by Lyle Adriano
Approximately 20% of all drivers in Tennessee are uninsured, a problem Gov. Bill Haslam would like to address. He recently signed legislation that establishes an online electronic insurance verification program, similar to one used in other states with high numbers of uninsured motorists. The bill requires the state to work with a third-party vendor to develop and implement such a verification program.
The program would be designed to identify uninsured motorists and notify them of the requirement to obtain insurance, and could also flag them when they go to renew their auto registration.
Ohio’s Financial Responsibility Study Committee is assessing the problem there, and has recommended implementing a similar electronic verification program for more reliable and accurate coverage information access. States that have implemented similar programs reported reductions of uninsured motorists by as much as 20%.
A survey conducted by the Insurance Research Council found that 12.6% of the country’s motorists are uninsured. While the percentage of uninsured motorists has considerably dwindled in the past 20 years, the figure is still substantial.
The ratio of uninsured to insured motorists varies by state, but Tennessee has the 6th highest percentage in the country at 20.1%, and Alabama is 7th at 19.6% according to the Insurance Information Institute.
