New texassure program looks to ensure drivers are insured

By Lacie Jim Morrison, Mineral Wells Index, Texas

Aug. 18--A new statewide program's test phase indicates that about one-fourth of Texas drivers don't have auto insurance. With the execution of TexasSure, a new vehicle insurance confirmation system, law enforcement hope to reduce those fig.

The programme is a joint attempt between the Texas section of Insurance, Texas section of populace Safety and Texas section of info Resources to get uninsured motorists off the road. According to the TexasSure Web site, the initial cost of the programme is $7 1000000 with funds approach from "a part of the $1 fee that drivers pay when they apply for or renew their motor vehicle registration."

"Many different stakeholders helped develop the engineering system needed to make this work. I commend DPS, TxDOT, DIR and those in the insurance industry for putt together this one-of-a-kind solution," said Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin in a statement released in June. "Any tool that helps us reduce the figure of uninsured vehicles is good news for law-abiding Texans with insurance coverage."

According to the TDI, drivers with insurance don't need to do anything other than carry their proof of insurance, which is required by law. The insurance companies send policy information hebdomadally to the TexasSure vendor and it's matched to TxDOT's vehicle enrollment records.

The programme is presently in its 60-day test phase in Travis County. TexasSure is projected to be fully implemented later this year.

"For too long, having a hit in Texas has been like playing a game of Russian roulette, where you never know whether the at-fault driver is carrying the required insurance," said DPS main road Patrol Lt. Louis Ilich Sanchez. "Because of TexasSure, we believe drivers now will be far more probably to get and keep a liability policy when they realize we have a way to identify phony proof-of-insurance cards and catch those who cancel their policy as soon as they get their cars registered or inspected."

For more information on TexasSure, visit their Web site at: www.texassure.com

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