Penalties for driving without insurance would increase under proposed legislation (H 4446) in South Carolina. A vehicle owner would pay a $350 fine and police would be required to tow and impound the vehicle. This would be in addition to current penalties which include suspension of drivers’ license and vehicle registration, with a $200 fee for reinstatement.
LINK: to text of bill
Meanwhile, Gary Chism, an insurance agent and the chairman of the Mississippi House Insurance Committee, is backing legislation (HB 480) in that state to create a database to help track which vehicles are on the road uninsured.
LINK: to text of bill
A similar bill was vetoed last year by Gov. Haley Barbour because of cost concerns. But the Insurance Research Council estimates that 28 percent of drivers in Mississippi lack insurance, double the national average and the highest percentage of any state.
A similar proposal (HB 540) for an insurance verification database was passed 65-0 recently by the Idaho House and has been introduced in the Senate. About 30 others states currently have such a system.
LINK: to text of bill
And a bill in Oklahoma (HB 2525) would allow police to pull over drivers simply because a state-run database indicates they lack insurance. Currently in that state there has to be another violation or an accident in order to be fined for lack of insurance.
LINK: to text of bill
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