In Just Two Months, a Surprising Number of Illinois Residents Were Caught Without Car Insurance
Isabel Armiento
· 3 min read
Since July 1, almost 2,700
Illinois
residents were caught driving without car insurance
and had their license plates suspended. This spike followed the implementation of the state’s new automobile insurance verification system, which was put into place by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. This electronic system randomly checks whether drivers have insurance and suspends the license plates of those who don’t.
According to
WCIA.com
, a total of 7,000 warning letters were sent to Illinois drivers without verifiable car insurance. Those who cannot prove that they are insured will have their license plates suspended and will have to pay a $100 fine to get them back. 
Amidst surge in Illinois drivers caught without car insurance, state officials urge drivers to get insured
The Illinois Insurance Verification System randomly verifies drivers’ insurance status a minimum of two times per year, in order to ensure that all drivers are meeting state insurance laws. In comparison, in past years, only 3% of drivers had their car insurance randomly checked.
Now, according to
Illinois Policy
, up to 1.5 million uninsured drivers could be caught by this automatic verification system. In a state of 8.5 million drivers, this number is nothing to scoff at. According to
State Scoop
, White praised the system for using "innovations in technology to help reduce the number of Illinois motorists driving while uninsured." He said in a statement, "The message is simply: if you don’t have auto insurance, get covered now. It is the law." Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
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How the new Illinois car insurance verification program is funded
MORE: New Illinois Car Insurance Program Hopes to Make Life Easier for Everyone
The Illinois Insurance Verification System places no burden on taxpayers; in fact, it is entirely funded by insurance companies. These companies also help to provide drivers’ insurance information, and most are happy to comply with the new program.
This program is a win-win for both drivers and car insurers, as it encourages everyone to purchase car insurance. Henry Haupt, a spokesperson for the Illinois Secretary of State office, noted that the program would push drivers to get car insurance, "because if you don’t have it, it will catch you and your license plates will be suspended."
He added, "One of the worst things that can happen to someone is when they get involved in a crash and the person who hits them doesn’t have automobile insurance." Getting insured benefits everyone involved, and Haupt reports that Illinois, one of the first states to implement an automatic car insurance verification system, intends to stick with this program.
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While all drivers should have car insurance, it’s understandable why some put off buying it. Comparing car insurance rates and finding an affordable offer can be difficult, even overwhelming. In fact, as many as 15% of drivers don’t have car insurance. This is where
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