Vendor Selected for Oklahoma Temporary Motorist Liability Plan

The state of Oklahoma has chosen Red Rock Insurance Company, an Oklahoma-based business, to provide liability coverage for offenders whose license plates were seized for failure to carry state-mandated auto insurance. House Bill 1792, signed into law in April, allows law enforcement to seize the license plates from uninsured vehicles and provides insurance coverage for the vehicle for up to 10 working days.

“This is a big problem in our state and I’m confident this law will make an impact on our staggering rate of uninsured drivers,” said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. “People driving without insurance need to buy a policy as soon as possible. The free ride is over.”

Once ticketed, the offender must pay for the cost of the temporary insurance, along with other required fees and fines, and purchase his or her own insurance before reclaiming the tag.

The Oklahoma Temporary Motorist Liability Policy provides coverage for bodily injury, death and property damage caused by a driver whose license plate was seized. The limits provided under this policy are the same as the minimum coverage required by law.

1. $25,000 for each person, subject to $50,000 maximum for each accident, with respect to bodily injury; and
2. $25,000 for each accident with respect to property damage.

The offender will be charged a temporary insurance rate of $10 per 24-hour period, with a minimum rate of $50, from the time a citation was issued, until:

1. The vehicle owner has obtained the state minimum mandatory insurance from an insurance carrier;
2. The vehicle owner has obtained documentation from the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety showing he or she is able to pay for losses caused by an uninsured vehicle;
3. The vehicle owner retrieves the license plate from the county sheriff’s office; or
4. The period of time from which a license plate was seized reaches 10 working days.

Coverage only applies in the state of Oklahoma. Coverage does not become effective if the vehicle is not in a drivable condition at the time of the citation and seizure of the license plate.

Even though the bill is currently in effect, the insurance portion of the law doesn’t begin until Jan. 1, 2014. Any driver whose license plate is seized by law enforcement before Jan. 1 will not be covered under the Oklahoma Temporary Motorist Liability Plan.

HB 1792 was modeled after a similar measure in Louisiana. The uninsured motorist rate dropped from 30 percent to 13 percent after the law was implemented in that state.

Source: Oklahoma Insurance Department