the least haha ��

I find your posts repugnant, particularity when you speak of the parentage of others.

From your posts it appears you are generally not aware of most things upon which you post.

[RustytheBailiff]

Can someone explain how this will work on the vehicles with expired paper tags that the OKCPD routinely ignores ?

Why does the DMV not just cross check expiration of paper tags with issuance of metal tags? It would seem a lot easier than having camera check for them.

[jerrywall]

If you can't afford insurance, then you shouldn't be on the road. If I had my way, there'd be mandatory jail time for driving without insurance.

Emotionally I'm with you 100%. Logically, I'm not eager for more ways to lock folks up.

I do think these cams are a decent start though. I think we could do more. Many states have an automatic system, and they know fairly quickly when someone's insurance is expired. I don't know why we don't do the same thing. Every single vehicle that's registered with the state must be insured, unless it's a black tag. If we can scan plates and check the system, why not just automatically run the full registrations list against the insurance database, and then automatically notify folks and let them know they have 30 days to obtain or provide proof of insurance, or their tag will be considered revoked, and their license suspended? Certainly, some folks will drive anyways, but I've got to think a strong stance and better monitoring will do as much as trying to lock folks up.

[Midtowner]

Mandatory jail time? That's insane, especially for a sprawling city with public transportation issues to begin with. You'd have more people in jail for no insurance than any other crime.

I have ZERO sympathy for someone who is so selfish that they'd put not only their own health and financial well being on the line every single time they operated a vehicle, but every other person on the road who they could negligently injure.

I've seen way too many people wiped out financially through no fault of their own by judgment-proof defendants.

I'm sympathetic with looking for diversion programs for drug defendants and finding ways to not incarcerate people, but sometimes, you have to be tough on crime. Especially when it's the kind where victims are the most impacted.

I'm also not sympathetic at all to the argument that it is okay to drive without insurance because public transit is inadequate. If you can't afford a car, there is plenty of affordable housing accessible to public transit. You're just trying to make excuses for people who make irresponsible choices. Again, I have zero sympathy.

[Midtowner]

Emotionally I'm with you 100%. Logically, I'm not eager for more ways to lock folks up.

I do think these cams are a decent start though. I think we could do more. Many states have an automatic system, and they know fairly quickly when someone's insurance is expired. I don't know why we don't do the same thing. Every single vehicle that's registered with the state must be insured, unless it's a black tag. If we can scan plates and check the system, why not just automatically run the full registrations list against the insurance database, and then automatically notify folks and let them know they have 30 days to obtain or provide proof of insurance, or their tag will be considered revoked, and their license suspended? Certainly, some folks will drive anyways, but I've got to think a strong stance and better monitoring will do as much as trying to lock folks up.

Better yet, I'd love to see something like an interlock for repeat offenders, i.e, something which pings an insurance database to ensure coverage before it will allow the engine to start. Something like that has to exist.

[OKCRT]

Mandatory jail time? That's insane, especially for a sprawling city with public transportation issues to begin with. You'd have more people in jail for no insurance than any other crime.

Lock em up! Oklahoma's answer to just about everything. Have to keep those private prisons full, right? They have to find other ways to lock people up since they passed the MMJ laws. That took away a lot of their business.

[RustytheBailiff]

Lock em up! Oklahoma's answer to just about everything. Have to keep those private prisons full, right? They have to find other ways to lock people up since they passed the MMJ laws. That took away a lot of their business.

Gotta agree with you on this one. It is insane to imprison people for the crime of not having no insurance. Cease their vehicles until proof of insurance can be produced is a sufficient and equitable punishment, no imprisonment.

[Dob Hooligan]

Dude hit my 17 year old son while I was 50 miles away one Friday evening. Says he has warrants and no insurance, and he will be arrested if son calls police. I tell son to let him go. Dude was telling truth, he gave legit info and I ran it later. Never paid a cent. I told son that a person facing arrest is capable of violent outburst or other acts that could place him at risk. Not worth taking a chance over money.

Uninsured woman passes out at wheel and ran through the fence on the back of my house that backed up to a 4 lane, section line road. 7AM on a Monday while wife and I are on vacation. Woman hits a tree in back yard, cuts head and takes ambulance to hospital. Wipes out 40 feet of wood fence, letting our three dachshunds wander around next to rush hour traffic. Neighbor corrals them and calls my business, who calls me. Get my brother to take off work and patch up fence enough to keep them safe until we can get home next day. Wife Never forgives circumstance and we move a year later.

I have spent 40 years in the auto body business and have to say that uninsured drivers continue to be a burden in Oklahoma. About ten years ago it seemed to be close to 20% of cars we repaired were hit by uninsured. It feels closer to 10% today, but that is anecdotal on my part. I see the financial burden placed on my customers on a weekly basis.

Jail isn’t the answer. There is a surprising percentage of people who drive with no insurance or drivers license. If they go to jail, they will do their time and then drive again as soon as they get out. You will be surprised at the number of people taking that chance today.

The tag camera system in this thread will show the honest people. But those who will buy a car for $500 will drive with no tag and be able to game the new system. Or drive on the tag the seller is too ignorant to realize they have to keep when they sell.

[Rover]

About 4 years ago my wife was seriously injured and car totaled at a city intersection in OKC when the driver ran a red and t-boned our car. The driver/car was uninsured. The owner was an oil broker and had plenty of money to get insurance, but just didn’t. They had money to hire high powered attorney after the fact. We lost money on car replacement and my wife still has pain. But no compensation. Our insurance paid medical and car and they skated. This is why we need to crack down.

[securityinfo]

I learned many decades ago that in Oklahoma you either: 1) Fully insure your vehicle, both for comp and collision, or 2) Pay nothing and forget about it. You either have just enough in life to lose if you are at fault, so you choose option #1, or you have enough money or lawyers to fight any suit (which seems to be a very popular thing to do these days). Otherwise, just but a 500$ car, and if you crash it, run away. Chances are no one is looking for you.

[FighttheGoodFight]

My question is, what do other states to to make sure more people have car insurance? We should do that.

[Bill Robertson]

I learned many decades ago that in Oklahoma you either: 1) Fully insure your vehicle, both for comp and collision, or 2) Pay nothing and forget about it. You either have just enough in life to lose if you are at fault, so you choose option #1, or you have enough money or lawyers to fight any suit (which seems to be a very popular thing to do these days). Otherwise, just but a 500$ car, and if you crash it, run away. Chances are no one is looking for you.

Comp and collision have nothing to do with this conversation. They cover your car not the car/driver/passengers you might harm if you hit them.

[Bill Robertson]

My question is, what do other states to to make sure more people have car insurance? We should do that.

Good question. Do other states do things differently or it it a universal problem?

[okccowan]

IIRC in Florida in the late 1990s or early 2000s voters voted for a system where everyone paid a tax into a public pool, which would be used to compensate for auto crashes. But the legislature did not do that because it would have killed the private insurers