The number of Lone Star drivers who opted not to get Texas car insurance quotes and drive without coverage held steady at 15 percent between 2007 and 2009, according to the Insurance Research Council. This number remains slightly higher than the national average which is 13 percent.
Auto Insurance is the Law in Texas
It is against the law in Texas to operate a motor vehicle without liability coverage. The minimum policy requirement is $25,000 per injured person and $25,000 for property damage. The initial fine for a first offense is minimal, ranging between $175 and $350, but it could wind up costing the driver much more than that.
If a person is convicted of driving without insurance, they are required to pay an annual surcharge of $250 to the Texas Department of Public Safety in order to maintain their driver’s license. This fee remains in effect for three years.
Drivers should also remember that liability does not cover their own vehicle. This policy only pays for damage done to others.
TexasSure Program
In 2008, the state created the TexasSure program. This policy established a database that links registered cars up with insurance policies. This program allows individuals that lack coverage to be easily identified. Using this database the state will send letters to people warning them that they may be in violation of the law.
“It will be an opportunity to remind them what their responsibility is,” Jerry Hagins, the Texas Department of Insurance spokesman, told the Waco Herald Tribune.
Other Ways the TexasSure Program Helps
The program can also help police officers quickly identify law breakers. Law enforcement members said they had been fooled in the past by false insurance cards and this new database will eliminate that from happening.
“It’s given us another tool to add to our arsenal on traffic stops to help us locate people who are driving around without insurance, and it also encourages people to get insured because they know they’re going to be caught,” Texas Department of Public Safety official Charlie Morgan told the news outlet.
In more recent Texas car insurance news, a bill to change the way insurance is regulated in the state was defeated earlier this month, according to the Associated Press. The legislation contained a ban on credit scoring in the underwriting of home and auto insurance.