Stiff Penalties for Lack of Texas Insurance
Being caught operating a vehicle in the Lone Star State without proper automobile coverage could result in some of the stiffest, if not the stiffest penalties in the country. Texans are required to have the ability to pay for bodily injury and property damage caused that stem from an accident where the motorist is found to be at fault; this is commonly referred to as the Financial Responsibility Law and not abiding by this can cost a Texan a substantial amount of money. Unfortunately, the Texas Department of Insurance estimates that approximately 20% of Texas’ vehicle are being driven uninsured and can not only put other motorists and pedestrians at risk, but end badly for offenders.
The state has developed these laws to protect citizens from being involved in accidents with drivers who do not have the means to pay for damage and injuries which may be caused and in addition, legislation has been passed allowing the verification of an automobile’s coverage electronically and almost instantly. A verification program by the name of TexasSure was developed to allow law enforcement officers to verify whether a vehicle is being operated legally and covered by a Texas auto insurance policy. Beginning in the spring of 2010 the TexasSure program would keep track of the coverage status of residents and if the program was notified if a policy has lapsed or canceled, at which point the vehicle owner would receive notice and would need to make sure to comply with the law to avoid disciplinary action.
Abiding By Texas Car Insurance Laws
In order to be in compliance with state law a motorist must carry automobile policies consisting of at least liability coverage in the amount of $25,000 for bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for bodily injury per accident and $15,000 for property damage and is commonly seen on declaration pages in the form of 25/50/15. At the beginning of the upcoming new year these minimum limits required will be increasing to 30/60/15 and any policy written or renewed after January 1, 2011 will need to meet these requirements.
While the cost of automobile coverage may be dreaded by the average consumer, the penalty for being caught without a policy can be extremely expensive and in some cases even exceed the amount of a premium. A first time offense can result in costs that can easily exceed $1,000 and convictions can also lead to the impoundment of a vehicle, suspension of driving privileges and even jail time. Subsequent offenses can be much worse. It is probably in the best interest of motorists to take the time to find the most affordable coverage available rather than pay fines in addition to having to get insured any way. With a comparison of the quotes of carriers and shopping around and comparing options, a motorist may be able to find a policy that can fit their budget; even if it is only the absolute minimum required by the state. Residents can even visit the website of the Texas Department of Insurance which provides helpful tips to getting insured at the lowest possible rate.
Source: http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/texas/
Permission is granted to republish this article, free of charge, as long as embedded links remain in tact and articles are not changed, edited, or reworded.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima – The Non-Reporting of Falluja’s Cancer Catastrophe.
Tags: auto, bodily-injury, country, injury, motorists, responsibility, spring, stiffest, Texans, texas
