TexasSure, the vehicle insurance verification database designed to reduce the number of uninsured motorists in Texas, is now available to law enforcement statewide, the Texas Department of Public Safety reported.
The TexasSure database matches the records of registered passenger vehicles with personal auto insurance policy information submitted by Texas insurance companies. The project was mandated by the Texas Legislature and is a collaborative effort of the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas Department of Information Resources.
The DPS conducted a field test of the program in the Austin area and TxDOT made the database available to tax assessor-collectors statewide in June.
“TexasSure took much longer than expected, but, in the final analysis it will be well worth the wait” says Jerry Johns, executive director of Southwestern Insurance Information Service. “During the test phase in Austin and surrounding communities they found that 25 percent of those stopped for a traffic violation did not have auto insurance. That number goes much higher in Texas cities bordering Mexico. An estimated 50 percent of those drivers are uninsured. Insurers are hopeful, that now the program is in place statewide, we will see a dramatic reduction in the number of drivers without insurance who act irresponsibly.”
Verifying Coverage
DPS recommends that law enforcement agencies verify insurance coverage through existing methods before impounding a vehicle for no insurance. It is DPS policy to not impound vehicles solely for lack of insurance, but other law enforcement groups may differ, DPS noted.
“If you don’t have liability insurance for your vehicle, your chances of getting a ticket just went up dramatically,” warned DPS Lt. Louis Sanchez in a statement released by the agency. “If you have insurance, continue to carry your proof of insurance, as required by state law.”
During a traffic stop, law enforcement officers may use the license plate and/or VIN of a vehicle to submit a query to the new database through the Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (TLETS).
Driving without liability insurance carries a maximum fine of $350 and hundreds of additional dollars in court costs and fees. Repeat offenders also are subject to a two-year driver license suspension.
An estimated one in five vehicles — about 4 million — drive on Texas roads without the proper insurance.
More information about TexasSure may be found online at www.texassure.com.
Topics Texas Auto Personal Auto Law Enforcement
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