Car insurance is required by most states and purchasing coverage is an easy way to avoid expensive penalties. When conducting regular traffic stops, police officers can easily run your license plate to instantly check coverage status.
Cops use various strategies to ensure drivers comply with state laws. Read on to understand how they can tell if you have car insurance and what will happen if they discover that you don’t.
License Plate Scanners
Few are aware that police utilize automatic license plate scanners to instantly check drivers’ car insurance status. These devices can be mounted on police vehicles or placed stationary such as roadside cacti, exit ramps and traffic lights for instantaneous check. Cameras take high-resolution photographs of a vehicle’s license plate while simultaneously collecting geolocation data to match against an electronic database to see if its driver possesses coverage; otherwise fines or impoundment of their vehicle could ensue if found to lack coverage.
An officer can verify license plate numbers using two methods. They either call it in via radio or key it in at a mobile data terminal. An officer typically runs through 150 plates an hour using this approach if not interrupted and they devote all their attention to this task. By contrast, an ALPR system can process 3,600 plates within the same amount of time, and store their scan information so it can later be retrieved for pattern recognition, location verification or witness identification purposes.
National Crime Information Center’s database of license plate numbers not only identifies uninsured drivers but also helps law enforcement track vehicles linked to potential suspects of criminal activities or suspected ties with other criminals, according to State Trooper First Class Sarah Salerno. By linking these dots together, law enforcement can take proactive measures against crime before it happens or catch those engaged in unlawful behavior in real time, she explains.
States approach uninsured driving with a combination of financial stings to drive risky drivers off the road, license suspensions and mandating proof of insurance as part of registration processes. Police being able to access car insurance information electronically during regular traffic stops or checkpoints encourages many motorists to maintain proper coverage.
However, some privacy advocates are wary about how this technology could be misused. Collecting personal data about private citizens without their knowledge particularly worries them; and there have been cases in which this system has been exploited to stalk, discriminate against or violate civil liberties.
Electronic Verification Systems
If your state requires auto insurance, most police departments will run your license plate and insurance details when pulling you over for any reason. They then use this data to check coverage; making it harder for drivers to falsify proof of insurance cards.
Prior to these systems being in place, drivers could simply present their paper insurance card when stopped by police officers; but since many failed to renew or even keep active their policies, police had no way of knowing whether that information was accurate. Now most states maintain online databases where all insurance companies must submit regular updates. Using this data, police officers can see whether a driver is insured as well as determine whether their policy has expired.
This system is very efficient and accurate, with its data updated daily as policies lapse and new ones begin. Therefore, it’s vital that you renew your car insurance at its due time to ensure an up-to-date policy is in effect.
Before or during a traffic stop, officers can use the database to check whether a driver is insured. They’ll also investigate any violations on their driving record to help combat uninsured driving and help stop uninsured drivers from continuing. This is an important way of helping reduce uninsured driving.
Another method used by police forces is setting up insurance checkpoints randomly along major highways. This can help catch many uninsured drivers all at once; being fined almost certainly for lack of car insurance at such checkpoints may act as an effective deterrent to many drivers who might otherwise drive without coverage.
Some states permit electronic forms of proof of insurance in lieu of physical documents, including PDF files from insurers saved to mobile devices or downloaded ID cards from carrier apps. We consulted several officers about this matter, who all responded that provided they don’t specifically exclude such methods for providing proof, they should be accepted as acceptable ways of showing proof.
Insurance Checkpoints
In most states, it is illegal to drive without car insurance. To make sure drivers abide by state law, police officers can establish roadside checkpoints at which they will scan each license plate to see if its insured; then request evidence of insurance or registration documents from owners of such cars.
These systems not only allow law enforcement to tell instantly if someone has car insurance, but can also identify who owns the vehicle. This can help locate uninsured motorists who attempt to game the system by purchasing short-term policies only to let them lapse later – something most motorists find as an incentive for getting and keeping covered.
Many police departments are now adopting automated license plate scanning systems, which enable them to quickly check a driver’s insurance status without physically approaching their vehicle. These systems use cameras to read license plates and connect directly to their database in order to check current insurance information on a given vehicle, saving cops valuable time during traffic stops without waiting for drivers to produce proof of coverage documents from them.
Police can easily ascertain a driver has car insurance by consulting their state’s database. This database will contain driver and vehicle owner details as well as violations such as speeding or driving under the influence. Having this data readily available allows officers to quickly identify risky drivers and remove them before an accident occurs.
Maintaining current auto insurance is of the utmost importance for drivers of all kinds; new drivers in particular must ensure they obtain adequate coverage as quickly as possible. With technology making it simpler than ever for police to assess insurance statuses of drivers on the road, having proper coverage before hitting the roads should always be the goal.
Calling Your Insurer
Make sure you always have valid car insurance before taking to the roads, both to protect against accident injuries and comply with state laws. Driving without car insurance could incur heavy fines or even the suspension or cancellation of your license; police officers can conduct spot checks during traffic stops or as part of their routine enforcement activities to make sure you are insured.
Police can easily verify your insurance status using license plate scanners, electronic verification systems or simply by reviewing your car insurance card. They can call your insurer and confirm that you’re covered, or check with the Department of Motor Vehicles to see if your policy is active; generally speaking though officers won’t call your insurer; instead they usually accept documentation as evidence that shows you have an active policy from their provider that falls within its stated dates on your policy document.
Police utilize the Motor Insurance Database (MID) as their main method for tracking uninsured drivers in the UK. When purchasing car insurance policies in this country, every policy purchased must be entered into this system and police check this database roughly 2500 times an hour to investigate suspected offenses.
Police can easily verify if you have car insurance through various methods, but one of the most accurate approaches is running your registration number and license plate through a database called Motor Information Database (MID), which contains extensive amounts of data that is updated often and contains most of the details they need about drivers such as their name and address, vehicle details and insurance coverage information.
Most states mandate car insurance, making it very unlikely you would drive without valid coverage. Penalties for driving without car insurance vary between states but generally involve steep and lasting fines; to avoid them altogether and reduce your chances of getting caught faster, always carry valid car insurance policy with an insurer as soon as possible; you could further lower the chances of detection by selecting one which meets or exceeds minimum state coverage requirements.