Have Proof of Insurance on Hand
Practically every motorist on the road must maintain financial responsibility at all times while operating a motor vehicle and most choose to comply with this requirement by purchasing an auto insurance policy. While satisfying this law may seem to be easy enough, automobile owners should also keep the documentation handy at all times whether they are behind the wheel or allowing another individual to operate the car. Insurers will issue identification (I.D.) cards to policyholders which are used to prove that automobiles are insured and it is advised by many state government departments to have this paperwork readily available by keeping it in the glove compartment in the event that it is needed.
When an insurer issues proof of insurance to a customer state law requires that certain information is included on the identification cards; this includes the name of the insured, the year make and model of the vehicle, the vehicle identification number (VIN), the name of the carrier, policy number and the effective and expiration dates of coverage. It is up to the policyholder to make sure that all of these items on the I.D. cards are accurate, especially if they reside in a state that requires carriers to electronically notify the governing motor vehicle department; if the VIN does not match than the automobile may be considered uninsured and a registration could be suspended.
Reasons to Keep Proof of Insurance Handy
Not all states require motorists to have documentation proving that a vehicle is insured while operating an automobile, but doing so anyway may be a good idea. After all, it is just a matter of putting a small piece of paper in an accessible area of the auto and can save a headache in some situations. There are, however, states that do require proof of insurance while drivers are on the road. If an individual is pulled over by a law enforcement officer in such a state, they may have to show I.D. cards without which they could receive a citation or even have a vehicle towed and impounded, which could have easily been avoided by keeping this paperwork in the car and can end up being quite costly.
Whether in a state that require proof of coverage to be carried at all times, another good reason to do so is if a motorist is involved in a traffic accident. For the most part, when parties are involved in collisions with others they will want to collect the policy information from the other party and if an insured does not have this it could turn out to be a bit messy. The Texas Department of Transportation advises motorists to call the police if they are involved in an accident and the other driver does not have documentation proving that they are insured. One does not want to have the police called on them for simply not having a piece of paper on hand and in some states where it is against the law to no have such documents, it may also result in legal repercussions on top of the expenses of the accident. Keeping policy identification cards is as easy as walking from the front door to the automobile and placing it inside and can save a lot of grief.
Source: http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/proof/
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Tags: article, compartment, financial, insurance-handy, Paperwork, policyholder, Vehicle
