Car Insurance Law catches some by surprise

OKLAHOMA CITY
AP

A law designed to catch uninsured motorists instead has caused mostly innocent Oklahomans to have their drivers' licenses suspended.

The law passed in the early 1990s requires insurance companies to notify the state Department of Public Safety whenever a customer cancels an insurance policy within 180 days of it being issued.

Then, the department sends a notice stating that the person's driver's license will be suspended within 30 days unless proof of insurance is provided.

The goal was to catch people who would purchase insurance to obtain license tags, then drop the insurance.

Instead, the law entrapped people who cancel their insurance for legitimate reasons, such as selling their car or changing insurance providers.

Governor Brad Henry signed a law on Friday that will require the Department of Public Safety to implement an online vehicle insurance verification system by July 1st, 2008. Department officials say the new system would allow them to "zero in" on uninsured motorists and leave the law-abiding ones alone.