L.A. Police Begin Issuing Citations on Car Insurance

All California law enforcement agencies are now enforcing a new state law requiring motorists to prove that they have liability insurance amid indications that tens of thousands of drivers are flouting the measure.

Los Angeles police at a news conference Tuesday announced that they will now begin issuing citations, ending a three-month period in which they issued only warnings.

Under the law, any motorist who has been cited for another traffic violation will be asked for proof of insurance. If the motorist cannot provide proof of financial responsibility--the name of the insurance carrier and the policy number--he will be cited and subject to a fine of at least $100. His driver’s license will be suspended until he can provide proof.

The California Highway Patrol began enforcing the law in July. Of the 410,568 drivers asked by the CHP since then to show proof of responsibility, 43% could not comply and were cited.

Increase in Applicants

Before the passage of the law, the Department of Motor Vehicles estimated that there were more than 2.5 million uninsured drivers in California. But since July, the number of people who have applied for coverage has increased. Rosemary Williams, a spokeswoman for the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan in San Francisco, said the number of applications jumped to 65,000 in July but leveled off to 30,000 in September. “Uninsured motorists cost Californians over $1 billion a year in damage, which is paid for by the honest, law-abiding driver who pays higher insurance premiums to make up for those who don’t pay their share,” Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys), author of the legislation, said at the news conference.

According to insurance agencies surveyed by Robbins, more than 20% of a driver’s insurance premium goes to pay for losses caused by uninsured drivers.

To remind the public of the law, the California Highway Patrol has produced two 30-second public service messages to be distributed to television statewide.