Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Insurance Commissioner Also Announces Creation of Coalition Against Uninsured Drivers
OKLAHOMA CITY – A pair of legislative proposals would allow law enforcement officers to remove the tags of uninsured vehicles and create a temporary insurance plan for them. Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak announced the bills Tuesday at the State Capitol.
“We simply cannot afford uninsured driving in our state any longer,” said Doak. “Not only does it raise auto insurance rates for all Oklahomans, but if an uninsured driver hits your car, the costs could cripple you financially. We must put an end to this serious problem.”
The legislative proposals include Senate Bill 701, authored by Sen. David Holt, R - Oklahoma City and House Bill 1792, authored by Rep. Mike Christian, R – Oklahoma City. The similar bills allow law enforcement officers to remove the tag from the uninsured vehicle. It would be replaced with a temporary sticker. The proposal also includes an administrative fee that provides temporary insurance coverage for the stickered vehicles. Once the offender pays the required fees and fines and purchases insurance, his or her tag will be returned.
“Unfortunately, right now, the fine for driving uninsured is less than the cost of insurance,” said Doak. “But I’m working with the Legislature to try and change that.”
Also Tuesday, Doak announced the formation of the Coalition Against Uninsured Drivers (CAUD). Its members include; AAA, Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Safety Council and Oklahoma Trucking Association.
“When you consider that one in every four Oklahoma motorists is driving without insurance, it’s easy to appreciate how we can all enjoy lower insurance rates if we can just effectively enforce the state’s mandatory auto insurance laws,” said Chuck Mai, Oklahoma AAAVice President.
An evaluation by the Oklahoma Insurance Department found that approximately 563,692 vehicles in Oklahoma are uninsured, resulting in an $8.8 million dollar loss for the state’s General Revenue Fund and Police and Firefighter Pension Funds.
Pictures of the announcement can be found at: http://www.ok.gov/oid/Public_Information/News/Multimedia.html
About the Oklahoma Insurance Department
The Oklahoma Insurance Department, an agency of the State of Oklahoma, is responsible for the education and protection of the insurance-buying public and for oversight of the insurance industry in the state.
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For more information contact:
Kelly Collins
(405) 522-0683