Dallas To Vote On Towing Uninsured Drivers

[gabkwong]

Don't forget that most of the people in other countries take public transportation! You can awlays move to an area that has public transportation to take care of your transportation need! To allow people to drive w/o insurance is just cost shifting to those of us who follow the law. To be honest, most of us do make choices on our spending so that we can pay the insurance. Driving is a luxary and is NOT a god given right!

[MX-5EE]

Well I am really on the fence on this....
here's why i voted no.
As much as agree, and dont want to be on the road with non insured drivers.
The fact is that there are a lot of people out there who can't work without a vehicle but cant pay for insurance.
The insurance companies dont make it easy on people on a budget by charging higher rates for things that have nothing to do with driving well, one thing comes to mind....checking credit history for rates.
If you tow these people's only means of transportation then there will be many more people out of work and in turn probably turning to crime to pay the bills.
people are already paying out the wazoo for food, gas etc etc. and far too many folks are hangin by a thread when it comes to finances taking away their transportation is temporary fix but does nothing to fix the problem that the cost of living is just wayyyy too high.
I think it will also promote fraud by helping the fake insurance card business.

I say at this point, that going without a car in Dallas is actually a viable option. Since my school gives me a free transit pass and since they are increasing my tuition to pay for the program, I use it whenever I can. I can say that DART service is "solidly mediocre". You have to plan your day carefully, and have to have patience, but it can be done. Last week I only drove 80 miles in my Miata (I drove to have lunch with my wife in Irving), the week before I only drove 2 miles (it rained and I had to drive to work), and this week I have driven 20 miles so far.

[gabkwong]

Years ago when I was a poor college student in Minneapolis. I took the bus to school and work in sub-zero weather! Everyone has to live within their means and the laws. Your financial situation does not give you the privledge to do otherwise. To say you are poor and you can drive w/o insurance is BS!

[jrj512]

Years ago when I was a poor college student in Minneapolis. I took the bus to school and work in sub-zero weather!

Uphill, both ways!

[Billy Blaze]

Years ago when I was a poor college student in Minneapolis. I took the bus to school and work in sub-zero weather! Everyone has to live within their means and the laws. Your financial situation does not give you the privledge to do otherwise. To say you are poor and you can drive w/o insurance is BS!

Alright since you are an advocate of living by the law, why not just use the "laws" on the books now to deal with this? we already have laws that punish people who drive without insurance.
More laws equal more power and I am NOT a fan of more control over people poor or rich.

You know sometimes you have to look outside of the things that directly affect your personal situation, if you let the judicial system keep spinning out of control it's just a matter of time before it hits close to home and there will be nobody to stand up for you.

rant off

[Rogue]

I had an employee that had no money for Insurance, or gas for that matter, but always had cigarettes.
He wanted me to come pick him up for work, which I did once. Only Once.
On the way home he wanted to stop for some more cigs.

Didn't happen!

[MiataMike]

Here I am after the fact, just reading this thread. A couple of thoughts come to mind.

1. Driving is a privilege and it comes with responsibility.
2. If enough people stop driving, maybe the Metromess will slip into the 20th century and get a real mass transit system.
3. If you don't remember to take your wallet when you go driving and you run out of gas, it will be a burden too. Keep the card current or suffer the consequences (reading the definition might help)

What ever your age, gender or race the law is equal and fair. Get a license, get some insurance, or get off the highway. Driving was never a God-given right; it is a privilege.

Just so you know there is a national database that will be used to cross reference the License plate numbers to registered insurance holders. You don't actually have to have proof of insurance if your pulled over because they will know before you get stopped. (Inside info)

[Billy Blaze]

I knew about this too Mike, do you know when this is going into play?

[SirHustlerEsq]

what if you forgot your insurance card, or it went out, but you're covered?

I don't see why we don't have a resource available to police to see if a car is insured up-to-the-minute.

[SirHustlerEsq]

Why that is a lovely little writeup, so when this poor soul runs a light and totals your car Billy what do you do? Are you just going to pick up the tab??

The protection also need to be there for those of us who play by the rules by having auto insurance.

he's going to pay cheaper prices for produce and home construction.

[POS Racing]

Just so you know there is a national database that will be used to cross reference the License plate numbers to registered insurance holders. You don't actually have to have proof of insurance if your pulled over because they will know before you get stopped. (Inside info)

The state is already working on a database as we speak it is currently being tested in the greater Austin Area. ( http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/auto/frvp.html )

[Dave04]

what if you forgot your insurance card, or it went out, but you're covered?

I believe the way the law is written (someone correct me if I'm wrong), it states that you must carry proof of insurance. So, regardless if you have insurance for the vehicle, if you don't have the valid card with you, you can be in violation of the law.

[MiataMike]

I believe the way the law is written (someone correct me if I'm wrong), it states that you must carry proof of insurance. So, regardless if you have insurance for the vehicle, if you don't have the valid card with you, you can be in violation of the law.

Also if you read further into that law you can insure yourself. And take full responsibility for whatever damages may be done to someone elses vehicle. I have a co-worker whose dad has a document saying that he insures himself and takes that responsibility.

[Rogue]

what if you forgot your insurance card, or it went out, but you're covered?

Too bad, what if you forgot your license, or credit card?

If your co. doesn't get you a current card timely, then you need a better Ins co.

[jrj512]

Too bad, what if you forgot your license, or credit card?

If your co. doesn't get you a current card timely, then you need a better Ins co.

State Farm sends mine a month or so early, plus they send several copies. So, I keep one in the glove box in each car, plus my wallet.

[TurboDuane]

that doesn't really help if your not on a Dart line.

Sharpie has another interesting point, i am always covered but sometimes my insurance company is slow getting my cards out.
There is already a system in place to check (without stopping you) wheather or not you have valid insurance, I think they are waiting on legislation to pass to put that into play.

I know there are people out to just try and get by with keeping more of their money by not paying insurance, but there are some just poor folks out there doing what they can to support themselves too.
that's why i am on the fence about this.
It seems if there is someone who just cant pay it, and you take their car away they are going to do something else to feed their family besides working a job they have to drive to.
I know it's a crime to drive without insurance, but i would rather have someone driving the streets without insurance than someone desperate that turns into a burglar or theif cause they dont have the means to support their family.
Anyway that's my take on it.
I dont agree with no insurance but dont think this is the answer either.

Your rational is all screwed up Billy, I mean "dude" where is the logic?

I've got some very poor relatives, but those that choose to drive, take into consideration the insurance cost. Hell for $1.50 a day you can have insurance, is that too much to ask of someone driving some peice of crap that hasn't been maintained in years, so that when their brakes give out, or a wheel falls off and they cause injury or damage to another that they be responsible for it? Is a $1.50 going to cause someone to lead a life of crime that wouldn't have anyway?

Get real, thats why we have jails.

Ya know, I don't drive a Vette, because i don't want to pay the insurance. Insurance should always be considered if you are going to drive. As said earlier, it's a privledge, not a right!

[Dave04]

Also if you read further into that law you can insure yourself. And take full responsibility for whatever damages may be done to someone elses vehicle. I have a co-worker whose dad has a document saying that he insures himself and takes that responsibility.

correct... my company self insures it's vehicles... but you have to post a pretty big bond (or some other means to prove financial responsibility to the state) in order for that to work. It isn't exactly a cheap alternative for an individual.

[gabkwong]

Alright since you are an advocate of living by the law, why not just use the "laws" on the books now to deal with this? we already have laws that punish people who drive without insurance.

The law we have on the book now is not working. There is no consequence to be caught driving w/o insurance right now! All you get is a ticket! Those who choose to break the law driving w/o insurance are laughing at these tickets!

Several years ago my 2-month old car was hit by a guy w/o insurance. Both the police and my insurance agent told me there was no way I could get this guy to pay me to fix the car. Even if I took him to the court and the judge ruled against him, it was still up to him to pay me and there is no one could make him pay!

I had been the receiving end of bad laws and not wish anyone to be in that situation. However, this driving w/o insurance is just not hold water no matter how you look at it!

I am sure you will think otherwise if your love one is critically injured by someone w/o insurance and you need that $$$$$$$ to save your love one's life!

[altiain]

I'm with Gab on this one. All the tickets in the world won't get these people off the road. This law is a step in the right direction, but in reality some of these scofflaws will probably abandon their beater in the police impound and just find a way to buy another one.

What we really ought to do is confiscate the car, sell it at auction, make driving without insurance a Class B misdemeanor and take the bastards to jail for a few days.

[black roadster]

Care to comment on my previous comment Billy? (or the other two people that voted with him.)