Wouldn’t it be nice for the rest of us if all states did this. If everyone had to carry coverage and was held accountable when caught without it, companies could lower the premiums the rest of us pay for our uninsured motorist coverage.
That way, people who obey the lay and take responsibility for their own mistakes don’t end up subsidizing those who don’t.
Many states, including: NY, NJ, CT,FL, NC, and VA for example, do this. Who do you think pays for it? The Insurance Companies do and they pass along the cost in the premiums you pay. Studies have shown that these databases do little to keep Uninsured/Underinsured motorists off the road. Each state has their own set of rules on what data is stored and how their systems operate. That increases the expense. There’s also problems with improperly reported vehicles. Have you actually ever checked the VIN # on your registration against what’s printed on your car/insurance card. If there’s a mismatch, you come up uninsured. There’s a lot of expense involved if you find yourself in this position.
Actually, I’d like you to quote the studies you mention. Beyond that, the State Of Georgia has the most robust compliance system that I know of; New York has one too but it is too difficult and expensive to develop the company-to-state interface for smaller carriers. And yes, there are real big problems with reporting the VIN correctly because not everyone cares enough or even thinks it is important to tell the difference between a Y and a 4 or a B and an 8 or and S and a 5 but that can all be reconciled over time. In Georgia, you register your vehicle, get your plates and registration and it is entered into a database; then when you pay your premium, your insurance carrier reports the VIN to another database. The department of revenue then runs a database compare program and produces a report which details the VIN registrations where the VIN is not matched exactly to the insurance compliance system. A notice then goes out to you, the vehicle owner and you have 30 days to have your agent/carrier review the report and download a correction to the VIN. Georgia went further than that by taking the technology impediment out of the picture; carriers only need to have an internet browser to access the database and download the VIN, the year and model and policy number (optional). Companies with large books of business usually have the capability to automate the reporting but once the VIN is reported by the carrier and the policy remains on their books, no further reporting is required. When the policy is cancelled or the vehicle is sold or junked, the carrier is required to report the change in status. I expect that this will be the model for all states in the future, since it is almost foolproof by making the vehicle owner, the agent and the carrier all responsible for keeping the coverage information up-to-date. Otherwise, you’ll be getting a visit from a state trooper who will confiscate your plates….as for why this is happening in sparsely populated Wyoming, I guess that state decided it was worthwhile and had the political will to implement a system like this; in all other states, especially those with high population densities, it is a political football, with folks like you who complain about who is paying for it. I say, pay for it now, once and done to get the system up and running and you’ll reduce the total number of uninsured drivers on the road and reduce the need to subsidize the uninsured.
Wyoming? Why isn’t this being done in densely populated areas where UM/UIM is a real problem?
Wouldn’t it be nice for the rest of us if all states did this. If everyone had to carry coverage and was held accountable when caught without it, companies could lower the premiums the rest of us pay for our uninsured motorist coverage.
That way, people who obey the lay and take responsibility for their own mistakes don’t end up subsidizing those who don’t.
Many states, including: NY, NJ, CT,FL, NC, and VA for example, do this. Who do you think pays for it? The Insurance Companies do and they pass along the cost in the premiums you pay. Studies have shown that these databases do little to keep Uninsured/Underinsured motorists off the road. Each state has their own set of rules on what data is stored and how their systems operate. That increases the expense. There’s also problems with improperly reported vehicles. Have you actually ever checked the VIN # on your registration against what’s printed on your car/insurance card. If there’s a mismatch, you come up uninsured. There’s a lot of expense involved if you find yourself in this position.
Actually, I’d like you to quote the studies you mention. Beyond that, the State Of Georgia has the most robust compliance system that I know of; New York has one too but it is too difficult and expensive to develop the company-to-state interface for smaller carriers. And yes, there are real big problems with reporting the VIN correctly because not everyone cares enough or even thinks it is important to tell the difference between a Y and a 4 or a B and an 8 or and S and a 5 but that can all be reconciled over time. In Georgia, you register your vehicle, get your plates and registration and it is entered into a database; then when you pay your premium, your insurance carrier reports the VIN to another database. The department of revenue then runs a database compare program and produces a report which details the VIN registrations where the VIN is not matched exactly to the insurance compliance system. A notice then goes out to you, the vehicle owner and you have 30 days to have your agent/carrier review the report and download a correction to the VIN. Georgia went further than that by taking the technology impediment out of the picture; carriers only need to have an internet browser to access the database and download the VIN, the year and model and policy number (optional). Companies with large books of business usually have the capability to automate the reporting but once the VIN is reported by the carrier and the policy remains on their books, no further reporting is required. When the policy is cancelled or the vehicle is sold or junked, the carrier is required to report the change in status. I expect that this will be the model for all states in the future, since it is almost foolproof by making the vehicle owner, the agent and the carrier all responsible for keeping the coverage information up-to-date. Otherwise, you’ll be getting a visit from a state trooper who will confiscate your plates….as for why this is happening in sparsely populated Wyoming, I guess that state decided it was worthwhile and had the political will to implement a system like this; in all other states, especially those with high population densities, it is a political football, with folks like you who complain about who is paying for it. I say, pay for it now, once and done to get the system up and running and you’ll reduce the total number of uninsured drivers on the road and reduce the need to subsidize the uninsured.