Colorado Legislature Preserves Access to Motor Vehicle Reports

The Colorado Legislature defeated a bill (SB-52) on March 30 that would have kept Motor Vehicle Reports (MVRs) confidential for up to the first six points of driving violations, according the American Insurance Association (AIA).

“By defeating this bill, insurance companies are able to preserve access to a valuable tool that helps carriers more accurately determine the risk of its customers and set appropriate rates,” said Fred Bosse, vice president, Southwest Region, AIA. “Insurers will be able to better differentiate between good and bad drivers and continue to offer good driver discounts to those Colorado drivers who obey the law and drive safely.”

SB-52 would have “hidden” the first five points from a driver’s MVR. Violations such as driving without insurance, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, failure to yield to a pedestrian, driving on the wrong side of the road, running a red light and speeding up to 19 miles over the speed limit would not have been accessible by insurance companies if this bill had passed. Research shows that drivers with previous moving violations are more likely to have accidents, which is a good indicator of risk.

“The legislature was wise to defeat this bill which will keep the roads of Colorado safer,” Bosse said. “Dangerous and aggressive drivers need to be held accountable for their actions.”

SB-52, sponsored by Sen. Jim Dyer (R), was overwhelmingly defeated on the Senate floor.