Oklahoma Bill Aims To Crack Down On Uninsured Drivers

State lawmakers are considering a tough crackdown on uninsured drivers. A house bill making its way through the legislature would allow law enforcement to pull you over specifically if you are uninsured.

Right now - officers can't pull you over even if they know you're violating the state insurance mandate. That would change if this bill becomes law and some don't like the idea.

Law enforcement could soon have the green light to rid our roads of uninsured drivers.

"It's an excellent idea because right now, we still work numerous collisions where people don't have insurance. Most of the time, those people who don't have insurance are at fault," said Tulsa Police Cpl. Brian Collum.

Oklahoma law already requires drivers to carry insurance. An online instant verification system shows when a vehicle is uninsured. But officers currently can't do anything with that knowledge.

"If we run a vehicle and it shows unconfirmed, that's not probable cause to pull that vehicle over. The vehicle actually has to have some type of traffic violation," Collum said.

House Bill 2525 would justify that traffic stop. Broken Arrow driver Mike Savoy loves the idea.

"Everyone should have car insurance, period," he said.

Oklahoma ranks in the top 5 among states with the most uninsured drivers. The Insurance Research Council shows nearly one out of every four drivers in the state don't have car insurance.

"It's actually taking care of the people, the citizens out there, because getting a driver's license and driving on the roadways in the state of Oklahoma is not a right, it's a privilege," Collum said.

House Bill 2525 was recently approved by the House Public Safety Committee. It now heads to the House floor.