The Insurance Journal is reporting an alarming new bill that was recently approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
House Bill 2331, which was proposed by Representative Steve Martin (R-Bartlesville), Oklahoma drivers who are caught driving without auto insurance could have their vehicles impounded by the police.
Martin says the bill, which was overwhelmingly approved by the House in an 87-8 vote, will authorize Oklahoma law enforcement officers to use a newly established instant verification system that enables them to determine whether or not a vehicle is covered by the state’s required amount of liability insurance. If a vehicle is found to be uninsured, the police would then have the ability to have it towed away immediately.
Representative Martin says that there are studies which suggest as many as a quarter of all Oklahoma drivers are on the road without insurance coverage.
Some members of the Oklahoma House have expressed concern with the new verification system’, questioning its accuracy. It’s also possible that there may be an issue with how to handle passengers who may be in the vehicles to be towed, especially if they are children.
The bill must still be approved by the Oklahoma state Senate before it becomes law.
Some members expressed concern about the accuracy of the new verification system and the fate of passengers in the vehicle, especially children.