Alabama Mayor Proposes Towing Uninsured Vehicles

July 24, 2013

  • July 24, 2013 at 1:44 pm
    Whodathunkit? says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    The “Opponents” of this law should get together and raise funds to pay for insurance for those who can’t afford it. If you don’t have a license, I’m sorry, you shouldn’t have a car, regardless of income.

  • July 24, 2013 at 3:05 pm
    Scott says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    Now THIS is an idea worth consideration on a national basis, for Personal and Commercial auto! Of course, the ACLU will be all over it as an invastion of privacy, etc., but think of the reduced accidents and subsequent carrier rate hikes if it was in place. We are ALL penalized by accidents caused by uninsured drivers.

  • July 24, 2013 at 3:13 pm
    Andy says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    Really, they don’t already tow uninsured vehicles in Alabama? There is a law that you cannot drive uninsured. If you get caught driving uninsured, you get a ticket and are sent on your way DRIVING??? Is this not encouraging people to break the law? Officer: “Oh, sir you can’t drive in Alabama without Insurance. Here’s a ticket. Be on your way now, but be careful, you are not insured.” Driver: “Well thanks officer!” Pulls into traffic and causes an accident……..UNINSURED! Its a no brainer!

    • July 24, 2013 at 4:24 pm
      Libby says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 0
      Thumb down 0

      What about the guy (or gal) that has insurance but failed to put the updated ID card in the glovebox? I’ve done it. Almost every year.

      • July 26, 2013 at 4:55 pm
        Patti Cake in the East says:
        Like or Dislike:
        Thumb up 0
        Thumb down 0

        That can be fixed with a quick call to their agent/carrier. I’ve actually gotten calls from the Newtown P.D. for client’s who didn’t have their updated cards in their glove box…maybe not all officers are as patient?

    • July 25, 2013 at 4:25 pm
      Sherinae says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 0
      Thumb down 0

      The new law is suppose to suspend tag and license for the first offense and it will cost $200 and proof of insurance to get them reinstated. I do not understand where they get that they are sent driving on their way. You get a ticket if you cannot provide proof of insurance even though you are suppose to be in the system to where the officer can enter your tag number and see your insurance information. But it being Alabama, they are giving their good citizens a little time to become aware of the laws and to comply. It really is up to the policeman who makes the stop I suppose. Not everyone has the internet, a TV, or can read a newspaper. So I guess they are giving it time to go through the church circles and the breakfast/ coffee gossip groups in all of the local towns. But I have noticed at the end of each month I get 5-6 new auto customers due to tag renewals. That is when some of them find out they have to prove insurance before renewing a tag. And by sheer proximity, they come walking in looking for liability coverage so they can get their tags. Some don’t stay on the books, but most have since they have passed these new laws.

  • July 25, 2013 at 7:28 am
    Don Birkholz says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    If a person is a good driver, I don’t care if he has a license or insurance. Its the three time DUI that has a license and insurance that I fear. Insurance does not make you a good driver.

    75% of the vehicles purchased are financed. These financed vehicles are immune from damage caused by those who cannot afford insurance. They are immune because they are required to have collision insurance by the bank. If you want to be immune from damage costs to uninsured drivers, get collision insurance. It will pay to replace the entire 20,000$ cost if your vehicle wrecked (minus the deductible). Liability insurance generally only replaces part of the damage done by those who cannot afford insurance. Collision insurance fully replaces a wrecked vehicle. Liability insurance in some states only replaces 5,000$ of the damage.

    • July 25, 2013 at 11:11 am
      Libby says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 0
      Thumb down 0

      Why should I have to pay my deductible and have an accident on my loss run if an uninsured motorist is at fault? Driving without a license or insurance is against the law. Plain and simple.

      And what if he does more than just damage my $20k car? What if he injures me, my family, or friends? Am I supposed to suck that up, too?

      Insurance doesn’t make you a good driver, but it at least makes you financially responsible. In some states, your car will get booted if it doesn’t have insurance. What’s wrong with that?

  • July 25, 2013 at 9:35 am
    Roland says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    “Insurance does not make you a good driver.”
    Well said, Don. Neither does a license. Nearly every time I’m on the road I am threatened by pathetic amateurs who fancy themselves race car drivers, and probably every one has a license and insurance. The cops, of course, are nowhere to be found. Government is a miserable failure at this, as it is with everything else. Now give it the authority to have a politically-connected company swipe your car, and then send you a bill for it, if you can’t produce the proper paperwork on command. Brilliant idea.

  • July 25, 2013 at 5:21 pm
    Roland says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    There was a time when the insurance industry relied solely on voluntary exchanges among free people who wanted to share risk. Now it begs politicians to force people to buy its products. And you wonder why so many people hate us?

    • July 26, 2013 at 10:34 am
      Libby says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 0
      Thumb down 0

      Roland, there was a time when you could trust most people to do the right thing and follow the rules. That is no longer the case. Uninsured drivers are a drain on society’s resources and this risk is better transferred to an insurance carrier that can underwrite and fund for it properly.

      • July 26, 2013 at 2:46 pm
        Roland says:
        Like or Dislike:
        Thumb up 0
        Thumb down 0

        If, as you state, people used to be more inclined to obey government rules, it is because nowadays there are so many rules that one simply cannot comply with them all. I’ve read that the average American violates at least 3 laws before lunch every day without even knowing it!
        There are legal remedies when somebody harms you with his vehicle, just as there are when he harms you any other way. And if you fear harm by someone with no resources, that’s what the market invented “uninsured motorist” coverage for.
        Getting government to force the purchase of our product is anti-freedom, and rightfully causes people to mistrust us.
        I guess freedom just isn’t very popular anymore; it’s a sure way to get “disliked.”

        • July 26, 2013 at 3:41 pm
          Libby says:
          Like or Dislike:
          Thumb up 0
          Thumb down 0

          Again, why should I rely on my resources (insurance policy) to respond when someone else is responsible for harming me? Driving is a privilege. And with that privilege comes responsibility. One, that you successfully complete a driving test. Two, that you obain a drivers license. Three, that you legally register your vehicle. And four, that you are financially responsible. Unless you have the resources to self-insure, that means you buy insurance. There is nothing anti-freedom about that. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a trust problem with my clients.

          • July 29, 2013 at 12:18 pm
            Roland says:
            Like or Dislike:
            Thumb up 0
            Thumb down 0

            I’m not talking about your clients’ trust in you but the attitude of the general public toward our industry. You really think people love insurance companies? My perception is that we have a big PR problem, and forcing people to buy our product, be it auto, health or whatever, makes it worse.
            Do you think land owners should be forced by government to buy liability insurance? Hey, somebody might get hurt on their property and have medical bills, and when sued the property owner might not have enough assets to cover those bills. Same thing, isn’t it?

    • July 26, 2013 at 10:12 pm
      jw says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 0
      Thumb down 0

      Actually, the politicians are endorsing the medical providers and personal injury attorneys point of view. These groups want everyone to be insured so they can get paid. They have the strongest lobbyists in state legislatures, in addition to many state politicians being either a doctor or a lawyer.

  • July 26, 2013 at 2:15 pm
    Jeff says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    I am actually trying to understand why this proposal is a big deal. In my state cars are required to be insured. The name of the insurance company is associated with the registration, if the insured changes carriers the new carrier is required to notify the registry. If I am stopped the police run my plate and can tell if I am insured, and by what carrier. If I am driving an uninsured vehicle, it gets towed. In the old days, when everyting was a paper record, this was a problem. Not today. I don’t know what Alabama does, but if they are serious about enforing the regulation, they should do something similar. Else just get rid of the regulation.



Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*