Red light cameras checking insurance, too

 

Red Light Camera company announces a new "service" of also checking for uninsured motorists to generate more tickets. They are just connecting to an insurance database with the camera system to check for current insurance when it records your license.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-cameras-insuran...

Not surprising

It doesn't surprise me. In these current economic times, cities are looking for more options to expand their bottom line. This is one of those that may work and may be easier for the general public to swallow than red light or speed camera fines. I would also not be surprised if Phoenix is next behind Chicago in using uninsured motorist cameras.

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Nuvi 2597 / Nuvi 2595 / Nuvi 680 / Nuvi 650 "Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment."

Checking for Uninsured Motorists

Uninsured motorists are nothing but a liability on the roads and should not be allowed to operate a vehicle. In addition to a heft fine, uninsured drivers should lose their license and not be allowed to drive for a few years. There needs to be a better system for tracking uninsured motorists.

Saw this on the News last night

They said that they hope to bring in more than 100 million dollars a year on this "new" revenue.

One of the TV stations said they would more than double the red light camera revenue by this - but other stations had different numbers. I guess it depends on how they want to sensationalize the news.

"Folks, you want to increase your revenue? Come and visit Crook County, Illinois - we can help you with ideas!" mrgreen

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And now, back to your regularly scheduled forum - already in progress . . .

Insurance

I'm all for it to. Anything to get the uninsured drivers off the road. Here in Dallas anyone stopped by police for another reason that doesn't have insurance has their car towed at their expense and can't get it back until they have insurance.

uninsurance driver camera

anyway we can do to get rid of uninsured driver from road would have my vote.

getting uninsured drivers off the road.

That might be a good thing.

Blagojevich It

Ah Illinois, always good for a groan.

wink

--
Nuvi 760 & 660, Streetpilot, GPS III, GPS 10X

Insurance?

johnc wrote:

Red Light Camera company announces a new "service" of also checking for uninsured motorists to generate more tickets. They are just connecting to an insurance database with the camera system to check for current insurance when it records your license.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-cameras-insurance-scofflawsmar17,0,936367.story

I wonder how they will handle self-insured drivers? Some states allow a person or company to post a bond and cover their own liability.

Jack j

Even in Taxifornia

Even here in Taxifornia, they haven't gotten the data bases to be searchable for insurance info. If a driver presents an insurance company issued card when stopped for a violation, it's presumed to be valid.

BTW, I retire 3/30 and by June, I will be moved into my newly purchased home in Eastern Iowa. Like my sig line says, "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave."

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TomTom built in and Garmin Nuvi 1490T. Eastern Iowa, formerly Southern California "You can check out any time you like...but you can never leave."

Insurance in CA

Proof of insurance is required before you can renew your vehicle license in CA. I guess it is done through a data base. I am sure there are still a lot of un-insured drivers, because of the close proximity of the Mexico border.

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NUVI 680, NUVI 5000, MS S&T,

undocument drivers

Yes, undocumented drivers can be anywhere.
Maybe there should be a law asks you place your DL on dashboard. Hopefully, a place easy for traffic camera to read it, so there will be fewer disputes when a citation is written based on a camera photo.

?

jwc3006 wrote:

Proof of insurance is required before you can renew your vehicle license in CA. I guess it is done through a data base. I am sure there are still a lot of un-insured drivers, because of the close proximity of the Mexico border.

So states further from the Mexico border have less uninsured drivers?

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Eat at Joes.

Database?

jackj180 wrote:
johnc wrote:

Red Light Camera company announces a new "service" of also checking for uninsured motorists to generate more tickets. They are just connecting to an insurance database with the camera system to check for current insurance when it records your license.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-cameras-insurance-scofflawsmar17,0,936367.story

I wonder how they will handle self-insured drivers? Some states allow a person or company to post a bond and cover their own liability.

Jack j

Wouldn't that be in the state database as well?

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H.B. Elkins Garmin Nuvi 750 • http://www.millenniumhwy.net

You Drop your insurance

Since most insurance is written for 6 month, in Texas anyway, a driver gets a policy on a time payment plan, pays a month, gets a new registration (1 year), and then drops the insuramce. The only way to stop this is 1 yr policies and no payment plans. Now we know that is not going to happen. The use of redlight camera's to fine the uninsured only works if the databases are kept current by your friendly insurance company like AIG.

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Nuvi 750 and 755T

It's in most insured drivers' interests...

...to get drivers without insurance either insured, or off the road, because doing so would lower the premiums that already-insured drivers pay for uninsured motorist coverage. That would happen because there would be fewer claims filed for accidents with an uninsured driver in states that effectively enforced mandatory insurance laws.

But using red light cameras to scan a database for lack of insurance seems a less efficient way of enforcing mandatory insurance, to me, than simply checking for insurance coverage as a process of renewing license plates. Illinois requires annual license plate renewal. What are they checking the plate number against, that they wouldn't already have, if valid insurance coverage isn't in the same database as license plate registrations?? (And right now, it's not. All they do in Illinois to enforce mandatory insurance is randomly ask a small set of license plate holders each year to provide the insurance company and policy number of an active policy as of a randomly chosen date, and fine you if you don't produce the required info. And if you get pulled over by a police officer for something else, and can't produce a valid insurance card, you get fined for that. But they don't have insurance info for every car in Illinois in state records. So there's nothing to check the plates against right now.) So this proposal from Alderman Burke doesn't make sense. OTOH, sense never was a requirement for laws in Chicago.

What Chicago would really like to have, I think, is a red light camera that scans the driver's and passengers' brain waves and automatically issues a ticket with a fine if it finds any trace of negative thoughts about the mayor or city council.

They'd raise more money, that way, too.

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JMoo On

insurance company reporting

some states require auto insurance company to report when someone drops insurance with them. State will then send a letter to vehicle owner to provide new insurance information. I believe my state is doing that.

In Az...

... they do that. I've received letters requesting updated information after I've changed insurance companies and the old company reported me as dropping their policy. The letters always include a not-so-friendly reminder that failure to respond within a given timeframe will result in some threatening action.

The state requires every registered auto to be insured, but also requires the insurance companies to provide Underinsured Coverage - just in case I suppose.

Bob
nuvi 750

Uninsured Drivers

I recently had a discussion with a friend of mine about why he doesn't have current tags on his vehicle and he told me he couldn't afford it! So I asked him about insurance and he said when his vehicle gets registered he gets insurance then never pays for it and it gets canceled. How many people have heard of such an absurd thing. I can't afford things but registration and insurance are the two things I scrape up for!!!
Some people's kids!

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Nuvi 200, GPS MAP60CSx

Big Brother

I don't like uninsured drivers either, but worry we are getting just a little too much big brother. I would rather see higher fines and more jail time for those caught without it. I would also like to see more laws to allow people with damages due to uninsured drivers to collect, through garnishing wages, putting liens on homes, or civil forfeiture of cars.

Pretty soon, all cars will have a Garmin or On-Star type device, wired into a state system, connected to the insurance database. Soon, if you don't have insurance, your car won't start. Then, they will program your car to automatically notify the state if you exceed the speed limit, and automatically send you a ticket. Brave new world, here we come.

uninsured drivers should lose their license

panama wrote:

Uninsured motorists are nothing but a liability on the roads and should not be allowed to operate a vehicle. In addition to a heft fine, uninsured drivers should lose their license and not be allowed to drive for a few years. There needs to be a better system for tracking uninsured motorists.

If they gave a crap in the first place they wouldn't drive without insurance, do you really think taking away their license would stop most from driving?

I think not, jail time would though.

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Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

Thats great!

That's great! If they make enough revenue, maybe they can cut back some of those policemen that spend most of their time harassing people.

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Nuvi 760

Yes, it is very Big Brother

hkenney wrote:

I don't like uninsured drivers either, but worry we are getting just a little too much big brother. I would rather see higher fines and more jail time for those caught without it. I would also like to see more laws to allow people with damages due to uninsured drivers to collect, through garnishing wages, putting liens on homes, or civil forfeiture of cars.

Pretty soon, all cars will have a Garmin or On-Star type device, wired into a state system, connected to the insurance database. Soon, if you don't have insurance, your car won't start. Then, they will program your car to automatically notify the state if you exceed the speed limit, and automatically send you a ticket. Brave new world, here we come.

Yeah, I agree with you. This whole direction of enforcement, in the guise of raising needed revenue and in the guise of improving traffic safety, is disturbing. There's a ring of when-they-came-for the speeders, the red light runners, and the uninsured about it, that everyone who now supports it may yet come to regret. I don't like it, either, because I worry about where it will lead.

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JMoo On

Round them all up

It is a path that leads to all those who are not doing what they are supposed to. If you are not trying to cheat the system you have nothing to be worried about. What I don't like is having to pay higher rates because someone else doesn't want to pay their insurance. I could not care less if they are not happy about being busted for it or if they think it invades their privacy. Them not paying their bills invades my bank account. Screw them.

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----- Magellan Maestro 5310 ----- Free Garmin Nüvi 270 -----

Why would you think this will make the uninsured drivers off the

Mike107 wrote:

I'm all for it to. Anything to get the uninsured drivers off the road. Here in Dallas anyone stopped by police for another reason that doesn't have insurance has their car towed at their expense and can't get it back until they have insurance.

Why would you think this will take the uninsured motorists off the road, within a week, in California, they'll be back.

--
"Backward, turn backward, oh time in your flight, make me a child again, just for tonight."

Insurance?

hbelkins wrote:
jackj180 wrote:
johnc wrote:

Red Light Camera company announces a new "service" of also checking for uninsured motorists to generate more tickets. They are just connecting to an insurance database with the camera system to check for current insurance when it records your license.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-cameras-insurance-scofflawsmar17,0,936367.story

I wonder how they will handle self-insured drivers? Some states allow a person or company to post a bond and cover their own liability.

Jack j

Wouldn't that be in the state database as well?

The BMV isn't the department who issues the bond so they wouldn't have a record of the it. Each state is different as to who can get one and who issues it.

Jack J

This is a good Cam!

dagarmin wrote:

Yeah, I agree with you. This whole direction of enforcement, in the guise of raising needed revenue and in the guise of improving traffic safety, is disturbing. There's a ring of when-they-came-for the speeders, the red light runners, and the uninsured about it, that everyone who now supports it may yet come to regret. I don't like it, either, because I worry about where it will lead.

I agree with you on the Speed cams, Red light Cams completely, I would much rather see police on the road working. However unless you have had a car totaled by an uninsured motorist I guess you wouldn't understand. I even had a uninsured motorist rider on my policy, it's just the point, I by state law have to be able to show proof of Insurance. I did, he couldn't, He doesn't have a pot to pee in either plus he was driving on a suspended license due to a prior uninsured accident.

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Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

Yeah, I know

BobDee wrote:
dagarmin wrote:

This whole direction of enforcement, in the guise of raising needed revenue and in the guise of improving traffic safety, is disturbing... I worry about where it will lead.

I agree with you on the Speed cams, Red light Cams completely, I would much rather see police on the road working. However unless you have had a car totaled by an uninsured motorist I guess you wouldn't understand. I even had a uninsured motorist rider on my policy, it's just the point, I by state law have to be able to show proof of Insurance. I did, he couldn't, He doesn't have a pot to pee in either plus he was driving on a suspended license due to a prior uninsured accident.

I agree, if someone wants to be able to own a car, and can't afford insurance, tough toenails. Get a car when you can afford insurance. If that means you lose your job because you can't drive there, you're done.

Apart from the surveillance angle of the story, I still think this is a silly proposal for Chicago, because until Illinois has a current and complete database of insurance coverage for vehicles licensed in Illinois, as far as I know, they have nothing to compare plate numbers that get photographed at Chicago intersections against that will show who is and isn't insured. And it's a high-tech attempt to solve a problem that may have a better lower-tech solution. I wonder how other states handle this.

I know some places, you have to show proof of insurance when you renew your plates. And those states can have a problem with people who take out insurance and cancel it after they've met the requirement.

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JMoo On

Other "similar" Opportunities

With the Illinois Open Road Tolling, you simply drive through the toll booth areas without stopping, as your transponder will be registered.

They maintain that they won't use this information for issuing citations for speeding. I can see the day coming though were this will happen. You drive through point a at 8:40 AM, and the next toll booth registers you only 14 minutes later. But wait - with the speed limit, it should have taken you 19 minutes. You must have been speeding, therefore, please accept this ticket in the mail.

mrgreen

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And now, back to your regularly scheduled forum - already in progress . . .

They already have a system

They already have a system like this in the UK, Google "specs camera". Now they're linking them into networks that can cover areas of hundreds of miles!

That's OK

I agree with the majority - uninsured motorists are bad news for everyone.

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RKF (Brookeville, MD) Garmin Nuvi 660, 360 & Street Pilot

Round them all up

Absolute wrote:

It is a path that leads to all those who are not doing what they are supposed to. If you are not trying to cheat the system you have nothing to be worried about. What I don't like is having to pay higher rates because someone else doesn't want to pay their insurance. I could not care less if they are not happy about being busted for it or if they think it invades their privacy. Them not paying their bills invades my bank account. Screw them.

When they came for the homosexuals, I didn't make a fuss because I wasn't a homosexual. When the came for the Jews, I didn't make a fuss because I wasn't a Jew. Yesterday, they came for me and no one was left to make a fuss.

If you think that some cooperation issuing fines to uninsured motorists will get those motorists off the road, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell to you.

Jack j

Maybe Next

They will use them for:
* Amber Alerts.
* Wants and Warrants.
* Turn Signal Violations
* Tracking people of interest
* Capturing a criminal by reviewing plates in the area or finding witnesses for crimes.
* Driving with lights off or on high-beam.
* And if we're lucky, they will provide information to 3rd parties like Repo or PI agencies looking to either take your car or see if your cheating on a spouse.

Does not really matter to me, I am a sheeple and never break the law. smile

feel safer??

ICURALADY wrote:

They will use them for:
* Amber Alerts.
* Wants and Warrants.
* Turn Signal Violations
* Tracking people of interest
* Capturing a criminal by reviewing plates in the area or finding witnesses for crimes.
* Driving with lights off or on high-beam.
* And if we're lucky, they will provide information to 3rd parties like Repo or PI agencies looking to either take your car or see if your cheating on a spouse.

Does not really matter to me, I am a sheeple and never break the law. smile

That is almost everything... what is not listed is speeding, but that is what the photo all about.

If someone think that by doing so will make everyone feel more secure, I have a bridge in Potomak I'd like to sell to her/him.

Oh my

abin wrote:
ICURALADY wrote:

They will use them for:
* Amber Alerts.
* Wants and Warrants.
* Turn Signal Violations
* Tracking people of interest
* Capturing a criminal by reviewing plates in the area or finding witnesses for crimes.
* Driving with lights off or on high-beam.
* And if we're lucky, they will provide information to 3rd parties like Repo or PI agencies looking to either take your car or see if your cheating on a spouse.

Does not really matter to me, I am a sheeple and never break the law. smile

That is almost everything... what is not listed is speeding, but that is what the photo all about.

If someone think that by doing so will make everyone feel more secure, I have a bridge in Potomak I'd like to sell to her/him.

Or the people at AIG giving back their million dollar bonuses.

The Sad Thing....

Chicago signed a contract with Redflex for an additional 440 camera's to cover 220 more intersections. Currently Chicago has 248 cameras.

.

johnc wrote:

Red Light Camera company announces a new "service" of also checking for uninsured motorists to generate more tickets. They are just connecting to an insurance database with the camera system to check for current insurance when it records your license.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-cameras-insurance-scofflawsmar17,0,936367.story

Good.

Case and point

If that is the case why don`t they (The Rulers of the country) pass a law for people to be implanted with a chip to be tracked all the time. Big Brother is arriving bit by bit, believe me.
This is start to go to far. If you drive a car you are a target for the law, and we are an easy pray. If you want to drive you have to pay.

When they arrest some one for stealing, dealing drugs or other offenses, one hour later they are out.

The later ones don`t create revenue that`s why.

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Gps! ask where to go and get there! Best of all, what we need is to have accurate pois to reach all destinations

insurance not required in WA

BobDee wrote:
panama wrote:

Uninsured motorists are nothing but a liability on the roads and should not be allowed to operate a vehicle. In addition to a heft fine, uninsured drivers should lose their license and not be allowed to drive for a few years. There needs to be a better system for tracking uninsured motorists.

If they gave a crap in the first place they wouldn't drive without insurance, do you really think taking away their license would stop most from driving?

I think not, jail time would though.

In the state of washington insurance rates are based on the driver and type of car but you don't need to own a car or have insurance to drive. The "car" is insured in that case.

I'll buy that for a dollar

If you think that some cooperation issuing fines to uninsured motorists will get those motorists off the road, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell to you.

Jack j
[/quote]

OK. I'm not looking for a bridge, but I hear there's some nice oceanfront property in Arizona. Can you set me up with that?

This will get something off the street. Maybe it's our money.

My uncle was going home from our house in December. The new (1 or 2 weeks old) red light camera took a picture of his car and he was sent a rude letter telling him to pay the fine. He also had the option to look on line to see the picture. The car was clearly behind the stop line in the picture. He called the number on the letter and the clerk canceled/removed the violation. I don't know if the camera had to be calibrated, or if they were trolling for sheople who wouldn't challenge the letters. It still took about a half hour of his time to clear up their mistake.

Long Island getting

Long Island, NY is getting Red Light camera's also soon. 50 in Nasssua and 50 in Suffolk Co. Should pass in the State this week or next. I'm sure they will be in a hurry to get them up.

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Nuvi 50LM Nuvi 2555LM

Naaa want work here

Here in Southern CA 85% of the uninsured motorists are illegal's from one country or an other. 90% from one 10% from the other. These people not only drive with out insurance but do not have a licence as well. The american get a big fine and can lose there licence for a time. The others just pay a small fine for the court know they will not pay the fine.

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Southern CA Temp 76 and Sunny. Running around with my Nuvi 465T. Getting lost around the country and loving it.

Don't Look it Up

edwardw66 wrote:

He also had the option to look on line to see the picture. The car was clearly behind the stop line in the picture. He called the number on the letter and the clerk canceled/removed the violation.

In Arizona, looking it up online would constitute being served. Better to say nothing and act like you haven;t received anything if you're caught here in AZ.

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Nuvi 2597 / Nuvi 2595 / Nuvi 680 / Nuvi 650 "Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment."

johnc wrote: Red Light

johnc wrote:

Red Light Camera company announces a new "service" of also checking for uninsured motorists to generate more tickets. They are just connecting to an insurance database with the camera system to check for current insurance when it records your license.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-cameras-insurance-scofflawsmar17,0,936367.story

There are some counties in New York that have license plate scanners that scan the car as you drive along the road to check for insurance, registration and other issues. If you have any of the issues, the police will pull you over.

They're in Phoenix too

Yeah, I read about Customs putting scanners on the new border crossing south of San Diego to record truck movements going south. Previously, they weren't recording these movements and now they're trying to halt illegal arms and money from going south.

In Phoenix, DPS has those scanners on their cars and they scan for stolen vehicles but not insurance.

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Nuvi 2597 / Nuvi 2595 / Nuvi 680 / Nuvi 650 "Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment."