Since the launch of the TexasSure auto insurance verification program two years ago, the number of uninsured vehicles on Texas roads has declined, the Texas Department of Insurance reports.
The TexasSure electronic database has been available to all 254 Texas County Tax Assessor-Collectors since June 2008 and to Texas law enforcement since October 2008. Soon after its launch, the database showed that statewide, 24.28 percent of Texas registered vehicles could not be matched to an insurance policy. By June 2010, the number of unmatched registered vehicles had declined to 21.65 percent.
Drivers in Texas are required to carry minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 for everyone injured in an accident, and $25,000 for property damage (25/50/25). The first ticket for non compliance is a fine up to $350. A second offense may bring a fine up to $1,000. Repeat offenders are also subject to a two-year driver license suspension.
The database is able to match more than 99 percent of all reported auto insurance policies to a registered vehicle. TexasSure routinely contacts those insured customers who can’t be matched.
Because TexasSure is able to identify registered vehicles that are properly insured, the program is also able to identify Texas registered vehicles that appear to be uninsured. Officials for TexasSure recently began contacting individuals with Texas registered vehicles that appear to be uninsured. Mailing of the one-page letters, in both English and Spanish, began mid-June 2010.
The department noted that valid reasons that a registered vehicle may not be insured include:
- The vehicle is out of service due to an extended repair or to owner’s active military service.
- The type of vehicle and/or vehicle registration class does not require auto liability insurance, such as vehicles registered in the antique classification.
TexasSure uninsured notices are only sent to the owners of registered vehicles that require auto liability insurance. Customers are provided with the vehicle registration information on file and specific guidance to resolve the issue and provide information to TexasSure.
Customers may respond by mail, phone, or online through the TexasSure Web site.
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