The Texas Department of Insurance is conducting a month-long study of Dallas drivers, to determine how many do not have auto insurance.
Traditionally, about 25% or more of Texas drivers are uninsured, in spite of state law requiring every vehicle owner to carry at least the minimum liability policy of $20,000/$40,000/$15.000. Limits that haven’t been increased in many years.
You have to show proof of insurance to get your driver’s license renewed, but you can pick up a fake insurance card at just about any used car lot. No one checks these things when you renew your license.
The Texas Legislature has always refused to put any enforcement teeth into the mandatory insurance law. In my opinion, this is because the auto insurance companies don’t want to insure the poorest Texans — the ones who can’t afford insurance. These folk are historically the worst drivers, and are involved in more collisions than more affluent Texans.
If the insurance companies wanted effective mandatory auto insurance laws in Texas, we would have had them long ago.
