By Getting pulled over for driving without insurance is one of the most dreaded experiences of drivers in the US. It’s always best to drive with full vehicle insurance because the benefits far outweigh the costs. The consequences of driving without insurance range from payment of fines to license suspension to vehicle registration revocation. You can also face jail time in some US states if caught driving multiple times without insurance.
Apart from the legal consequences of driving without insurance, you can also face insurance consequences. The insurance risks are such that insurers refuse to offer you coverage due to the high risks involved, while some will give you coverage with extremely high premium costs.
Before you contemplate driving without insurance, let’s explore what happens if you drive without insurance and get pulled over in the US.
But first…
Is Vehicle Insurance Compulsory in the US?
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Most states in the US require drivers to have auto insurance as proof of financial responsibility for damages or liability in the event of an accident.
By default, driving exposes you to road accident risks, affecting others. If you cause injury to someone or damage property while driving, your insurance is used to settle the bills. However, this is not so if you’re driving without insurance.
How Do People Get Caught Driving Without Insurance?
Driving without insurance is risky, as you’d be caught, and it would have many consequences. With the vigilant and meticulous US Cops, it’s difficult to escape getting caught driving without insurance.
Random Checkpoints
Often, police set up random checkpoints to ensure all drivers on the road have licenses, registrations, and vehicle insurance. This random check ensures that everyone driving in the US is legally permitted to do so.
Therefore, people without auto insurance are caught at these random checkpoints, which come up along major roadways.
Traffic Violations
The cops can pull you over for traffic violations and check your license, registration, and insurance. Though the police don’t need you to commit any major road offense before pulling you over, it’s usually when you over speed or run a stop sign that they get the opportunity to do so.
Accidents
In the event of an accident, the police run checks to verify if you have the legal right to drive in the US. They run checks on your license, registration papers, and insurance card to be sure you have all documents intact.
Automatic License Plate Recognition Systems
The introduction of automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) systems has aided the police in phishing out drivers without vehicle insurance in the US. With the ALPR, the cops can check your vehicle for insurance without pulling you over. All they need to do is take a snapshot of your vehicle plate number, and the system will indicate if you’re one of the state’s uninsured drivers.
Each state in the US has a well-equipped police system that ensures law and order are maintained. The consequences of driving without vehicle insurance or being unable to prove that you have it differ in various US states.
What Happens if You Drive Without Insurance and Get Pulled Over in the US?
If you get pulled over without insurance in the US, you’re likely to pay fines, have your license suspended, or have your vehicle registration revoked, and in some cases, your vehicle can be impounded. Multiple occurrences of being caught without car insurance can result in jail time.
Payment of Fines
Depending on your state, getting pulled over for driving without insurance in the US can attract a fine of $100 to $1500. If it’s your first time getting pulled over, the fine might be between $100 and $200. However, getting caught a second time within three years would attract more severe charges.
License Suspension
Driving without insurance can attract more severe consequences, such as license suspension. In some states, your license can be suspended until you get your vehicle insured or for several days or months. In New York, you could lose your license for a year if you cause an accident with an uninsured vehicle.
Vehicle Registration Revocation
Depending on how often you’ve been caught and the severity of your offense, your punishment for driving without insurance might include suspension of your vehicle registration or revocation.
Usually, reinstating your registration requires you to pay heavy fees and promise not to violate the law again.
Vehicle Impoundment
Another consequence of driving without insurance in US states is vehicle impoundment. In some states, once your vehicle is impounded, you’d need to provide proof of at least one year of insurance to have it released. However, in some states, your vehicle can be destroyed for scrap if you fail to meet the requirements within a given time frame.
Jail Time
The most severe consequence of getting pulled over in the US for driving without insurance is to serve jail time. This jail time can be as little as a few days or as much as a few months. In states like Michigan, you can serve up to a year in jail for driving without vehicle insurance.
How to Get Car Insurance if You’re Uninsured
Getting car insurance can be difficult if you’ve been uninsured for a while. Some insurers would blatantly decline to insure you, as they’d perceive it to be high risk. However, some insurers would offer you coverage, though you might be required to pay a higher premium.
If uninsured, the best way to get car insurance is to shop for many policies simultaneously. Talk to as many insurers as possible and compare their quotes before settling on one.
You could pay as much as $300 to $600 more monthly for car insurance if you’ve been charged for driving without insurance.
It’s Illegal to Drive Without Insurance in the US
Driving without insurance in the US is illegal, mainly because of the risks it poses to you and others. On your part, an insured vehicle is a huge financial risk. This is because if you cause an accident that results in injuries and property damages, you’d be mandated to bear the costs. Even more, if a third party is involved, you will pay for their injuries and property damages.
The best way to avoid the consequences of driving without insurance is to get even the smallest amount of liability insurance.
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