LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas roads just got a little safer after one group in the state noticed that the percentage of uninsured drivers on the road has gone down.
A new online system that started in January has been helping state and local police find uninsured drivers.
"Every time you get behind the wheel In Arkansas, you are now much safer than you were a few years ago because of this system," said Scott Hardin, Spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.
The system has been working behind the scenes to notify the state, law enforcement, and insurance companies when someone loses or cancels their car insurance.
"As soon as we learn about it, we issue a letter to that vehicle's owner saying, hey you have a $100 fine associated with this. You have 30 days to obtain insurance, or you're going to lose the registration totally," he added.
This system began back in January 2020, and the rate of uninsured vehicles was at 16 percent. Now, just three years later— that number has been cut in half.
“If you have a wreck, the odds are really 16%, that this person is not going to be insured. And for those Arkansans that have had an accident, with someone who's not insured, it's a mess. You know that it ultimately falls back on them. And then it's just, it's frustrating for everyone," Hardin said. "Knowing now that has been cut in half, that if you have a wreck you're at least half as likely to be the end of someone who's not insured. That's really promising,"
He explained that the online insurance verification system is designed to create a three-way communication channel between the state, law enforcement, and insurance companies.
It has been a game changer for not just the department but for everyone.
"Back then if you lost your insurance, if it happened to expire, you may not know unless your insurance provider reached out to you. I mean, they may send you a letter, but that might take weeks to arrive. So now you're going to learn of it hopefully just as soon as possible because the state's going to reach out to you," he described.
He also said that although their department will issue a fine, this doesn’t exclude citations from law enforcement if you are pulled over for not being insured.