Tulsa World reports – A program designed to crack down on uninsured drivers through the use of automatic license plate scanning technology has located thousands of violations in the first weeks of its deployment.
About 2,100 uninsured vehicle violation notice letters will be sent to registered owners in the coming days, said Amanda Arnall Couch, prosecutor for the Uninsured Vehicle Enforcement Diversion Program, a unit of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council.
The program, the first of its kind in the country, launched Nov. 1, with four vehicle-mounted plate scanners traveling “all over the state,” Arnall Couch said. Cameras mounted on vehicles scan license plates on automobiles as they are encountered.
The tags are compared to a state database that includes vehicles with liability insurance. Images of vehicle plates found not to be on a state insured list are retained and forwarded to the state UVED office, where they are reviewed for accuracy.
Each violation notice sent to registered vehicle owners includes a picture of the plate that the camera took, with instructions on what to do next, Arnall Couch said. Those who can prove they were insured when the photo was taken or have obtained it since are directed to a website to resolve the matter. Everyone else who receives violation notices will be asked to provide proof of insurance on their vehicle, agree to keep the vehicle insured for two years and pay the $174 fee. Those who don’t comply risk arrest, having their vehicle towed and having their driver’s license revoked, officials said.
The program won’t cover fleet-owned vehicles, vehicles with tribal license plates and out-of-state vehicles because the state doesn’t maintain liability insurance data on those vehicles, officials said.
The four units have been operating across the state, but plans are to focus on the higher-traffic Tulsa and Oklahoma City metropolitan areas, during the initial phases of the program, according to officials and documents associated with the bidding process.
If you or a loved one have been in a car accident with an uninsured motorist, contact the attorneys at Carr & Carr. With offices in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and northwest Arkansas, our attorneys are ready to help you when you need help most. We can arrange to meet you for a free, no-obligation consultation at your home, hospital room, or other convenient location.
