Joy rides for some Texas motorists coming to an end

TEXAS - If your one of the estimated four million motorists who are driving on Texas roads without proper insurance coverage, your joy rides may be coming to an end.

TexasSure is a new vehicle verification database designed to reduce the high volume of uninsured motorists, officials said. Law enforcement officials can now access this database directly from their squad cars. So next time your pulled over or involved in an accident, the officer can find out whether or not your insured just by running your vehicle identification number or license plate number through the system. And if your caught being uninsured, your chances of getting a ticket are guaranteed.

"Everybody is required to carry liability insurance on their vehicles," state trooper Jean Dark said. "It protects not only the driver of that vehicle, but also anybody else that happens to be out on the road."

And for those already insured, the program will protect them as well, Dark said. "If you happen to be somebody who is involved in an accident and you are struck by someone who is uninsured, then you know why," she said.

Even though proof of insurance is required to get a license renewal or safety inspection, enforcement of the law has been difficult, officials said. Millions of motorists have cheated the system by using counterfeit insurance cards or obtaining a month's coverage of insurance to get a license, then canceling the policy once they get their license renewed. "It happens quite often which is why there was such a need for this program to come into play," Dark said.

The program is funded with a $1 fee all Texans pay when renewing their vehicle registrations.