Unless you want to risk getting slapped with an extra $200 ticket the next time you’re pulled over for a traffic violation, it’s time to make sure you have auto insurance in Wisconsin – and documentation with you in the car to prove it.
Wisconsin’s mandatory auto insurance law takes effect June 1, which means law enforcement officers will begin asking not only for a driver’s license during traffic stops, but also for proof of insurance, which usually is a card provided by insurers when the premium is paid.
The requirement for drivers to carry liability coverage is the final phase of a revamp of state auto insurance law that was included in Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget last year. Among the previous changes have been increases in the minimum amounts of liability coverage drivers must carry.
Advocates say the auto insurance changes make economic sense: Motorists should have insurance – and enough of it – to pay for the damage they could do to other drivers or property.
…..State Patrol Major Dan Lonsdorf said officer won’t be trying to hassle drivers with the new law. No one can be stopped by police solely on suspicion of not having insurance. In addition, he said, a big ticket isn’t inevitable if proof of insurance is absent at the time of a traffic stop. Under the law, drivers will be asked for proof of insurance, and those who can’t provide it may be fined $10.
To read the complete article see jsonline.com -article by Paul Gores
5/24/2010
