Published: May 09, 2008 11:43 am         

Liability insurance database still not working

A 2005 statute designed to make it easier for law enforcement officers to determine whether or not motorists have valid liability insurance is still not up and running.

The law allowed the creation of an insurance database that police agencies, state troopers and inspection stations can tap into to check the liability insurance status of Texas drivers.

The database is set to be created and maintained by a private contractor.

The state has been slow getting the database operating.

Tom Vinger, a public information officer with the Texas Department of Public Safety, said after years of technical delays, the program is nearly ready.

“It has just taken a while to develop the database. The system had to be developed from scratch. We didn’t start populating the database until last year,” he said.

The pilot phase is set to begin in June, Vinger said.

“We’re getting closer to the testing phase,” he said. “Once we determine it’s working, that’s when we’ll do the pilot program in the Austin area.”

Officials plan to use the trial period as a testing ground for the program.

“After we implement the pilot, we’ll have time for reevaluation and adjustments,” he said.

Gainesville Police Chief Steven Fleming said he is aware of the program but that officers don’t use any type of insurance verification database at this time.

“Officers do have ways to check out liability insurance if they suspect a motorist might not be covered,” he said.

Officers sometimes call and verify coverage with the agent listed on the driver’s insurance documents, he said.

They also have another tool for putting a stop to uninsured motorists — impounding uninsured vehicles.

Fleming said uninsured drivers were a bigger problem until the department implemented the new policy.

“A motorist with a previous history of driving without insurance can have their vehicle impounded. Several cities in the Metroplex were using this and we decided to join them. It has been effective,” he said.

Lawmakers said a central insurance database is the best way to crack down on uninsured drivers.

Others worry that data in the system could be incorrect or outdated or that police officers might use the system for random checks of vehicles without probable cause — something Vinger said the agency does not plan to do.

“It is not DPS policy to use the database for probable cause,” he said.

Even with its shortcomings, he said, the database is a good idea.

“We do believe (the database) will reduce uninsured motorists. Most drivers have insurance and this system is designed to address only uninsured motorists. In the past, law enforcement did not have a tool to address the issue of uninsured motorists. Now we do,” Vinger said.